Published on: 30/05/2014
These resources will be channelled through bilateral cooperation programmes in seven countries, through multilateral agencies like UNICEF, NGOs and the private sector.
The Dutch Government supports the Football for Water initiative to provide WASH in schools in Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique. On 31 May in Rotterdam the Football for Water public fundraising campaign will kick off during the friendly football match between The Netherlands and Ghana to highlight the importance of WASH.
At a side-event, the Dutch Government will also sign an agreement with UNICEF to contribute US$ 1.5 million to the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership. SWA brings countries, donors, civil society and others together to ensure more people obtain improved access to WASH as quickly as possible. The occasion will be attended by senior officials including SWA Chair and former President of Ghana John A. Kufuor, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, the Ghanaian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanna Tetteh and UNICEF's Deputy Executive Director Yoka Brandt.
The Dutch commitments to the worldwide WASH sector were made last month during the High Level Meeting of the SWA in Washington DC, where the Government promised to improve water, sanitation and hygiene services worldwide through an investment of 100 million dollars per year over the coming 4 years (2014-2017). The objective is to reach 25 million people with first-time access to sanitation by 2015 and first time access to safe drinking water by 2018. The 2014-2017 commitment was the continuation of a vision that begun in the first SWA High Level Meeting in 2012, where the Dutch government committed to USD 90.5 million for the 2012-2014 period, towards reaching 10 million people in West- and Central-Africa.
This investment testifies to the leading role and active involvement of the Dutch in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector globally. Speaking of this dedicated support, former President Kufuor stated:
"Ghana and Africa have benefited greatly from Dutch leadership on not only water but also on the essential but often forgotten issues of sanitation and hygiene. We have benefited from your engineering and scientific knowledge, and also through the generosity of the Dutch people and of your government."
"Ghana and Africa have benefited greatly from Dutch leadership on not only water but also on the essential but often forgotten issues of sanitation and hygiene. We have benefited from your engineering and scientific knowledge, and also through the generosity of the Dutch people and of your government."
The soccer match Netherlands-Ghana will be an exciting football match with one goal: access to safe drinking water and sanitation. It is a fundamental human right, and its improvement is the main objective of the Dutch WASH policy.
Mrs. Lillianne Ploumen Minister of Development Cooperation and Trade attaches great importance to sustainability of water investments and a better future for the 2.5 billion people lacking improved sanitation and the 748 million people without improved drinking water. That's why the Netherlands supports initiatives such as 'Football for Water' and "Sanitation and Water for All".
Editor's notes
About SWA
SWA is a global partnership of over 90 developing country governments, donors, civil society organizations and other development partners working together to catalyse political leadership and action, improve accountability and use scarce resources more effectively. Partners work towards a common vision of universal access to safe water and adequate sanitation.
Contact details SWA:
Alexandra Reis: M +41 79 910 45 08, T +41 22 560 81 73 Email:Alexandra@sanitationandwaterforall.org
For more information visit: www.sanitationandwaterforall.org
About IRC
IRC is an international think-and-do tank that works with governments, NGOs, businesses and people around the world to find long-term solutions to the global crisis in water, sanitation and hygiene services. At the heart of its mission is the aim to move from short-term interventions to sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services.
With over 45 years of experience, IRC runs programmes and projects in more than 25 countries and large-scale projects in seven focus countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is supported by a team of over 100 staff across the world.
Contact details IRC :
Jenda Terpstra : M +31 6 44051613, T +31 70 3044062 Email: communications@ircwash.org
For more information visit: www.ircwash.org
About Simavi
Simavi is an independent international non-profit organisation, striving for a world in which basic health is accessible to all. Basic health is a crucial stepping stone for building a better existence and creating a way out of poverty. We want to have structurally improved basic health of 10 million people in marginalised communities in Africa and Asia by 2020.
Simavi currently works in nine countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, India, Tanzania, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda and Kenya. We know from experience that investments in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are crucial for people to be able to lead a healthy life. Therefore we are specialised in these thematic areas.
Contact details Simavi:
Suzannah Vree: M +31 62436524 T +31 235175790 suzannah.vree@simavi.nl
For more information visit: www.simavi.nl
