MMU Has Become a Member of GWOPA
By joining the network where institutions from different sectors can become members, MMU aims to improve its member municipalities' water and sewerage administrations to provide better services, carry out works to increase their visibility on international platforms, develop collaborations with relevant organizations worldwide, and closely follow international practices and share them with its members.
The 5th Water Operators' Partnerships Congress Held in Bonn
The 5th WOPs Congress, organized by GWOPA, took place in Bonn, Germany, on 22-25 May 2023. As a member of GWOPA, MMU Secretary General M. Cemil Arslan and International Affairs Director Burcuhan Şener participated in the main panel session titled "Resilient Water and Sanitation Services on a Finite Planet," where they shared their works, capacity development activities, and the Mentor program.
Through the partnership to be developed between MMU’s Mentor program and “Water Operators’ Partnerships” (WOPs) which is one of the crucial tools of GWOPA, it is planned to support water and sewerage administrations worldwide to collaborate, facilitate mutual learning between these institutions and support each other, promote knowledge and experience sharing among different institutions, and foster collaborations. In the framework of these nonprofit partnerships, it is aimed to match experienced and capacity-enhanced water and sewerage administrations with their counterparts in need of support, guiding them in their capacity development and practices.
About GWOPA
The Global Water Operators' Partnership Alliance (GWOPA) is an international network composed of water and sewerage administrations and other related organizations. Having approximately 500 members and partner organizations, the network's objective is to assist water and sewerage administrations worldwide in providing quality services and supporting each other. Through GWOPA's activities, access to water has been facilitated for 58 million people, and water quality has been improved. Therefore, the network contributes to the achievement of the 6th Sustainable Development Goal, which focuses on clean water and sanitation.
Membership in the network, headquartered in Bonn, is free. Both institutional and individual memberships are available. Water and sewerage administrations worldwide and nonprofit organizations (NGOs, associations, development agencies, international organizations, etc.) can join the network. Member organizations have voting rights and can participate in GWOPA's Assembly, Executive Board, and Secretariat.
Services available to members include:
- Visibility, advocacy, and fund-rising support
- Information and experience sharing, capacity development support
- Providing tools and guidance for research and development, reporting, and monitoring, and guidance
- Developing collaborations with water and sewerage administrations and related organizations worldwide
- Opportunities for mutual learning and practical application with other water and sewerage administrations
- Staying updated on global developments and establishing connections with international stakeholders by participating in the Global WOPs Congress
For more information about GWOPA, open to membership for water and sewerage administrations in Turkey, click here: https://gwopa.org/
Photo credit: Guille Álvarez - Freelance Journalist
