PHM-Exch> Fwd: [ESCR-Net ] [PIDHDD] ‘No access to sanitation’ – the big euphemism - For the first UN World Toilet Day, Tuesday 19 November 2013

[Claudio Schuftan]

From: Coordinacion Regional PIDHDD <regional at pidhdd.org>




 *For the first UN World Toilet Day, Tuesday 19 November 2013*

*‘No access to sanitation’ – the big euphemism*


GENEVA (19 November 2013) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the
human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque,
has warned that the sanitation target set by the UN Millennium Development
Goals (MDG) is today the most off-track of all, leaving around one billion
people still practicing open defecation on a daily basis, and one-third of
the world’s population *‘without access to improved sanitation.’*

“This is a euphemism to describe the undignified life of billions of people
who have no place to defecate or urinate and have to do it without
conditions of safety, hygiene, privacy or dignity,” Ms. de Albuquerque said
on the first UN World Toilet Day. Eighty three per cent of countries have
fallen significantly behind the national targets they have set for
sanitation.

“I am disappointed with the slow and insufficient progress in providing
these services despite the significant political and legal commitments
undertaken in the last years, including the ‘Sanitation and Water for All’
initiative - a strong political platform to gather support for increasing
financing for the sanitation sector”, the expert said.

The Special Rapporteur recalled that the human right to sanitation was
recognized in a landmark resolution supported by the majority of UN Member
States in 2010, in order to respond urgently to this alarming situation.

“From now on,” she said, “the focus has to be on sustainable solutions for
those persons who are systematically forgotten and face significant
barriers in accessing sanitation – because they live with a disability,
because they belong to a minority, because they are homeless, because they
live in a slum, because women’s and girls’ need for privacy is not
guaranteed,” Ms. de Albuquerque said.

“Twenty years after World Water Day was declared, we finally can celebrate
UN World Toilet Day – an occasion to unite our global efforts with States,
United Nations and relevant stakeholders to make toilets a reality for all
and forever”, she noted.

The human rights expert hailed the UN General Assembly’s decision declaring
19th of November as UN World Toilet Day. “I hope this declaration
galvanises national and international action to reach the billions of
people who still do not benefit from this basic human right,” the Special
Rapporteur said.

Recalling current discussions on a future global development agenda, the
rights expert also called on Governments to achieve universal access to
sanitation in the post-2015 global development agenda by giving priority to
the elimination of open defecation and committing to eliminate inequalities
in access progressively.

“Toilets are the symbol of dignity for billions of people who still cannot
enjoy them,” said Ms. de Albuquerque. “Let’s cherish them, let’s prioritize
them…let’s celebrate them!”
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