The Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) is a network of partners committed to helping water operators help one another improve their collective capacity to provide access to water and sanitation services for all. GWOPA leads Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) promotion, facilitation and coordination, and is the principle source for WOPs knowledge and guidance.
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan requested UN-HABITAT to lead the development, and host the secretariat, of the global WOPs mechanism called for in UNSGAB’s HAP. During the annual Stockholm World Water Week in August 2007, the Chair of UNSGAB, his Royal Highness, Prince Willem-Alexander of Orange, launched GWOPA as a global mechanism to scale up WOPs. GWOPA’s mandate is to build on ongoing efforts and provide financial, technical, and advocacy support for WOPs at the global level.
The GWOPA Secretariat is driven by an international Steering Committee and supported by a global network of partners and members. GWOPA counts amongst its supporters utility associations on all continents representing thousands of water utilities, regional development banks, international financial institutions, labor unions, civil society organizations, development partners, and learning institutes.
GWOPA’s Mission
GWOPA’s direct goal is to promote and enable impactful WOPs. It does this by creating awareness about WOPs, producing and sharing knowledge and tools, and rallying the funds and political backing to enable effective WOPs practice.
GWOPA is ultimately contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and Human Right to Water to scale up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all. WOPs make their greatest contribution through capacity enhancement, while helping to catalyze the change required to increase access to the poor.
GWOPA’s Approach
From the beginning, GWOPA has worked to grow its partner network and gain from the diverse strengths of partners in the implementation of all activities. Key partners include international agencies, regional development banks and funding agencies, utility associations, and a wide range of stakeholders from the water supply and sanitation sector worldwide.