On 15 January 2026, GWP Partners will meet for an Extraordinary Network Meeting focused on advancing the next phase of GWP’s transformation and the implementation of its new Strategy 2026–2030.
Date: 15 January 2026
Time: 13:30–15:00 CET
Format: Online
Who can join: Registered GWP Partners (GWP staff are invited to attend as observers)
Register to participate online via Zoom
A pivotal moment for GWP
As 2026 begins, the Global Water Partnership stands at a pivotal moment. Over the past year, GWP launched the Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments and adopted the GWP Strategy 2026–2030. The recent Sida External Evaluation of the GWP Strategy 2020–2025 endorsed GWP’s strong performance and delivery over the last five years. The evaluation further validated GWP’s direction, calling for clearer governance roles, stronger accountability, and a unified ‘One GWP’ system that accelerates impact across all levels of the network.
The Extraordinary Network Meeting will focus on Phase 2 of the GWP–GWPO Statutory Amendments, on which GWP Partners will vote. These reforms directly address long-standing structural challenges, including overlapping mandates, slow decision-making, and unclear boundaries between GWPO and Regional Water Partnerships (RWPs).
The proposed amendments are the culmination of extensive consultations with Sponsoring Partners, the Steering Committee, RWPs, development finance partners, and GWP Partners, consolidated through the 2023 Report of the GWP Governance Review led by Judith Sargentini.
What the proposed amendments introduce
The proposed amendments will introduce:
- A GWP General Assembly as the highest decision-making body, unifying the Sponsoring Partners, 13 RWPs, and the global partner network.
- A streamlined GWP Board of 9–11 independent members, replacing the 21-member Steering Committee for greater agility, oversight, and fiduciary clarity.
- Clearer governance relationships between GWPO and RWPs to strengthen accountability and reduce risk.
- Governance structures that enhance donor confidence, intergovernmental legitimacy, and partner representation in our top decision-making organs.
These reforms are not administrative adjustments. They are foundational investments in the future of GWP. They will provide the clarity, legitimacy, and institutional strength needed to deliver large-scale, climate-resilient water investment outcomes aligned with GWP’s bold Global Transformation Agenda on Water Investments.
Key documents for the Extraordinary Network Meeting include:
- Presentation on the proposed amendments rationale for the amendments Article by Article
Unofficial translations: French, Chinese, Spanish - Proposed Amendments to the Statutes (Tracked Changes) (updated 14 Jan 2026)
- Clean version of the amended GWP Statutes (updated 14 Jan 2026)
Translations: French, Russian, Chinese - 2023 Report of the GWP Governance Review by Judith Sargentini
- Sida External Evaluation of the GWP Strategy 2020–2025
The engagement and participation of GWP Partners is essential as GWP takes this next step in its governance reform. The Extraordinary Network Meeting on 15 January 2026 marks a decisive moment in advancing a more unified, accountable, and effective GWP system.