Ministers responsible for water in 41 African countries met in Abuja, Nigeria (29-30 April 2002) and decided to form the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) to promote cooperation, security, socio-economic development and poverty eradication through the management of water resources and provision of water supply services. 

Mandate: AMCOW’s mission is to provide political leadership, policy direction and advocacy in the provision, use and management of water resources for sustainable social and economic development and maintenance of African ecosystems. AMCOW's major functions are to facilitate regional and international co-operation through the co-ordination of policies and actions amongst African countries regarding water resources issues, review and mobilize additional financing for the water sector in Africa, and provide a mechanism for monitoring the progress of implementation of major regional and global water resources and water supply and sanitation initiatives. AMCOW also provides a forum for dialogue with UN agencies and other partners on water issues, and promotes participation in regional studies regarding climate changes, development of observation networks, facilitates information exchange and aims to develop policies and strategies for addressing the water issues in Africa. In addition, AMCOW's functions are to:

keep the state of Africa's water under review and promote desirable actions of common interest to Africa;
facilitate regional and international co-operation through the co-ordination of policies and actions amongst African countries regarding water resources issues;
support trans-national co-operation on water related issues through development of common positions on matters of global concern as well as co-operation in implementation of relevant conventions and international agreements;
encourage mechanisms that will promote best practices in water policy reforms, integrated water resources management, food security, water supply and sanitation and also assist in delivery in National regional and sub-regional programmes;
promote participation in regional studies regarding climate changes, develop observation networks, encourage information exchange and setup strategies for the management of water resources in time of drought and floods and develop policies and strategies of arresting the water crisis in Africa; and
keep under review and constantly seek to strengthen the financing of water sector in Africa.

AMCOW is actively engaged in keeping the state of Africa's water under review and promoting desirable actions of common interest to Africa by all stakeholders. It also facilitates regional and international co-operation through the co-ordination of policies and actions amongst African countries regarding water resources issues. The major AMCOW achievements include: establishment of a ministerial mechanism supported by a network of senior water officials for a systematic consideration of water policy challenges in Africa; providing support to regional integration processes; adopting a triennial work programme that provides strategic direction for national, regional and international cooperation; providing political support and leadership for the implementation of major water initiatives; compilation of key water portfolios for the five sub-regions of Africa, establishment of the African Water Facility (AWF) which is hosted and managed by the African Development Bank, and establishment of a Trust Fund under UNEP.