Hani Sewilam, Egypt’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, is attending the 20th Regional Nile Day celebrations in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, marking the 27th anniversary of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI).
In his opening address, Sewilam highlighted the theme for this year: “Voices of the Nile: Engaging Communities, Youth, and Women in Water Governance.” He emphasized that the participation of women and youth is essential for sustainable water management and for fostering a shared sense of stewardship over the Nile’s resources.
“Women play a pivotal role in managing household water use and supporting rural livelihoods, including agriculture,” Sewilam said. “Yet their representation in decision-making on water issues remains below their contribution. Empowering women is not only a matter of equity but also a necessity for effective and sustainable outcomes.”
He also underscored the importance of youth involvement: “Young people constitute a significant portion of the Nile Basin population. Their creativity, digital connectivity, and drive to develop solutions are an investment in the stability and prosperity of our shared basin.”
Sewilam reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to the NBI as the only comprehensive framework that brings together all ten Nile Basin countries. He highlighted the ongoing consultations with non-signatory states of the Cooperative Framework Agreement, stressing that their concerns and interests must be fully addressed to ensure inclusive ownership of future agreements.
“The follow-up report by the committee reviewing non-signatory concerns shows that the framework agreement is not rigid but flexible and adaptive,” Sewilam said, citing provisions that allow gradual amendments. He called for the continuation of the consultative process under the committee’s leadership to resolve outstanding issues and facilitate eventual accession by remaining countries.
During yesterday’s Nile-COM meeting, Egypt urged leveraging the committee’s progress to accelerate consensus-building, with the ultimate goal of establishing a basin-wide commission. Sewilam warned against unilateral or hasty institutional steps that could undermine trust before achieving full regional agreement.
Sewilam concluded by stressing that Nile Day is more than a celebration of a river; it is a celebration of shared life, culture, and heritage across the basin. He called on all member states, development partners, civil society organizations, and academic institutions to work together to amplify community voices, empower women, engage youth, and strengthen unity across the Nile Basin.
“This river does not recognize borders; rather, it connects us and dissolves our differences,” he said, emphasizing cooperation, inclusivity, and dialogue as the foundations for the sustainable management of the Nile’s waters.
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