"Ce partenariat est sincère!” (This is a genuine partnership) With these words, Mr. Drissa Traoré, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Environment, Sanitation and Sustainable Development of Mali, closed a productive week of exchange and reflection on Friday 19 June.
From 15 to 19 June, a high-level delegation from ANGESEM, led by Director-General Mrs Doussouba Doumbia, visited the Netherlands. Accompanied by Mr Drissa Traoré, Mr Moumouni Damango (Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bamako) and colleagues from SNV Mali, the delegation reviewed progress within the Blue Deal partnership, exchanged management experiences and explored opportunities to further strengthen collaboration with its Dutch partners.
During meetings with the Blue Deal Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RVO and several Dutch water authorities, partners reflected on achievements to date. Alongside the expected results, it was positively noted that the Mali partnership has generated a range of additional outcomes. Notable examples include the mobilisation of additional funding from UNDP (approximately €170,000), the engagement of GIZ, strengthened regional cooperation with Blue Deal Burkina Faso, and increased external income for the laboratory.
The visit also provided valuable opportunities for peer-to-peer learning. Exchanges between Dutch water managers and the ANGESEM leadership proved particularly relevant. Discussions with the Secretary-Director and board member (“heemraad”) of Zuiderzeeland focused on the role of organisational values in water governance. Site visits to the wastewater treatment plant of Noorderzijlvest and the laboratory of Hunze en Aa’s sparked enthusiasm and offered practical inspiration for future application in Mali.
A key moment of the week was a strategic session at the offices of Water Authority Hunze en Aa’s, chaired by Geert-Jan ten Brinke, ‘Dijkgraaf’ of Hunze en Aa’s water authority. Together with Dutch experts and partners, the Malian delegation explored the future of the partnership in an open and constructive dialogue. While the broader context remains complex and the outlook for external support requires careful navigation, partners demonstrated strong commitment and resilience. Hunze en Aa’s reaffirmed its support for the next phase, providing a solid basis to further engage partners and mobilise resources. Using the agreed vision on the way forward, the team will use this support of Hunze en Aa’s to engage additional partners and resources for the other topics and activities of the partnership.
Despite the challenges, the partnership continues to deliver tangible results and to build trust, knowledge and cooperation. As highlighted in the closing remarks of Mr. Drissa Traoré, this collaboration stands out as a truly genuine and forward-looking partnership.