4000 children die every day from diarrhoea caused by unclean water and poor sanitation.

Demanding political change

Campaigners from across the world join in one voice to demand change

                               WaterAid/Marco Betti

12 March 2010

120 global organisations working against water and sanitation poverty have joined together to demand change at the world's first High-Level Meeting on Water and Sanitation to be held on 23rd April 2010.

The meeting will host politicians from developed and developing countries, as well as civil society members. They will meet to discuss vital action to address the global sanitation and water crisis currently claiming 4,000 children's lives each day.

Seen as a potentially pivotal and crucial moment, organisations who have long worked on the crisis are pressing delegates to deliver action and not words. Steve Cockburn, End Water Poverty's International Campaign Coordinator states, "It's impressive that so many organisations are united in their appeal to leaders attending the High-Level Meeting in Washington. There's a consensus on what needs to be done - now it's time to do it "

Campaigners are calling for the formalisation of the Sanitation and Water For All: A Global Framework for Action initiative, and a commitment from governments that no credible country plan should fail for want of financing. Crucially, it has been found that international aid to water and sanitation is often not directed to the poorest and worst served countries - another issue the manifesto calls attention to. 

Read the High-Level Meeting manifesto here, in both English and French ( PDF File 523KB) 

Ahead of the meeting, on World Water Day (22 March 2010), organisations in 58 countries are taking part in The World's Longest Toilet Queue - a mass mobilisation of people standing in solidarity with the 2.5 billion still living without improved sanitation. Find out about latest events on the website.