This expert meeting was attended by members of the Mono Basin technical committee, civil society organizations (JVE-TOGO, JVE-BENIN, Eau Vive, etc.) Representatives of the Volta Basin Authority, of CEB and donors including IUCN, GIZ, GWP / WA and ECOWAS. The Ministers meeting gathered among other the Minister of the Environment of Benin, the Minister for Rural Equipment of Togo, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources of the ECOWAS, the Executive Secretary of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) Basin, and the Deputy Director of the Volta Basin Authority (VBA).
After taking note of the conclusions of the meeting of experts, Ministers examined and took decisions related, among others to:
- the Approval, signature and ratification of the constitutive texts of the Mono Basin Authority;
- the adoption of the roadmap for the effective implementation of the Mono Basin Authority;
- the appointment of an Acting Chair of the Council of Ministers of the Mono Basin Authority;
- the establishment of budget provisions for the operation of the Mono Basin Authority for the year 2015;
- the provision of logistical support to the Mono Basin Authority of the country that will host the headquarters for a period of five (05) years.
The Ministers expressed their political will and determination to complete the implementation process of the MBA. They called on donors to support this initiative which will contribute to the socio-economic development and benefit to the people of both countries.
After a closed meeting between the Beninese Minister and his Togolese counterpart, for the designation of the Headquarters and the appointment of an Acting Chair of the Council of Ministers, it was decided to continue negotiations in order to have a consensus on the country that should host the headquarters of the Mono Basin Authority. Regarding the Interim Chair of the Council of Ministers, it was decided that Benin continues to play this role up to the effective implementation of the Authority.
The Mono River shared by Benin and Togo is 467 km long (with 148 km in Benin) and a basin of approximatively 25,000 square kms.