Ethiopia Playing Leading Role in Sustainability, Availabilty of Water: ECOSOCC Head

Addis Ababa, February 12, 2026 (ENA)—Ethiopia, driven by the right leadership and right policies, is playing a leading role in the sustainability and availability of water, African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) Secretariat Head William Carew said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the Head noted that the leadership role the Government of Ethiopia has been playing is very fundamental for the African Union as a whole.

He added that the Africa Union wants to see how member states benchmark some of the good practices and policies that have been put in place by any of the members.

According to him, it is crucial to have a continental framework that actually addresses the whole issue of water and sanitation within the continent.  

In this respect, the Government of Ethiopia has put in place policies and mechanisms that contribute to sustainable water and availability of water and safe sanitation, which is a very good benchmark for other member states of the Africa Union, he elaborated.

Carew also commended the Ethiopian leadership and policies for the success of the nation’s Green Legacy initiative that resulted in planting over 48 billion tree seedlings since the initiative was launched in 2019.

“That is a significant number, and it all boils down to leadership and having the right policies in place. So we are now saying, let us move from discussing policies into practical implementation of those policies.”  

For the Head of the Secretariat, the policies are meant to be translated into action so that citizens can benefit from it.

“It is about having the right leadership, having a political will and the political commitment; and then having the right policies in place. With the determination and deliberate efforts, we want to implement this policy so that it can translate into a practical reality.”

Furthermore, Carew appreciated the significant work that is taking place in Addis Ababa.

“It gives us hope as citizens. It gives us the determination that we can work with our governments to transform our cities, to transform our community, to make it a better place for African citizens, for our women and our girls to live and contribute in their own little way to sustainable development of the continent,” he stated.

In connection with the 2026 AU summit, which takes place this week, the Head noted that the theme of the year is assuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation system to achieve Agenda 2063.

Asserting that the African Union ECOSOCC, which is the civil society organ of the Union, desires to play its part in contributing to the theme of the year, he stressed that the realization of the theme is essential to achieve Agenda 2063.