WaterAid welcomes Dakar Declaration to prioritise water, sanitation

WaterAid, an international NGO, on Tuesday, welcomed the Dakar Declaration, an outcome of the recently concluded Africa Water Week held in Dakar, Senegal.

Dr. Michael Ojo, WaterAid’s County Representative in Nigeria, in a statement, commended the decision of African Ministers to prioritise water and sanitation as a stand-alone goal in the pos-MDGs programme.

Ojo said the declaration of the six-day Africa Water Week Conference from May 26 to May 31, showed the preparedness of African leaders to tackle water and sanitation issues.

“WaterAid welcomes the leadership by African Ministers to prioritise water and especially sanitation in the Dakar Declaration.

“The Dakar Declaration is a significant accomplishment and represents a clear message and realisation from African Ministers.

“The message that we can only bring an end to Africa’s sanitation crisis through the establishment of a dedicated goal on water and sanitation.”

Ojo, who noted that seven of 10 Africans lacked access to basic sanitation, said that placing sanitation alongside water in the Sustainable Development Goals, was vital to ensuring a healthy continent.

“The leadership of the African Ministers Council on Water’s (AMCOW) ‘Dakar Declaration’ on tackling Africa’s sanitation crisis is commendable.

“This move will accomplish the vision of an economically productive, healthier and happier continent and put us on the right track to achieving universal access to water and sanitation.

“It is pleasing to note that the Dakar Declaration aligned closely with an emerging global consensus that the Sustainable Development Goals should include a dedicated goal on water and sanitation,’’ he said.

The Dakar Declaration, which called for a dedicated goal on Water Security and Sanitation, marked the end of the 5th Africa Water Week.

The week-long celebration attended by more than 1,000 delegates from across the continent, was hosted jointly by AMCOW and the African Union Commission.

By calling for a dedicated goal on Water Security and Sanitation, the conference declaration aligned with the draft focus areas of the UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.

The declaration also came ahead of the inauguration of Africa’s common position on the post-2015 scheduled for release by the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

(NAN)