The 1st Assembly of Heads of State of the riparian countries of the Volta Basin held on January 19, 2007 in Ouagadougou under the auspices of the Burkinabé government proceeded with the signing of a Convention for the establishment of the Basin Authority of the Volta (ABV). The mission assigned to the VBA revolves around the following key elements:
1. Promote permanent consultation between stakeholders for the development of the basin;
2. Promote the implementation of Integrated Water Resources Management and an equitable distribution of the benefits drawn from the different uses made of the resource;
3. Authorize the establishment of infrastructure and the implementation of individual stakeholder projects likely to have significant impacts on the water resources of the basin;
4. Develop and carry out works and joint projects;
5. Contribute to the reduction of poverty, to the sustainable development of the Member States of the basin and to a better socio-economic integration of the sub-region.