“SDG 6.2 is to end open defecation and provide access to safe sanitation and hygiene, and that’s the farthest of all the SDGs, and farthest in terms of lack of funding,” said Ann Thomas, Team Leader, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH Program Department, UNICEF, at a press conference at United Nations Headquarters on Thursday.
‘Hygiene crisis’
In a 2020 estimate, 3.6 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services. Ms. Thomas said the rate of increase in sanitation coverage would need to quadruple to achieve universal access to safely managed services by 2030, describing the situation as “a sanitation crisis”, especially for women and children.
Through game plan to achieve safe managed hygiene 2022-2030UNICEF will support 1 billion people to access safely managed sanitation, through direct and indirect support, in collaboration with partners.
Also speaking at the press conference, Mr. Johannes Cullmann, Vice President UN-CountryThe World Organization’s inter-agency coordination mechanism on water issues, has described poor sanitation as “not a matter of technology but a matter of ‘political will’”, emphasizing that technologies exist and that governments must invest in sanitation.
taboo discussion
Both speakers pointed out that the whole discussion of sanitation is a “taboo” and “invisible”. make it more prominent to politicians to ensure that everyone has access to adequate sanitation.
These topics will be discussed at UN-Water Summit on groundwater in Paris from December 7 to 8, and at UN Water Conference 2023 from March 22 to 24.
A giant inflatable toilet sits on the front lawn of the United Nations Headquarters to celebrate World Toilet Day.
big message
On November 18, a giant inflatable toilet will be on display on the main lawn of the United Nations Headquarters during the day. Inflatable toilets were last seen in 2019.
On the same day, UNICEF will hold an event called Accelerate sanitation to 2030 with speakers to discuss key water and sanitation issues within the framework of the upcoming United Nations Water Conference 2023.
