On 19 April 2024, SWA, IADB, and UNICEF will co-organize the Latin America and the Caribbean Finance Ministers' Meeting (LAC FMM) that will focus on how Ministers of Finance, together with other government and development partners, can transform access to water and sanitation in their country and unleash the economic and social benefits that will ensure the necessary resilience in the face of a changing climate.
Discussions at the meeting will centre on inspiring and aspirational examples of countries that have achieved their development and climate goals through improving water and sanitation services and ensuring inclusive finance for a resilient future.
SWA partner countries have started preparations for the 2024 FMM which reinforces and strengthens country dialogues and actions around smart investment in the sector. Through this blog, we aim to capture the updates coming in from our partners across all SWA constituencies in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Sector Ministers’ Dialogue
We’re also diving today into the Sector Ministers’ Dialogue, with the agenda shifting the spotlight to the crucial roles of sector ministers who spearhead water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives.
Top experts will share innovative, forward-looking solutions aimed at achieving universal access to water and sanitation. This is all about building a robust environment that attracts fresh resources, tapping into new finance sources, and optimizing the use of existing ones.
The outcomes from today will set the stage for impactful discussions at the upcoming LatinoSan and the Ibero-American Summit in November 2024, which will zoom in on innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. Plus, it's the perfect lead-up to the SWA global Sector Ministers Meeting in 2025.
💡DID YOU KNOW?
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) lays out a compelling economic case for water and sanitation: investing 1.3% of the regional GDP annually until 2030 could ensure everyone has access to these vital services. This isn't just about meeting basic needs; it's a green economic engine that could generate up to 3.4 million green jobs each year. Talk about a win-win for economic growth and environmental sustainability!
Happening Today: Latin America and Carribbean Finance Ministers’ Meeting
🌟 Breaking News!
Today, finance ministers from across Latin America and the Caribbean are convening in Washington, D.C., for a landmark meeting. Their bold mission? To discuss mobilizing $372 billion over the next five years to tackle the region's urgent water and sanitation challenges.
As climate change intensifies and extreme weather events become more frequent, the stakes have never been higher. Over 450 million people in the region are grappling with inadequate sanitation, while almost 200 million are without consistent water services. It's a critical moment to act!
Today's discussions will zero in on strategic finance and policy moves—boosting public finance, maximizing the impact of development banks, drawing in private capital, and emphasizing the pivotal role of climate finance. Plus, they'll explore cutting energy use and deploying robust strategies for both mitigation and adaptation to support the water and sanitation sector.
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Spread the Word about the #2024 FMM
Download our communications toolkit including social media assets and key messages here.
CSO Call to Finance Ministers’
Civil society leaders across Latin America are rallying the region's finance ministers with a clear, compelling message: it's time to ramp up finance for water and sanitation like never before!
The call to action includes five actionable strategies that ensure equitable access, maximize funding efficiency, and promote sustainable, green job opportunities. It also highlights the undeniable economic and human rights imperative of investing in water and sanitation.
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A Message from SWA's CEO
Finance ministers are seeing the transformative potential of investing in water and sanitation. Not only can these investments mitigate the severe economic damages wrought by climate-induced water scarcity and disasters, but they also drive substantial economic growth and environmental sustainability. For instance, annual investments of 1.3% of GDP could generate up to 3.4 million green jobs each year.
From Peru's innovative funding models for ecosystem services to Brazil’s impactful blue loans enhancing water quality and expanding sewage systems, transformative examples abound. For an in-depth look at how the Latin America and Caribbean Finance Ministers' Meeting could change the tide for millions and why this moment for prioritizing water and sanitation investments is pivotal, dive into our full editorial here.
From Crisis to Resilience: Financing Strategies for Water Security in Latin America and the Caribbean
As the 2024 Finance Ministers' Meeting approaches, the spotlight intensifies on a critical issue: climate-resilient water and sanitation. Our civil society partners are eagerly anticipating this key gathering, ready to champion the cause for systemic progress in the region.
Representing SWA's civil society constituency, Mark Duey, CEO of Water For People, calls for inclusive financing that bridges the stark gaps between urban and rural access, ensuring no one is left behind. He also suggests moving beyond infrastructure, advocating for robust capacity building, adaptable service models, and strategic water resource management to safeguard the future of water and sanitation.
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Final Preparatory Webinar for 2024 LAC FMM
The third and final webinar in preparation for the LAC FMM was an occasion for SWA partners to learn about efforts underway across the region to ensure the discussions in Washington DC on 19 April will be concrete, and impactful. As always with SWA high-level meetings, the preparations are a critical part of our efforts because this lays the groundwork for meaningful engagement, and enhances the likelihood of real follow-through after the meeting.
We are proud to count on SWA partners' work at country level to confirm their ministers' participation!
Multi-stakeholder preparation efforts underway in Argentina for Finance Ministers’ Meeting
On March 7, 15 government representatives and development partners in Argentina began the national process to support the upcoming Latin America and Caribbean Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM). SWA’s utilities and regulator partner, Agua y Saneamientos Argentina (AySA), organized the meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Public Works and the Government of Entre Rios Province to coordinate with SWA constituency partners including the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia, Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, and civil society representatives from Freshwater Action Network South America (FANAS).
Partners discussed national activities to prepare for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting, considering that the Ministry of Economy is now responsible for water resources and sanitation under the new government. AySA acknowledged SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism as an important tool to ensure the sustainability of sector efforts and promote collaborative work, especially in the context of ministerial changes.
Representatives from AySA and the Ministry of Public Works will lead a technical team to advance the creation of a country brief for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting, with representatives from the civil society and the University of Patagonia. Once completed, the country brief will be presented to the new authorities for their participation in the meeting.
Ministry of Finance and key sector actors join national preparation efforts in Costa Rica
On March 1, Costa Rica initiated its national preparatory process for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting. During the meeting, representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Costa Rica Institute of Aqueducts and Sewers (AyA), UNICEF, Universidad de Costa Rica, Asociación civil society network Regional Centroamericana para el Agua y el Ambiente (ARCA), and the youth network Red de Jóvenes por Agua Centroamérica came together to discuss the best approach for preparing for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting.
AyA invited all technical partners to contribute to a Country Brief document. AyA will compile these contributions before presenting them to the Ministry of Finance to brief the finance minister for the upcoming meeting.
Honduran Vice Minister of Finance initiates multi-stakeholder process for Finance Ministers' Meeting Preparation
On February 27, the Honduran government and SWA’s leadership initiated the country's multi-stakeholder preparatory process for the upcoming Finance Ministers' Meeting. Roberto Carlos Ramirez Alvarenga, the Vice Minister of Credit and Public Investment for Honduras, opened the meeting, along with Catarina de Albuquerque, the CEO of SWA.
During the opening remarks, the Vice Minister highlighted the importance of the water and sanitation sectors in Honduras. He stated that the Minister of Finance, Marlon Ochoa Martinez, has identified the water and sanitation sector as a priority for the country, focusing on water distribution, resource conservation, improving system productivity, and agricultural production.
The Vice-Minister also shared Honduras' successes in securing financing for developing water and sanitation services and systems for urban and rural contexts. He emphasized the importance of connecting with other countries in the region and international entities such as SWA and development banks to increase funding for the sector.
SWA’s CEO congratulated the Honduran government's leadership and commitment to making water, sanitation, and hygiene services accessible to all. She looked forward to the conversations at the Finance Ministers' Meeting, inspiring further action in the countries by identifying new financing and improving the use of existing financing.
The meeting brought together 20 government entities and organizations, including the Ministry of Finance, Secretaría de Energía, Recursos Naturales, Ambiente y Minas, Consejo Nacional de Agua Potable y Saneamiento, and Secretaría de Salud. Civil society and external support agencies attended from UNICEF, Global Water Partnership, Asociación Hondureña de Juntas Administradoras de Sistemas De Agua (AHJASA), Water for People, World Vision, Jovenes Voluntarios por el Agua Honduras, Save the Children, and Helvetas.
Moving forward, the Ministry of Finance will lead the preparation of the country brief for the Finance Ministers' Meeting, ensuring that technical partners can provide input.
Colombia launches national preparatory process for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting with multiple stakeholders
On 26 February, Colombia launched its national preparatory process for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting with multiple stakeholders. Representatives from 9 organisations attended, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Housing, UNICEF, InterAmerican Development Bank, WaterAid, Accion Contra el Hambre, CAWST and the Comisión de Regulación de Agua Potable y Saneamiento Básico. Participants discussed preparing their minister for attending the upcoming meeting.
Colombia’s Finance Minister, S.E. Ricardo Bonilla González, has confirmed his attendance. This preparatory call focused on how to best prepare the Minister for his participation in the meeting, including agreeing to the formation of a technical team to support the development of a Country Brief document. The technical team is comprised of representatives from the Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Finance and UNICEF, who will together identify the best pathway to preparing the Minister.
El Salvador preparing for the LAC Finance Ministers' Meeting
The national preparatory process for the FMM kicked-off in El Salvador on 23 February. An initial multi-stakeholder meeting brought together 10 partners to discuss the best plan to prepare for the Finance Ministers’ Meeting at the national level. Representatives present were from the Finance Ministry, the new Authority for Water (ASA), ANDA, the Office of the President, UNICEF, and other non-government partners.
Discussions centered around the context, purpose, and proposed agenda for the meeting, with the new Authority for Water (ASA) sharing a case study of innovative financing methods implemented to ensure the human rights to water and sanitation, especially in rural, marginalized areas. ASA will share their case study for consideration in the meeting and will work with the Finance Ministry team on the country brief. Representatives from the Office of the President and from the Ministry of Finance were ready to take key messages forward to their minister.
The government agency for water and sanitation in El Salvador, ANDA, was newly instituted when the SWA 2022 Sector Ministers' Meeting (SMM) was held. Thanks to their participation in the SMM, ANDA learned that should there not be enough resources to ensure universal coverage, there are alternative ways to seek the necessary resources. At the SMM, ANDA learned about international financing opportunities and available WASH programmes.
Taking learnings from the SMM on reducing non-revenue water and climate- especially climate impacts on water availability and the quality of WASH infrastructure, ANDA developed solid proposals to access this financing. Through working in coordination with the Ministry of Finance, ANDA managed to secure loans for WASH from the IDB, CAF and the World Bank to a total of USD 280 million.
Launched of the national level Finance Ministers' Meeting preparatory process in Nicaragua
On 23 February, Nicaragua launched its preparatory process at the national level ahead of the Finance Ministers’ Meeting.
11 representatives from multiple stakeholder groups joined to discuss national preparations for the meeting. There was strong representation from the Finance Ministry and sector actors, including government agencies, UNICEF, COMISASH, RASNIC and other local partners.
The Ministry of Finance will have a bilateral conversation to discuss activities to support the FMM.
Launched of the national multi-stakeholder efforts in Peru
SWA Secretariat and partners from the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors in Peru met on 22 February to strengthen dialogue and action for financing the water, sanitation and hygiene sectors, and to prepare ministers for their participation in the upcoming Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM).
The meeting was attended by 14 colleagues from varied organizations, including the Ministry of Housing, UNICEF, Red de Agua Segura, Mesa de Concertación para la Lucha Contra la Pobreza, Water for People, REDSA. The meeting launched the national multi-stakeholder efforts to work in partnership to achieve the objectives of the Finance Ministers’ Meeting- and the SDGs.
The purpose and context of the FMM were presented. UNICEF and Red de Agua Segura committed to providing case studies and being part of the technical team to provide support to the Ministry with the development of a Country Brief.
Follow-up with the Ministry of Housing took place to do outreach to the Minister of Finance, with an invitation to an inter-ministerial dialogue. SWA will provide additional ideas to support the process.
Multi-Stakeholder Meeting in Guatemala to prepare for LAC FMM
On 22 February, the SWA Secretariat hosted a multi-stakeholder meeting for Guatemala to initiate the national preparatory process for the LAC Finance Ministers’ Meeting (FMM). The meeting was attended by 17 representatives from various organizations including the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Alianza de Derecho Ambiental y Agua, Global Communities, Water for People, HELVETAS, Accion Contra el hambre, CARE, Red de Agua Potable y Saneamiento, GWP and Red de Jóvenes por el Agua Centroamérica-Guatemala. During the meeting, the attendees discussed several key action items, including ways to mobilize the Ministry of Finance, and outlined some entry points for outreach.
The SWA CSO focal point (Alianza de Derecho Ambiental y Agua) organized a follow up coordination meeting on February 23, where a technical committee was formally established to be led by the Ministry of Health. A key next step for this committee will be to prepare the country brief and there was also a discussion on a potential interministerial briefing once the country briefing note was finalized.
The sector actors are looking at the LAC Finance Minister's meeting as a milestone in a larger continuum of events and advocacy activities for the sector, especially in the light of SWA's Heads of State Initiatives.
2024 LAC Finance Ministers' Meeting Preparatory Webinar
The 2024 LAC Finance Ministers’ Meeting is taking place on 19 April 2024. It is co-organized by SWA, UNICEF, and IDB and will focus on how ministers of finance, together with other government and development partners, are transforming access to water and sanitation in their countries, leading to economic, health, and social benefits that ensure the necessary resilience in the face of a changing climate and complex global context.
Discussions at the meeting will center on the importance of investing in water and sanitation as catalysts for economic impact and long-term development. Particular attention will be devoted to solutions aimed at eliminating inequalities within and between countries that hinder efforts to deliver on the SDGs’ promise to leave no one behind.
To prepare for this important high-level meeting, SWA hosted its first preparatory webinar on 30 January. The webinar provided information about the context of FMM (why this meeting, why now, and why Finance Ministers need to join), agenda and preparatory process.
Recording available in English and Spanish here.