Issue Date: 19 July 2024
Deadline: 31 August 2024

1. About the GWOPA Assembly

The GWOPA Assembly is one of the three main bodies constituting the organizational structure of GWOPA, alongside the GWOPA Steering Committee and the GWOPA Secretariat. The Assembly is open to all institutional and individual members. The functions of the GWOPA Assembly (Membership) include:

• Reviews, guides and discusses the strategic direction of GWOPA.
• Endorses and validates the elections of the Steering Committee and elections of any other committees.
• Requests the Steering Committee and other Committees to undertake certain activities, including preparing meetings, activities, and engagements of GWOPA.
• Guide the Steering Committee and the GWOPA Secretariat on issues concerning GWOPA.
• Adopts recommendations, resolutions, reports, and other decisions about the work of GWOPA in an advisory capacity.
• Establishes committees or task forces, including the Integrity and Election committees.

2. Chair of the GWOPA Assembly

Functions and attributes

• The Chair is responsible for opening and closing each GWOPA Assembly meeting, directing discussions, ensuring observance of the rules, granting members the right to speak, putting questions up for discussion and decision-making, and announcing outcomes. The Chair shall, subject to these rules, have complete control over the proceedings and the maintenance of order at the meetings
• In exercising their functions, the Chair remains under the authority of the GWOPA Assembly
• The Vice-Chair supports the Chair in discharging their duties as requested and carries out any responsibilities entrusted to them by the GWOPA Assembly.

As a WOP champion, the Chair advocates for utilities and WOPs, mobilizing support and decision-makers around GWOPA’s work in promoting global solidarity between peers through WOPs. The Chair should have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by water and sanitation operators worldwide, be fervent advocates for the SDGs, and have a proven track record of engagement and support for peer-to-peer solidarity mechanisms between operators. The Chair will collaborate actively with the Secretariat and the Steering Committee of the Alliance, which will support them in their mandate of 2 years (until the next Assembly).

3. Eligibility

• The candidate must belong to an organization that is a GWOPA institutional member.
• If your organization or institution is not a GWOPA member, please submit the institutional membership application before the candidature.
• The candidate must be endorsed by their institution or organization. An endorsement letter must be attached before submitting your application.
• The candidate must be willing to collaborate actively with the Secretariat and the Steering Committee of the Alliance, which will support them in their mandate of two years (until the next Assembly).

4. Application

Candidates must submit applications through the membership application form by the deadline of 31 August 2024.

As a global alliance, we encourage applications from all countries. Women are underrepresented in the GWOPA Alliance governance and are strongly encouraged to apply.