As part of a wider process to focus attention on this neglected issue, 2008 was designated as the International Year of Sanitation [IYOS] by the United Nations on 21 November 2006.  The UN identified eight broad based objectives for IYOS including:

- Increasing awareness and commitment from actors at all levels;
- Mobilizing Governments (from national to local) existing alliances, financial institutions, sanitation and other service providers;
- Securing real commitments to review, develop and implement effective action to scale up sanitation programmes;
- Encouraging demand driven, sustainable & traditional solutions;
- Securing increased financing to jump start and sustain progress via commitments;
- Developing and strengthening institutional and human capacity;
- Enhancing the sustainability and therefore the effectiveness of available sanitation solutions and;
- Promoting and capturing learning to enhance the evidence base and knowledge on sanitation.

In planning the Association’s response to the IYOS, we need to be conscious of how activities will add value for members and have longer lasting impact beyond 2008.  This document sets out the response and initiatives that IWA will apply to the IYOS.

Anticipated outcomes for IWA from IYOS

• Awareness raised about IWAs role and activities in supporting sustainable sanitation interventions;
• High value, high profile activities that members are actively engaged in;
• Clear indication of IWA activities and intent on this subject;

Objectives for IWA during IYOS

• Communicate the range of IWAs existing work on sanitation to a cross-section of its membership [and non-members];
• Deliver selected, high value, high quality deliverables, activities and events

Summary activities
The following activities are planned by IWA for IYOS:

Events

• Vienna Congress, September 2008 [seminars | papers | keynote speeches]
• SIWI World Water Week 2008, August 2008 [2 workshops | 2 seminars | media work on this subject]
• Sanitation 21 task force, quarter 2, 2008 [consultation event on Sanitation Charter]
• Existing IWA calendar of sanitation related events, including:
  • Water Safety Plans: Global Experiences & Future Trends - Lisbon, Portugal 
    12-May-08 - 14-May-08
  • Sanitation Challenge - Wageningen, The Netherlands
    19-May-08 - 21-May-08
  • Aquatech Amsterdam 2008: Millennium Development Goals on Sanitation - Amsterdam,  The Netherlands
    30-Sep-08 - 03-Oct-08

Documents

• Sanitation Charter – a document outlining principles of good sanitation programming to which organizations in the sector will subscribe / endorse
• IWA Reference Paper – providing a clear message about the impacts of sanitation and promising example
• Article series in Water 21 [three articles articulating main issues, followed by summary article following World Water Week and World Water Congress outcomes]; Booklet containing all articles for general promotional use in 2008 and beyond

Initiatives

• Community of Practice for Young Water Professionals – mobilizing and mentoring the next generation of young professionals interested in sanitation [research and practice focused]
• Sanitation Connection – an online, full text directory of key sanitation related documents
• Sanitation Lexicon – an open source website that allows practitioners to develop consensus on key terms in use in the sector
• Sanitation Learning Alliance – an alliance of practitioners working locally on the marketing of sanitation.

Timeline

• Development of Charter – Q2-Q3, with launch at the Vienna Congress
• Reference paper [revision] – Jan/Feb 2008
• Article series in Water 21 – Q2-Q3
• Summary booklet – Vienna Congress
• Community of Practice for YWP – periodic in 2008
• Sanitation Connection – soft launch in March 2008
• Sanitation Lexicon – soft launch in March 2008
• Sanitation Learning Alliance – periodic in 2008