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Mutual Accountability Mechanism

Mutual Accountability Mechanism

Accountability is central to the SWA partnership. It is the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions and account for them to others. It is a requirement for progress and a human rights principle.  

Accountability is about how promises are translated into action and aspirations into reality. While States ultimately have an obligation to ensure the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation, all stakeholders have a role to play in moving our societies toward the vision laid out in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. 

In response to this need, the Sanitation and Water for All partnership has created the Mutual Accountability Mechanism: a tool for partners to commit and hold each other to account for progress in achieving the SDGs’ water and sanitation targets – as well as an opportunity to collaborate, learn and catalyze collective action.

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What is the Mutual Accountability Mechanism?

SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism (MAM) is the only global accountability process in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector that is dedicated to all stakeholders working together towards achieving universal access to water and sanitation services. The mechanism helps to set priorities and a shared vision for the sector, as well as to identify roles and responsibilities for achieving them.  

The MAM provides a process for all partners to make commitments and hold each other to account on the specific, measurable, time-bound actions they plan to take to achieve their targets set on the road to reaching the Sustainable Development Goal 6.  

Commitments tabled under the MAM are based on national policies and enable monitoring. In just four years since the mechanism’s launch, over 400 commitments have been tabled, with half of them coming from 60 national governments.  

COMMITMENTS

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Government
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External Support Agencies
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Civil Society
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Research and Learning
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Private Sector
Country Constituency Body / Organizations Commitment Target year Progress
Global Civil Society UN1FY Institutionalize a youth-focused Secretariat to support the implementation of the Water and Climate Youth Development Plan and Agenda with financial and institutional support provided by UN agencies and UN member states. 2024
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society UN1FY Establish a biennial conference to support the implementation of the Water and Climate Youth Development Plan and Agenda with financial and institutional support provided by UN agencies and UN member states. 2025
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society UN1FY Create a Water and Climate Support Fund to support the implementation of the Water and Climate Youth Development Plan and Agenda with financial and institutional support provided by UN agencies and UN member states. 2025
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society Akvo Build capacity locally in data management and design for impact with data systems so that the work of global stakeholders and local actors' benefits from the various existing data systems. 2026
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society Akvo Together with our partners, develop methodology for local engagement with data system for the water sector, as well as an information system and sustainability plan for the water sector. The information systems will involve data on equitable resource allocation, sustainable water management, drought and flood resilience, climate WASH resilience and integrated water resource management. 2024
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society Global Water Challenge Co-create and incubate high potential initiatives with private-sector ingenuity and multi-sector resources. 2030
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society Global Water Challenge Support innovative women-led programming and water enterprises through impact investing 2030
Reviewing progress
Global Civil Society Global Water Challenge Fortify 50 vulnerable watersheds and improve sustainable clean water access for 10,000 communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America. 2030
Reviewing progress

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Line of Control as promulgated in the 1972 SIMLA Agreement

Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not been agreed upon by the parties

The boundaries and names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations

Why should my government or organization participate?

The Mutual Accountability Mechanism provides a concrete entry point for dialogue, transparency, and coordination. It is an opportunity for stakeholders to sit around the table to plan, mutually commit to act in a coordinated way, and improve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 outcomes through collaborative efforts. The MAM provides a framework for tracking progress and increasing the visibility of water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives, nationally and globally.

Mutual Accountability Mechanism Global Report 2021

 

COMMUNICATION TOOLKIT

Documents

View all Key documents
Key documents Type
MAM commitments in focus: Gender
MAM Commitments in focus of Latin America and the Caribbean
Mutual Accountability Mechanism: Finance Commitments Analysis for Africa
SWA and finance
MAM Climate commitments - May 2023
David Auerbach

The SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism has helped to galvanize things in Kenya because it encourages conversations between the government and other stakeholders. For us, this has been extremely positive because we have been able to get a seat at the table with policymakers and are often turned to by government leaders for private sector insights.

Co-founder, Sanergy
Sareen Malik

The SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism enables collaboration between government, civil society organizations, and other sector stakeholders, helping to bring transparency to collaborative processes while playing a crucial role in progress monitoring. The civil society constituency will continue to ensure that the voices and needs of marginalized groups, including women, girls, and persons with disabilities, are heard by decision-makers at the highest levels throughout these processes.

Executive Secretary, ANEW
Dr. Tej Bahadur Karki

The SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism creates a unique opportunity for collaborative action and a culture of accountability, helping WASH stakeholders work towards shared goals. For research and learning institutions, it becomes a tool to identify the strengths and gaps in policy and practice in the sector. Through research, the MAM is creating opportunities in Nepal to explore new ideas for strengthening multi-stakeholder engagement.

Chairperson of the Nepal Philosophical Research Center
Mohammad Zobair Hasan

In Bangladesh, the SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism has helped to operationalize and demystify accountability from an abstract concept to a tool for advocacy that improves outcomes. For example, government leaders now give time and space to discuss shared responsibilities and ambitions, because they can see how it helps to keep all stakeholders on track towards agreed sector goals.

Deputy Executive Director, Development Organisation of the Rural Poor
Paul Deverill

Increased accountability offers governments, donors, financiers, implementing partners, and communities of users unique opportunities to strengthen transparency, build trust, increase collaboration and improve performance in our work to secure universal access to sustainable and inclusive water and sanitation services. As such, accountability is essential if we are to achieve SDG 6 targets by 2030. This underpins our ongoing support to SWA and its Mutual Accountability Mechanism.

Senior WASH Adviser, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, UK
Emma Mbalame

The SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism (MAM) has helped Malawi to bring greater legitimacy to the outcomes of national joint planning processes. Since we started using the MAM, we have become a better-coordinated sector, always ensuring we plan and move towards achieving our commitments together, in close collaboration and with government leadership.

Director of Water Supply and Sanitation, Ministry of Water and Sanitation
Kimanthi Kyengo 

In Kenya, the SWA Mutual Accountability Mechanism is being used as a coordination tool to bring together all major sector players to rally behind national priorities for water, sanitation and hygiene. We are proud to have commitments tabled by all constituencies led by their respective coordinators, and that these commitments have become a to-do list with regular progress checks. In a government-led process, activities have become better aligned and stakeholders are working in a more collaborative and accountable manner.

Sanitation Management and Head of Development Cooperation, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation
Djoouro Bocoum

The implementation of SWA's Mutual Accountability Mechanism in Mali has made it possible to set up a multi-stakeholder platform that allows all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, to get involved and make joint commitments under the leadership of the Government. Among other actions, this has resulted in significant progress in the sector, including the strengthening of political will, a significant increase in the share of the state budget, and more financing from donors.

National Director of Hydraulics