I recently received an update about this project ("Sanitation and Water for All: A global partnership to achieve universal access to clear water and adequate sanitation") by Perry Landman from UNICEF USA as follows (Perry was going to post himself but had problems logging in which we haven't been able to resolve yet):

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Dear Elisabeth,
Following up on behalf of Darragh and the US Fund for UNICEF, I would suggest adding the following information on current outcomes under the Activities heading (here in the project database: www.susana.org/en/resources/projects/details/209):

The partnership is focused on three main outcomes—
1. Countries take action on the WASH-related SDGs by developing comprehensive and achievable strategies
2. Development effectiveness in the WASH sector is improved
3. Robust review and follow-up of the WASH-related SDG targets is established

I have also attached the summary report from the 2016 HLM and Chair’s Statement from the 2017 HLM.




If there are any other specific questions or information I can help answer or add, please don’t hesitate to let me know.

All the best,
--Perry

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(HLM stands for High Level Meeting)

Dear Alexandra,

Thanks for this update on the work of SWA.

I watched the short video statement of Catarina de Albuquerque, the Executive Chair of SWA, regarding "Sanitation and Water for All partnership set to play major role in SDGs" which you had linked to:



I noticed that she stressed "access to water, sanitation and hygiene". Sanitation and hygiene belong so closely together (in my mind hygiene is even part of sanitation, but for sure it doesn't hurt to stress it with a separate word).

I think you'll enjoy the thematic discussion on SDGs which is set to start on 1 September, initiated by End Water Poverty. Please take part in it here:
forum.susana.org/forum/categories/199-th...ana-explore-the-sdgs


Regards,
Elisabeth

P.S. For people without youtube, here is the text of the press statement which Catarina stated also in the video:

PRESS STATEMENT
Geneva, 29 June 2015
Sanitation and Water for All partnership set to play major role in SDGs

Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), the global, multi-stakeholder partnership working to
catalyse political leadership and improve accountability in the area of water, sanitation and
hygiene, has announced its commitment to play a pivotal role to contribute to and help shape
the means of implementation, as well as follow-up and review of the water, sanitation and
hygiene related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SWA will reach out to other partnerships to help build a coherent network of support for the
water, sanitation and hygiene related SDGs. SWA’s role will build on its current focus on the
countries where needs are greatest. In addition, the partnership will extend its membership to
include additional countries where inequalities persist.

This is a natural extension of the existing role and activities of SWA as an inter-governmental
and multi-stakeholder process through which national governments and development partners
make commitments to ensure access to water, sanitation and hygiene for all people. Partners
report publicly every year on progress and exchange learnings at the highest political level
during biennial High Level Meetings. SWA aligns its work with ongoing monitoring, including
that of the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme and the UN-Water GLAAS report, and
links to broader and emerging monitoring activities such as the Global Expanded Monitoring
Initiative.

SWA’s established dialogue between governments, development partners and civil society
already reflects the main elements of the planned follow-up and review process for the SDGs
emerging from the Inter-Governmental Negotiations and outlined in the UN Secretary-General’s
“The Road to Dignity by 2030” Synthesis Report. SWA offers a proven platform with the
flexibility to adapt to the new demands of the SDG agenda.

Catarina de Albuquerque, SWA’s Executive Chair said “The voluntary, country-centred and
inclusive follow-up process that we have built is ideally suited to serve as a thematic review
platform for the SDGs. We are actively reaching out to other actors and alliances and look
forward to making our contribution to this new social contract.”

Joe, on your question regarding the MDGs and SDGs. The most recent JMP already tells us the MDG sanitation target will not be met, while the water one was met in 2010. Hopefully we will have learned enough from the MDGs to make the SDGs achievable. Unlike the MDGs (which were about percentages), the proposed SDGs are clear: the WASH goal - GOal 6 - is universal access.

SWA recently put out a statement about the partners' ambition to be the follow-up and review thematic platform for WASH-related targets. We will join the global efforts with the conviction they are achievable.

Hi Joe, clear would be nice too, but you're right, it should read clean. I'll make the change.

Alex

Out of interest, is that a mistake in the title of this thread? Should it read 'clean' rather than 'clear' water and adequate sanitation?

I wonder if you could tell us whether you think this goal is achievable by Dec 2015, or even 2030 in the next development round. Also maybe what you take 'clear' or 'clean' or 'safe' to mean in the context of water and sanitation.

Thanks!

About SWA (Sanitation and Water for All), a Gates Foundation grantee organisation:

Primary contacts at lead organization:
Paul Shanahan (Secretariat Coordinator) and Alexandra Reis (Communications Officer). The SWA Secretariat is hosted by two of its partners: UNICEF in New York and WSSCC in Geneva.

Grantee location: New York, USA

Developing country where this project or initiative applies to: Several

Start and end date of grant: Phase 1: September 2013 to December 2015, Phase 2: extended to 31 December 2017

Grant type: Global Development

Grant size in USD:
Phase 1: USD 1,499,982 (see: www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quic...s/2013/09/OPP1052126) and Phase 2: USD 1,591,745 (see: www.gatesfoundation.org/How-We-Work/Quic...s/2015/11/OPP1136521)

Short description of the project
SWA is a global partnership of over 90 developing country governments, donors, civil society organizations and other development partners working together to catalyze 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. The Gates Foundation’s grant is directed at supporting SWA engage developing countries and donors in meeting their water and sanitation commitments.

Goal(s)
SWA is a platform:

For coordinated action. SWA provides a framework for partners to collaborate globally, regionally and nationally. It aims to increase the impact of available resources and strengthen mutual accountability among partners.

Three priority areas:

• Increase political prioritization to accelerate progress towards universal access to sustainable sanitation, hygiene and water services
• Promote the development of a strong evidence base that supports good decision making
• Strengthen national government-led planning processes to guide the development and implementation of sustainable sanitation and drinking water services

For global high-level dialogue. SWA’s primary mechanism to engage high-level decision makers to take action is the High-Level Commitments Dialogue (HLCD). This is a process by which developing countries and donors develop context-specific commitments which address the fundamental bottlenecks holding back progress and are consistent with international aid and development effectiveness principles. The HLCD is designed to encourage on-going political dialogue at the national (including sub-national) and global levels and is focused on achieving results on the ground.

To implement the aid effectiveness agenda in the WASH sector. SWA provides a platform where governments lead and coordinate the WASH Sector. Working together, governments and development partners can better harmonize their efforts to accelerate progress in WASH. By joining SWA, partners agree to adhere to the SWA Guiding Principles, largely based on the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action.

To strengthen mutual accountability. SWA partners actively participate in the High Level Commitments Dialogue to develop partner-specific commitments to improve sanitation and water services. At the biennial High Level Meeting, ministers responsible for finance, water and sanitation from developing countries, ministers of development cooperation from donor countries, and high-level representatives from development banks agree to report on progress commitments annually, in consultation with civil society from their respective countries.

Objectives
Recognizing that developing countries and aid organizations achieve more by working together, SWA aims to turn the current situation around by creating a virtuous cycle of robust planning, institutional strengthening, better resource utilization and higher investment that has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of billions of people. SWA provides a transparent, accountable and results-oriented framework for action based on a common vision, values and principles. SWA has over 90 SWA partners, who work together to coordinate high-level action, empower or strengthen governments (from developing countries) to lead and coordinate the sector; improve accountability and use scarce resources more effectively.

Research or implementation partners: 96 of them .

Links, further readings – results to date:
Official website

Biggest successes so far:

2014 High Level Meeting (HLM) official page

See also past discussion thread about this High Level Meeting: 2014 HLM SuSanA discussion

Increasing number of commitments made by countries and donors every two years

Main challenges:
Despite the great need and potentially enormous benefits, the WASH sector has historically faced major obstacles. Each of the following five obstacles are interlinked and, taken together, reflect the complexity of the problem.

1. WASH is low on the political agenda
2. Comprehensive national plans are not being developed and implemented
3. Finance to the sector is unpredictable, insufficient and does not reach the countries or people that need it the most
4. Reliable evidence, data or analysis to inform decision-making is limited and it is difficult to track progress
5. Low levels of mutual accountability exist between developing countries and donors, and between developing country governments and their citizens.