DATE

EVENT and/or KEY OUTCOME

1992

In 1992 the Council of Ministers (Nile-COM) of Water Affairs of the Nile Basin States launched an initiative to promote co-operation and development in the Basin. Six of the riparian countries - the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R. Congo), Egypt, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda - formed the Technical Co-operation Committee for the Promotion of the Development and Environmental Protection of the Nile Basin (TECCONILE). The other four riparian states participated as observers.

1995

Within this framework, the Nile River Basin Action Plan (NRBAP) was prepared with support from CIDA. One of the projects (Project D3), whose objective is to develop a co-operative framework for management of the Nile, was endorsed by all countries during the 3rd meeting of the Nile-COM (Arusha, 9-11 February, 1995) and is being implemented with UNDP funding.

1995

The World Bank was asked by the Nile-COM to play a lead role in coordinating the inputs of external agencies to finance and implement the NRBAP.

March 1997

The request from the Nile-COM to the World Bank was reiterated

June 1997

The request was accepted by the World Bank. The World Bank proposed that it undertakes the task in partnership with UNDP and CIDA, and that a review and consultation process be launched prior to a Consultative Group-style donor meeting.

November 1997

A review of the Nile River Basin Action Plan was undertaken with the support of an International Advisory Group (IAG). The IAG meeting of international experts was held at Coolfont near Washington DC, USA.

January 1998

A Special Review Meeting was held in Cairo with senior officials attending from the riparian countries to discuss the Draft Review Report and move towards the definition of a priority, revised Action Program. Discussions converged on two complementary ideas which provide a structure for the revised Action Program -- a shared vision, and action on the ground.

March 1998

The 6^th COM Meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania, was attended by eight riparian countries (all except Eritrea and D.R. Congo). It was a major milestone in Nile co-operation. The meeting considered the Revised Action Plan, and established a Technical Advisory Committee (Nile-TAC) to recommend an appropriate action.

July 1998

The 1^st Nile-TAC meeting is held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Meraji Msuya, Director of Water Resources, Tanzania. The Committee drafts Policy Guidelines that defines the Shared Vision Program (SVP), and four major thematic areas of the program

21 - 22 Sept 1998

The 2^nd Nile-TAC meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania.  Meeting agrees on the Terms of Reference of the Nile-TAC, its Rules of Procedure, and proposes the Nile Basin Initiative Policy Guidelines and a plan of action establishing the Nile basin Initiative (NBI).

23 - 24 Sept 1998

Extra-ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers (NILE-COM) in Arusha, Tanzania. Agreed Minutes establishing NBI were signed, but Ethiopia inserted qualification against signature, and therefore the dialogue had to start again.

22 February 1999

Extraordinary Meeting of Nile Basin Council of Ministers, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania.  Agreed minutes were prepared,adopted and signed, formally establishing the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI). The Nile-COM instructed the Nile-TAC to prepare a portfolio of priority SVP projectsfor presentation to the donors (ICCON)

23 - 24 Feb 1999

3^rd Nile-TAC meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 

4-7 May 1999

Nile-TAC held a Strategic Planning and training workshop in Sodere, Ethiopia which initiated the preparation of projects within the Basin wide Shared Vision Program. Preliminary list of priority projects, including project goals and objectives, based on consultation and brainstorming by the Nile-TAC and two additional sectoral experts from each country.

10 - 14 May 1999

4^th Nile-TAC held in in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The formation of Working Groups to develop Project Concept Documents for the Shared Vision Program projects in preparation for the ICCON meeting

12-13 May 1999

7^thNile-COM (Council of Ministers for Water Affairs in the Nile Basin States) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nile-COM approves a list of priority projects, and Project Preparation Process

15 May 1999

First meeting of the Eastern Nile Council of Ministers (ENCOM)

1 June 1999

The Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat is established in the former TECCONILE building in Entebbe, with Mr.  Meraji Msuya as the 1^st  Executive Director.

30 Aug - 3 Sept 1999

5^th Nile-TAC meeting held in Entebbe and second meeting of the Working Groups to develop Project Concept Documents (PCD), for the Shared Vision Program project portfolio in preparation for the ICCON meeting

3 September 1999

The official opening of the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat Offices in Entebbe, Uganda

13 - 18 December 1999

Project Preparation meeting 1: National experts from various sectors meet at the Nile Basin Secretariat in Entebbe to share ideas and work together in initiating project studies under the Shared Vision Program to set ground for substantial investments in the Nile Basin. Review and further development of PCDs by the WGs. For each project, the WG included TAC member and national expert(s) from each country. A total of 8 experts were involved from each country. Each project was assisted by a lead onsultant.

Dec. 1999 – Nov. 2000

Nationa Analysis and Consultations in the Nile basin Countries: Lead consultants together with national experts prepare drafts PDs. Depending on the project and country, national experts provided inputs through preparation of national reports, country consultations, and/or country visits by lead consultants.

24 - 26 January 2000

6^th Nile-TAC meeting is held at the Nile Basin Secretariat in Entebbe to review progress in project preparation and further refinement of project concepts as warranted.

18 March 2000

Senior officials from the Nile Basin Initiative present their "Shared Vision" for the first time to the international community during the Second World Water World Forum (2WWF) organized by the WWC in the Hague, the Netherlands.

23 March 2000

7^th Nile-TAC meeting is held in Delft, the Netherlands to review alternative work plans and meeting schedules towards the first ICCON.

29 June – 6 July 2000

Project Preparation meeting 2: Held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to review and further development of detailed draft project documents for each project by working group and Nile-TAC members.

31 July - 3 August 2000

8^th Nile-TAC meeting is held in Khartoum, Sudan as a precursor to the 8th Nile-COM meeting, to finalise proposals for the priority projects under preparation.

4 - 5 August 2000

8^th Nile-COM meeting is held in Khartoum. It endorses the priority projects being prepared under the Shared Vision Program (SVP) and instructs the Nile-TAC to complete preparation of full project documents to be submitted to an Extraordinary meeting of the Nile-COM. The Council confirms 2001 and Geneva, Switzerland as the time and venue of the first ICCON.

21 - 25 August 2000

National experts from the Nile Equatorial Lakes region meet in Entebbe to share ideas on a series of possible joint projects for the region, to be prepared under the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program (NELSAP).

20 - 29 January 2001

National experts from the Eastern Nile meet in Addis Ababa to share ideas about joint projects being prepared under the Eastern Nile Subsidiary Action Program (ENSAP).

24 - 31 March 2001

9^th Nile-TAC meeting is held in Khartoum to prepare for the presentation of draft final project proposals for the SVP projects.

28 – 29 March 2001

31 May – 01 June 2001

Journalists’ Pre-ICCON briefing meeting held in Entebbe, Uganda. The Secretariat brief the journalist before they proceed to Geneva to cover ICCON meeting.

23 – 24 & 29 June 2001

10^th Nile-TAC meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland.

25 June 2001

Nile-COM meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland. The Ministers agreed on  SVP projects hosting locations (Countries) for Projects Implementation Units (PMUs).

26 – 28 June 2001

1^st ICCON meeting in Geneva, Switzerland

 9 – 12 September 2001

International Round Table on the Nile: Sharing Experiences, Sharing Visions held in Germany.

14 - 16 October 2001

NEL-TAC meeting in Entebbe, Uganda

15 – 17 October 2001

SVP Implementation Review Workshop in Entebbe, Uganda, attended by Nile –TAC and Donor representatives to discuss SVP implementation arrangements. Draft Implementation Arrangements Paper presented during ICCON 1 was reviewed.

18 – 19 October 2001

11^th Nile-TAC meeting in Entebbe, Uganda to review the outcome of the SVP Implementation Review Workshop. Proposals to review the ToR for the Nile Secretariat and the Nile-TAC to cope with the emerging SVP projects implementation activities were agreed upon.

10 – 16 February 2002

12^th Nile-TAC meeting in Cairo, Egypt to finalise the preparations for the SVP projects inception as part of implementation phase. This included the reviewing of Implementation Arrangements for the approval of Nile-COM. ToR and roles and responsibilities for Nile-SEC and Nile-TAC were also reviewed.

14 February 2002

9^th Nile-COM meeting held in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting endorsed SVP Implementation Arrangements including revised ToR for the Nile-SEC as an Executing Agency for the SVP implementation. Revised ToR for the Nile-TAC were also endorsed. The Nile-COM also agreed on the issue of Legal Capacity of the NBI Secretariat.

8-10 April 2002

NBI-SVP:Regional Power Trade Project: Power Experts Working Group Inception Phase Retreat Arusha, Tanzania.

17- 24 April 2002

Nile Basin – Japan Ministerial Roundtable in Shiga and Tokyo, Japan.  The Roundtable was hosted by the Third World Water Forum Secretariat (WWF3), and jointly sponsored by the WWF3 Secretariat and JICA. The World Bank and the Nile Secretariat were the co-conveners. The ten Nile Basin countries were represented by a three-member high-level delegation lead by Ministers (Nile-COM members).