Regional sanitation conferences have been a feature in the WASH sector for a decade since the first AfricaSan meeting in Johannesburg. At their inception they were a groundbreaking effort to get higher level elected government officials to prioritise sanitation and they have undoubtedly played a key role in placing sanitation and hygiene on the political agenda.
Published on: 22/11/2011
Regional sanitation conferences have been a feature in the WASH sector for a decade since the first AfricaSan meeting in Johannesburg. At their inception they were a groundbreaking effort to get higher level elected government officials to prioritise sanitation and they have undoubtedly played a key role in placing sanitation and hygiene on the political agenda. The evolution of the “Sans” has varied from region to region but strong government leadership with coordinated support from development partners is a key feature of the most successful processes. Recently the contribution from civil society has been strengthened through parallel preparation processes, engagement with the design of the meeting and participation in the discussions relating to the ministerial declaration.
Before the Forum, WSSCC commissioned a review of the regional Sans led by Piers Cross, consultant, who coordinated the inputs from San organizers in various regions to synthesize lessons and prepare recommendations for future directions. It is clear that the Sans will need to evolve to ensure that they remain financially viable, relevant and effective. Nonetheless their contribution, particularly in Africa, South Asia and East Asia was strongly endorsed by various speakers.
The review is accessible at www.wsscc.org.
