Second SWA Global High Level Meeting Slated for April 2012

Following the success of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) 2010 Global High Level Meeting, UNICEF, on behalf of the SWA Partnership, plans to convene the second Global High Level Meeting in April 2012 just prior to the World Bank Spring Meetings, in Washington DC.

As in 2010, the meeting will aim to bring together Ministers of Finance from developing countries with Ministers of Development Cooperation from donor countries to 1) demonstrate political and financial commitment to the sanitation and water sector, 2) improve targeting of resources, 3) raise the profile of sanitation, and 4) strengthen accountability. A multi-stakeholder preparatory process has been underway since October 2011.

The Concept Note I (Fr) for the 2012 SWA High Level Meeting outlines the multi-stakeholder preparations in developing countries as well as the preparatory processes for donors. The theme for the 2012 SWA High Level Meeting will be the economic gains of investing in water and sanitation and the costs of failing to invest.

Progress Report on the 2010 SWA High Level Meeting Commitments

Countries and External Support Agencies brought concrete commitments to the 2010 High Level Meeting.  The first progress report on the progress of these commitments is now available.

• Progress Report I (Fr)
• Annex A I (Fr)

Monitoring 2010 Global High Level Meeting Commitments

Countries and External Support Agencies brought concrete commitments to the 2010 High Level Meeting.  These commitments will be monitored and reported on regularly.  The first progress report will be posted in mid-2011.

• Summary of Commitments ι (Fr)

• Table of Specific Country Commitments - 2010 HLM 

• Table of Specific External Support Agency Commitments - 2010 HLM

Country Statements to the 2010 High Level Meeting

Countries attending the 2010 High Level Meeting underwent an extensive preparatory process leading up to the High Level Meeting. Inter-ministerial dialogue between Finance Ministries and Ministries responsible for water and sanitation, along with development partners led to the development of a concrete set of commitments from each Government.

ESA Statements to the 2010 High Level Meeting

External Support Agencies attending the High Level Meeting prepared statements of commitment which were tabled at the High Level Meeting.

Sanitation and Water for All - 2010 Global High Level Meeting

On April 23, 2010, UNICEF hosted High Level Meeting on behalf of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership at the World Bank in Washington DC.  Finance and Water Sector Ministers representing 18 countries met with representatives of 13 donors, seven UN agencies and civil society for the High Level Meeting (HLM) of Sanitation and Water for All.

• Co-Chairs' Summary l (Fr)
• High Level Meeting- Photo Essay l (Fr)
• High Level Meeting - Press Statement l (Fr)
• High Level Meeting - Participant List 

The meeting, held at the World Bank, was hosted by UNICEF on behalf of the new Sanitation and Water for All partnership, and aimed to shape sector dialogue and to stimulate aid targeting, donor coordination, and on-the-ground action to ensure access to sanitation and safe drinking water for the billions who have none.

The meeting was co-chaired by HRH Prince Willem-Alexander from the Netherlands, Chair of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and Mr. Saad Houry, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF. Event participants took stock of progress, shared best practices, explored the linkages between water, sanitation, economic growth and health, and committed to addressing appropriate allocations for these basic services.

The High Level Meeting participants called for more synergies and commitment, continued dialogue, better use of resources, capacity building, human resource development, increased water and sanitation sector planning, public-private partnerships, development of integrated approaches, and evidence-based decision-making.

As a framework for action, Sanitation and Water for All will serve as a means to coordinate efforts globally and link those efforts to country level dialogue and actions. Commitments from this meeting have been documented and the GLAAS report will be one of the mechanisms partners use to monitor these commitments and progress over time.

2010 UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment on Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS)

GLAAS 2010 Africa Highlights

This four-page brochure highlights specific evidence on sanitation and drinking water from 28 African countries that participated in the  GLAAS 2010. Highlights include: general stats on access, in-country capacity to meet the challenge, targeting of financial resources, and financing needs, coordination and aid absorption.

• 2010 GLAAS: Africa Highlights I (Fr)

GLAAS 2010 Asia Highlights

This four-page brochure highlights specific evidence on sanitation and drinking water from 10 countries from Eastern, Southern and South-eastern Asia that participated in the GLAAS 2010. Highlights include: general stats on access, in-country capacity to meet the challenge, targeting of financial resources, and financing needs, coordination and aid absorption.

• 2010 GLAAS: Asia Highlights (for Eastern, Southern, and South-Eastern Asia Regions) 

GLAAS 2010 (Full Report)

The UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment on Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS), led by the World Health Organization, is conducted with the objective of providing policy makers with reliable, easily accessible, comprehensive and global analysis of the evidence needed to guide informed decisions towards accelerating and sustaining progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets for sanitation and drinking water.

• 2010 UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment on Sanitation and Drinking Water (GLAAS) I (Sp) I (Fr) I (Po)

Slide Show Photos - Courtesy UNICEF / Marvin Jones