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About us

About SWA global partnership

About SWA global partnership

SWA is the United Nations-hosted partnership working towards a joint objective of water, sanitation, and hygiene for all, always, and everywhere. The partnership uses innovative ways to increase political support for the human rights to water and sanitation. It does this through the mobilization of partners in governments, utilities, regulators, donors, financial institutions, UN agencies, civil society and research organizations, and the private sector.  

Partners share the conviction that achieving universal access to water and sanitation requires more than building wells or latrines and laying pipes, so they harness their collective power around strong leadership and good governance. This includes advocating for political prioritization at the highest levels of power, promoting participation of vulnerable groups in decision-making, ensuring finance is made available and used effectively, learning across countries and regions, and holding each other accountable for commitments made. 

SWA Secretariat has put together communication materials for partners and other stakeholders to promote the work of the partnership in achieving water, sanitation and hygiene for all. The materials are available in English, French and Spanish.

SWA 2020-2030 Strategic Objectives

The following three high-level, mutually reinforcing strategic objectives will guide the partnership to fulfill its mission as we head towards 2030. The strategic objectives are designed in a way that allows all partners, especially SWA partner countries and regions, to adopt and adapt as needed to maximize the added value of the SWA partnership to their own context.

Download the Strategic Framework 2020-2030

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Why we exist

SWA is a multi-stakeholder partnership of governments and their partners from civil society, the private sector, UN agencies, research and learning institutions and the philanthropic community. Partners share the belief that government-led, collaborative and multi-stakeholder decision-making leads to more effective and sustainable solutions.

Together, our partners stimulate high-level political dialogue (at both the country, regional and global levels) and coordinate and monitor progress toward the sanitation, water and hygiene-related targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

More specifically, SWA’s work focuses on encouraging and motivating partners to increase political prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene; ensure adequate financing, and build better governance structures and institutions to achieve SDG6 by the year 2030.

SWA acts as a catalyst for change, highlighting the importance of human rights, gender equality, integrity, transparency and mutual accountability in all its work with partners.

The SWA partnership is led by a Steering Committee, supported by a Secretariat, headed by Catarina de Albuquerque, SWA‘s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Global Leadership Council is the high-level group of appointed SWA leaders who advocate for and mobilize wider political commitment to the Guiding Principles and aims of the SWA partnership.

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How SWA is organized at country level

Achieving SWA’s mission requires that the partnership be functional and effective at national level in partner countries.

To support this, SWA relies on Focal Points. Every SWA country partner has one Focal Point for each constituency represented in that country. The Focal Points:

Coordinate all SWA partners within their constituency to ensure their engagement in SWA multi-stakeholder activities
Collaborate with other Focal Points nationally, regionally and globally
Strengthen understanding and integration of the SWA Framework among partners
As SWA aims to support and build national processes and institutions; SWA Focal Points work with existing sector platforms and coordination structures – they specifically work to avoid duplication of existing national processes.

To reach your constituency’s Focal Point in your country, please contact the Secretariat.

SWA is funded by:

The impact of the SWA partnership around the world

The SWA Impact Booklet: Celebrating progress and change, gathers stories of the impact of the partnership's work. It offers a powerful snapshot of what partners working together achieved in recent years.

2006
2009
2010
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Two reports create a watershed moment
2006

Two reports create a watershed moment

The Human Development Report Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis, highlights urgency to “provide an institutional point for international efforts to mobilize resources, build capacity and—above all—galvanize political action by putting water and sanitation in a more central position on the development agenda.” The UK Department for International Development (DFID) publishes report “Why we need a global action plan on water and sanitation” calling for "the Five Ones": one annual UN monitoring report; one high-level global meeting; one national water and sanitation plan per country; one water and sanitation coordinating group per country; and one lead UN body for water and sanitation.

A new initiative to boost international collaboration around water, sanitation and hygiene
2009

A new initiative to boost international collaboration around water, sanitation and hygiene

First global political alliance with the goal of sustainable sanitation and water for all is created, initially known as the Global Framework for Action on Sanitation and Water Supply.

A new name and milestones in high-level dialogue and accountability
2010

A new name and milestones in high-level dialogue and accountability

Under a new name – Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) – the partnership is formalized with a governance document, an elected Steering Committee and a Secretariat. The first of its kind, the SWA 2010 High-level Meetings bring together finance and sector ministers from 18 countries, 13 donors, seven UN agencies and civil society organizations to agree on ways to address sector bottlenecks.

A growing movement for change
2012

A growing movement for change

At the 2012 High-level Meetings, 37 governments and 10 donors/development banks table over 400 commitments to deliver universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene. The first SWA Partnership Meeting, held in South Africa, brings together over 110 SWA partner representatives to agree on future priorities and joint activities.

High-level leadership
2013

High-level leadership

H.E. John A. Kufuor, former President of Ghana, appointed first Chair of SWA. First SWA Progress Update on tabled commitments supports advocacy initiatives by partners.

Reinforcing political dialogue
2014

Reinforcing political dialogue

SWA Chair H.E. John A. Kufuor, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and President of the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim open third High-level Meetings. Countries and donors identify and commit to address key bottlenecks. This marks the third milestone meeting to increase global access to sanitation and water and builds on the continuing dialogue resulting from the 2012 Meeting and the results reported in the Progress Updates 2013 and 2014.

The SDG Era: Strengthening collaboration and new strategic momentum
2015

The SDG Era: Strengthening collaboration and new strategic momentum

Steering Committee approves SWA Strategy 2015-2020 to ensure partnership is fit for purpose after launch of the Sustainable Development Goals. Partnership develops the four SWA Collaborative Behaviours to improve the way partners work together and the sector’s long-term performance. SWA appoints second High-level Chair: the Honourable Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia,

Defining the principles and tools of an efficient and collaborative sector
2016

Defining the principles and tools of an efficient and collaborative sector

The Government of Ethiopia hosts the first stand-alone Sector Ministers’ Meeting (previously back-to-back with the Finance Ministers’ Meeting), for the first time held outside Washington DC. Partners agree on a Framework for analyzing bottlenecks and identifying solutions to make progress towards the SDGs through country-level multi-stakeholder dialogue.

Financing universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene
2017

Financing universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene

Last joint Finance Ministers’ Meeting / Sector Ministers’ Meeting. Focus on the financial solutions that can deliver universal access and the actions agreed in 2016 during the Addis Ababa Sector Ministers’ Meeting. SWA launches SDG WASH Costing Tool, to help countries estimate the costs of achieving SDG Goals 6.1 and 6.2.

Building mutual accountability
2018

Building mutual accountability

SWA launches new Mutual Accountability Mechanism, a multi-stakeholder process that encourages multi-stakeholder alignment at national, regional and global levels. 11 countries volunteer as Pioneers. First SWA ministerial webinar focuses on challenges of making strategic use of existing financial resources – ministers from Nigeria and Eswatini present and answer participants’ questions. SWA Chief Executive Officer makes first high-level country visit, to the Kingdom of Bhutan to discuss prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene in the country. Catarina de Albuquerque, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, appointed as the partnership’s first Chief Executive Officer.

Enthusiastic response to call for multi-stakeholder commitments
2019

Enthusiastic response to call for multi-stakeholder commitments

During the joint preparatory process of the Sector Ministers’ Meeting held in Costa Rica, 48 countries presented 159 commitments, with other partners from external support agencies, civil society, the private sector and research and learning institutions between them making a further 83 commitments at the national level to support the governments’. SC approves new strategy

2020 Finance Ministers' Meetings
2020

2020 Finance Ministers' Meetings

SWA organized three virtual Regional Finance Ministers’ Meetings (FMMs). These meetings took place in November and December 2020 and were live-streamed and simultaneously translated in English, French and Spanish. The FMMs brought together ministers of Finance at the regional level with the objective of developing and strengthening partnerships with finance ministers for smart investments in water, sanitation and hygiene. These partnerships are especially important given the central role this sector can play in national economic and health recovery; delivering improved resilience, employment opportunities, health benefits, and access to innovative finance – allowing the country to build forward better. 

Global Leadership Council
2021

Global Leadership Council

The Global Leadership Council is the high-level group of appointed SWA leaders who advocate for and mobilize wider political commitment to the Guiding Principles and aims of the SWA partnership. The Council helps to champion the need for universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene, and supports in increasing SWA's visibility at regional and global levels.

2022 Sector Ministers' Meeting
2022

2022 Sector Ministers' Meeting

The 2022 Sector Ministers’ Meeting (SMM), hosted by the Government of Indonesia, took place on 18-19 May 2022, in Jakarta. For the first time in an SWA High-level Meeting, the 2022 SMM brought together ministers of water, sanitation, and hygiene, and their counterparts responsible for climate, environment, health, and the economy. It provided a space for leaders around the world to meet and find innovative ways to work together to increase the political prioritization of water, sanitation, and hygiene and ensure the integration of these services in national climate, health, and economic policies and strategies. 

SWA Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque joined Sanitation and Water for All in 2014 and has since positioned SWA to be a vital contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, and strengthened political will in favour of water, sanitation and hygiene.  

Global Leadership Council

The Global Leadership Council is the high-level group of appointed SWA leaders who advocate for and mobilize wider political commitment to the Guiding Principles and aims of the SWA partnership. The Council helps to champion the need for universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene and supports in increasing SWA's visibility at regional and global levels.

High-level meetings

SWA’s High-level Meetings are unique in the sector and the partnership’s most visible activity. They are platforms where ministers from different countries come together and discuss the achievement of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related targets of the SDGs.

Governance

WA’s partners are organized into 6 constituencies, with common interests and roles in the WASH sector. 

Institutional Donors
The SWA Secretariat is supported by several institutional donors.
Mutual Accountability Mechanism
SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism is designed to respond to the the obligations of participation, transparency and accountability.