AMCOW is the council of African ministers responsible for water. It was established in 2002 in Abuja, Nigeria, with the main objective of promoting cooperation, security, social and economic development and the eradication of poverty in member states through the effective management of the continent's water resources and the provision of water supply services.

In 2008, at the 11th ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Sharm el-Sheikh, the heads of state and government of the AU agreed on the commitments to be respected in order to accelerate the achievement of the goals concerning water and sanitation in Africa and mandated AMCOW to develop and monitor a strategy for implementing these commitments. The status of a Specialized Committee for Water and Sanitation within the African Union was also granted to AMCOW.