The Charter defines the governance structure and management of the Alliance. The Charter is operationalized through the code-of-conduct, which translates the Charter’s principles into operational guidelines for members and partners directly engaged in the implementation of Water Operators' Partnerships.
GWOPA Assembly
Membership in GWOPA is open to all interested water and sanitation stakeholder organizations and obtained by committing to adhere to GWOPA’s principles and code-of-conduct in the implementation of partnership activities and applying for Membership. Members participate in GWOPA’s Assemblies and are eligible to run and vote in its International Steering Committee elections. The next Assembly of members took place in May 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Read about our latest Assembly of Members in Baku, Azerbaijan (2026)
- Visit the GWOPA Assembly, Baku, Azerbaijan (2026)
Read about the Assembly of Members in Cairo, Egypt (2024)
- Visit the GWOPA Assembly, Cairo, Egypt (2024)
Steering Committee
The GWOPA Steering Committee is the elected body that provides strategic guidance to the GWOPA Secretariat. Steering Committee members, act as focal points and advocate for GWOPA within their respective regions and communities of practice.
The Steering Committee is comprised of a fixed number of representatives from each stakeholder category: public water operators or associations representing different regions, development partners, civil society organizations, labour unions and private operators. Funding partners to GWOPA also have a seat on the Steering Committee. The composition of the Steering Committee reflects the geographical and institutional diversity of the Alliance as established in the Charter and is chaired by the UN-Habitat Executive Director.
Read more about the role, key objectives and members of the GWOPA Steering Committee
- Visit the GWOPA Steering Committee
The Secretariat
The GWOPA Secretariat is institutionally anchored within UN-Habitat. The Secretariat is responsible for implementing the GWOPA strategy and activities in collaboration with Alliance partners and members and consultation with UN-Habitat and the Steering Committee.
The GWOPA Secretariat is hosted at the UN Bonn Campus in Bonn, Germany, thanks to a funding agreement with the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).