According to the Report of UN Millennium Task Force on Water and Sanitation, more than twice as many people lack access to basic sanitation services as lack access to improved water supply. The cost of meeting the Millennium Development target for sanitation is much higher than for water supply, not only because so many more people must be served, but also because of the higher unit cost of sanitation infrastructure, especially for urban areas. Moreover, the socio-economic and public health costs of failure to meet the target are much higher and more widespread for sanitation. One of the reasons behind the immensity of the problem is the institutional vacuum at the policy level without a national-level institution with responsibility for sanitation and the tension regarding the allocation of responsibilities for improving and managing sanitation.
The joint UNITAR-UCLG workshop intends to bridge this gap by offering a reflection on the institutional aspect of the sanitation sector and raising the awareness of local decision-makers present at the World Congress.
Objectives of the Workshop
- familiarize participants with the key governance issues and challenges of the sanitation sector in view of the Millennium Development target for sanitation (MDG 7, target 10)
- showcase successful solutions from participating cities
- raise awareness of decision-makers
Participants
Approximately 30 participants are expected to attend mainly from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. A few participants are invited from China, Korea and the Philippines. Representatives from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam will receive a full sponsorship including airfare and accommodation.
Interested elected representatives or heads of line departments of local governments from the above-mentioned countries should contact Ms. Berta Pesti at berta.pesti < at > unitar.org.
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