IRC’s involvement in Sanitation and Water for All
IRC is an active member of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) global partnership. IRC has been supporting SWA since its initiation out of the Global Framework for Action in 2009. IRC activities around SWA take place under the Aid Effectiveness (AE) theme. Documents on IRC's participation in SWA and the global partnership can be found in this folder.
What is Sanitation and Water for All?
Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) is a global partnership of governments, donors, civil society and multilateral organisations. Its aim is to ensure that all people have access to basic sanitation and safe drinking water. It is particularly concerned with those countries where the needs are greatest, with an immediate focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the most off-track countries.
Why is Sanitation and Water for All important?
Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) provides the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector with a new platform for engagement. Recognising that countries and organisations around the world can achieve more by working together, Sanitation and Water for All provides a framework for coordinated and joint efforts to address the main bottlenecks for improved sector performance and to overcome fragmentation in the sector.
Status Sanitation and Water for All
Since its inception in 2009 the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership has grown to include 91 partners. Every two years, SWA organises a global High Level Meeting to address planning and institutional requirements for improving access to water and sanitation. So far SWA has organised two successful High Level Meetings, in April 2010 and April 2012. An in-country preparatory dialogue process precedes participation of developing countries before each High Level. In the second High Level Meeting of April 2012 ministers of development co-operation, finance, water and sanitation and representatives of the world’s leading water and sanitation agencies (over 80 in all), including 45 developing country governments, attended the meeting or were engaged in the dialogue process. It was probably the largest ever gathering of senior political figures to specifically discuss WASH (SWA secretariat, 2012).
IRC’s involvement in Sanitation and Water for All
IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre has been actively involved in Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) since its initiation in 2009. Initially IRC was a member of the Interim Core Group (ICG) and since 2011 IRC is an elected member in the SWA steering committee.
Getting research and learning on the agenda of Sanitation and Water for All
Research and learning are set to become important elements in national planning and monitoring of sanitation and water services. That is, at least, the aim of the Research and Learning (R&L) constituency of the Sanitation and Water for All global partnership (SWA), which meets face-to-face for the first time at the SWA Partnership Meeting in South Africa.
Recent publications by Sanitation and Water for All
An overview of five useful outputs published by Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) including an analysis of commitments made by developing countries, a concept note on partnership meetings and a discussion paper on political WASH dialogue at a SWA meeting.
National Planning for Results Initiative (NPRI)
The National Planning for Results Initiative (NPRI) aims to support the acceleration of WASH coverage in countries that lack strong and functioning sectors. It works through the pooled activities and technical and human resources of the agencies in the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership. The NPRI responds to requests from developing country partners and seeks to support countries that lack the constituent elements of an effective sector framework or planning process, such as political will, sector coordination, an overall strategy for sector development and an institutional capability to monitor and respond to bottlenecks impeding effective performance.
Read more on the National Planning for Results Initiative (NPRI) here.
Ministers meet to make sanitation and water for all a reality
Some 60 ministers responsible for finance, water, sanitation and hygiene portfolios from over 30 developing countries will participate in the 2nd Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High Level Meeting on 20 April 2012 at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Together with representatives from donor countries, UN and Non-governmental Organisations, including IRC, they aim to agree on urgent action towards ensuring that access to sanitation and safe drinking water becomes a reality for the billions of people who still live without them.
First informative meeting on SWA in Honduras
On 25 October 2011, IRC together with other SWA partners in Honduras conducted a meeting to inform the Honduran WASH sector on the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) global partnership and to seek the country’s interest to engage with this global partnership and to participate in the next biennial SWA High Level Meeting (HLM) which is planned in April 2012.
Former Ghana President John Agyekum Kufuor to chair the Sanitation and Water for All partnership
His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor, former President of Ghana (2001-2009) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2007–2008), will be the first high-level Chair of the Sanitation and Water for All partnership. Kufuor is a passionate global advocate for leadership, governance and development. He is widely regarded for his African and international statesmanship.
More information is available in the press-release.
PressRelease _John Kufuor Annoucement as Chair of the SWA_ 15Nov2011.docx (60.6 kB)
