22 Nov 2016
1 Thank you for being here. I consider each one of you ambassadors for sanitation, and toilet heroes. The fact that you are here shows that this is an issue you care about. I hope that you will leave the reception with an increased awareness, and to become a catalyst and an advocate for this issue.
2 In 2012 when Singapore proposed the idea of World Toilet Day, we met with a lot of scepticism and ridicule. But we had a firm belief that sanitation is the key to development. If you look at the story of Singapore’s transformation from a rural country to a modern metropolis, our success in dealing with the challenges of water and sanitation laid at the heart of that transformation. So that’s the first point I would like to make – the Singapore story is about sanitation and water.
3 We then asked ourselves – if our success could be replicated around the world, would the world not be a better place? We firmly believed that there were a lot of best practices and learning that can be shared with countries around the world, so that every city could go through a similar transformation and that lives can become better for people all over the world.
4 The figures are shocking – 2.4 billion people with no access to modern sanitation, and almost a billion people with no choice but to engage in open defecation. We spent the last few days in the UN Third Committee talking about human rights, but the right to toilets is also one that must not be forgotten. Everyone deserves the dignity of modern sanitation.
5 The second message is that sanitation is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In fact, I would say that sanitation is at the heart of SDG implementation. If we can fix toilets, and get people access to modern sanitation, we will be more than halfway to the complete implementation of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Each of the SDGs has a direct or indirect link to toilets. Of course, SDG 6, as UN Deputy Secretary General (DSG) Jan Eliasson had said, is about water and sanitation. There is also SDG 5, about gender, and the challenges, indignities and insecurities that women in some countries face in accessing modern sanitation. You cannot fix SDG 5 on gender without going to the heart of the sanitation issue. There is also SDG 8, on work – I want to take the opportunity to commend the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for advocating the theme of “Toilets and Jobs”, and it was very good to hear from Director-General of the ILO Guy Ryder, who also chairs UN-Water. Lastly, there is SDG 1 on poverty – I would like to commend UNICEF’s work in addressing child poverty, which also goes to the heart of sanitation. Sanitation is not an abstract issue – toilets are a serious issue and at the heart of SDG implementation.
6 The third point I want to raise is that sanitation requires partnerships between Governments, private sector and the people. Each one of us can bring our ideas, innovations and resources to make things happen, and begin the transformation of sanitation across the world. At the end of the day, if we cannot build toilets, can we build world peace and understanding? If we can fix the problems of the lack of sanitation and put an end to open defecation, the world will be a much better place for all of us.
7 I would like to end by proposing a toast to toilets. Whatever peace and development work that you are engaged in at the UN, the challenge of water and sanitation is a vital part of our work, and I hope we can continue to work together on it.
8 I also want to take the opportunity to express my deep appreciation to DSG Jan Eliasson. Jan, I know this is your last attendance at our event in your current incarnation as DSG, but I think we should appoint you as honorary ambassador for water and sanitation. I also want to take this opportunity on behalf of all of us to recognise the very important role that you have played.
9 Once again, thank you all very much for your attendance and participation.
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