This outcome note captures the highlights of the 2026 GWOPA Assembly, held on 17 May 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, as part of the 13th World Urban Forum, the first time the Assembly featured within the official WUF programme. Convening members and partners at a pivotal moment for the Alliance, the Assembly took stock of 17 years of work to strengthen utility capacities, reflected on the achievements of the 2019-2025 Strategy, and shaped strategic orientations for 2026-2029 in alignment with the UN-Habitat Strategic Plan.
The GWOPA Annual Report 2025 presents the Alliance’s work to strengthen water and sanitation operators through solidarity-based, peer-to-peer cooperation. The report highlights how Water Operators’ Partnerships are helping utilities address operational challenges, improve service delivery and contribute to more inclusive, resilient and sustainable cities.
Global Outlook on Water and Sanitation Service Providers: Water for Sustainable Cities is the first global assessment to put water and sanitation utilities at the heart of sustainable urban development. Produced by GWOPA/UN-Habitat in partnership with IRC, the report shows how strong, well-governed and well-resourced utilities are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring resilient, inclusive cities.
Bahir Dar, Ethiopia – In a major step towards modernising urban water services, the Bahir Dar Water Supply and Sewerage Service is undertaking a full-scale digital transformation to enhance operations and boost efficiency. Customers are already seeing the benefits through more accurate billing, faster service and a reduction in complaints.
The utility has long faced challenges due to discrepancies between recorded customer data and actual service conditions. These gaps often led to billing errors, revenue losses and customer complaints.
UN-Habitat’s 2024 Global Water Operators’ Partnerships Alliance Annual Report highlights global efforts to strengthen public water and sanitation utilities through solidarity-based peer support. The report showcases how Water Operators’ Partnerships (WOPs) are helping utilities deliver better, more inclusive services – advancing sustainable urbanization and the human right to water and sanitation.