‘Let’s Spare No Efforts’ Bringing Safe Sanitation to Every Person Worldwide, Secretary-General Stresses, Marking Toilet Day

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Toilet Day, to be observed on 19 November:

Toilets are fundamental to promoting human health, spurring development, and helping all people, especially women and girls, live their lives in dignity.

But too many members of the human family live without this basic human right.  At the current rate, 3 billion people will still live without safely managed sanitation by 2030.

This year’s World Toilet Day shines a light on the threats to sanitation posed by conflict, climate change, disasters and neglect.

I urge all Governments to support the United Nations Strategy for Water and Sanitation, prioritize clean water and sanitation across budgets and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure that can protect these systems in the face of extreme weather.

We must work to expand assistance to developing countries — through both financing and technology — to build and maintain these life-sustaining systems.

And all parties to conflict must stop targeting sanitation and water infrastructure.

Let’s spare no effort to meet our commitment to water and sanitation for all and ensure that every person in the world can realize this fundamental right.