International Organization Calls for Renewed Focus on Sustainable Sanitation

In an effort to prompt greater awareness and action among the world’s leading governments, the United Nations has strengthened the “Sustainable Sanitation 5-Year Drive to 2015”. Read article below for details.

The hope is that by taking this significant measure, the United Nations will put political pressure on various countries, including developed, developing, and under-developed nations, to meet this critical part of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

“Ensuring Environmental Sustainability” is the 7th of 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were created in September of 2000 to address–on a worldwide scale, the paramount issues of universal primary education, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, and halving extreme poverty–all by the target date of 2015. All of the world’s countries and leading development institutions formed this blueprint more than a decade ago to meet the needs of the world’s poorest people.

Water for Humans adamantly endorses this action by the United Nations. Nearly 1 billion people are unable to access clean, safe drinking water, and 2.5 billion people live without adequate sanitation. About 84% of water-related deaths worldwide are of children under the age of 15! Water for Humans finds these deplorable and inhumane conditions unacceptable.

Would you like to play a vital role in helping us reduce by 50% the number of people who have no access to safe drinking water? Do you want to use your talents to help Water for Humans deliver the world’s most precious resource to the hundreds of millions of people who risks their lives to get it? If you would like to join our humanitarian cause, we encourage you to visit our Water for Humans website and learn how you can positively impact the many thousands of people who need your help.

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As a follow-up to International Year of Sanitation (2008) and in the effort to attain sanitation and hygiene Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets, Sustainable Sanitation 5 Year Drive to 2015 (5YD) was conceptualized by the United Nation Secretariat Advisory Board (UNSGAB) members.

The idea being that, ‘the 5YD is an advocacy vehicle to keep sanitation high on the political agenda, promote national coordination, improve sanitation monitoring while supporting sustainable sanitation solutions – all in all in an effort to meet the sanitation target.

The Drive aims to invigorate, galvanize and re-focus international, regional and national activities in the field of sanitation and maintain the momentum through raising awareness and facilitating action. The concept was drafted based on a recommendation made in The UN-Water Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) report of 2010.

The Five Year Drive was officially adopted by Resolution A/RES/65/153 of the UN General Assembly on December 20, 2010 and now serves as a tool for engaging countries as well as non-state stakeholders for improving access to sanitation worldwide.

The official launch of 5YD will take place in the presence of the UN Secretary General during the UNSGAB (United Nation Secretariat Advisory Board) meeting to be held from June 21-23, 2011 in New York City.

In addition, regional launches are planned at the 4th South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN IV) in April 2011 and at the 3rd African Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene (AfricaSan3) in July 2011.

Source: UNSGAB ((United Nation Secretariat Advisory Board) , Dec. 21, 2010