SuSanA Partners

The pS-Eau network was created in 1984 during the International Water and Sanitation Decade. It was hosted first by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by an NGO called GRET. The Nongovernmental Co-operation Mission has provided financial support for pS-Eau since its inception. As pS-Eau’s financing sources became more diversified, the Nongovernmental Co-operation Mission asked for it to be made into an autonomous entity at a Steering Committee meeting in December 1999. In December 2000, the articles of association of pS-Eau were officially registered. Following a transitional period of restructuring that lasted until June 2003, pS-Eau became fully autonomous. It went from being an informal network to a nongovernmental organisation under the responsibility of a board of directors. As an NGO, pS-Eau is a neutral forum for co-ordination and alignment between support/advice providers and for capacity-building in the water sector. It strives to meet all of the requests made to it, regardless of their scope. To preserve its neutrality, pS-Eau is not involved in financing or carrying out projects in the field. The general objective of the programme, as defined in the articles of association, is to “facilitate local initiatives for international co-operation in the water and sanitation sector, and more generally for the environment and development”. The specific objectives relate to support/advice, research/action, co-ordination, access to information and raising awareness of international co-operation. The operational objectives are set out in financing agreements signed by pS-Eau and donors.