Hillary Clinton addresses water and sanitation

Tuesday 23 March 2010

To mark World Water Day, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined the call for immediate action to ensure access to safe, clean water and improved sanitation in the developing world.

Speaking at Uniting for Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, an event at the National Geographic Society, Clinton emphasised the importance of water, stating: "For the US, water represents one of the great diplomatic and development opportunities of our time.

"It's not every day you find an issue where effective diplomacy and development will allow you to save millions of lives, feed the hungry, empower women, advance our national security interests, protect the environment and demonstrate to billions of people that the US cares: cares about you and your welfare. Water is that issue."

(Credit: http://www.state.gov)

The event also featured a video address from Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is a Goodwill Ambassador for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Africa. She said: "We cannot wait to improve access to water and sanitary conditions for future generations.

"Water and sanitation are fundamental to overall human development and both play a critical role in achieving all eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Safe water and sanitation improve health, advance education, reduce poverty and drive economic growth."

(Credit: http://www.wateraidamerica.org)

Kate Norgrove, WaterAid Head of Campaigns in the UK, commended the political urgency given by both Clinton and President Johnson Sirleaf: "It is great to see such high profile water and sanitation advocates shining the spotlight on this neglected global crisis. Now it's time to put words into action."
 
The Washington DC event was just one in a number of events around the globe which WaterAid took part in to celebrate World Water Day.

Notes to Editors

• In the US a diverse coalition of water, sanitation, hygiene and health organizations have come together for World Water Day 2010. Its goal is to raise awareness and call for stronger commitments and more robust action to ensure universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation everywhere they are needed. The global water crisis can be solved with solutions available today.
  
  
• The 2010 coalition includes Action Against Hunger, AED, Africare, CARE, Catholic Relief Services, charity: water, Church World Service, Earth Day
  Network, Global Water, Global Water Challenge, H2O for Life, InterAction, Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, Millennium Water Alliance, Natural Resources Defense Council, ONE, PATH, P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, Project Concern International, PSI, US Coalition for Child Survival, WaterAid, Water.org, Water Advocates, Water and Sanitation Program, Water For People, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council and World Vision.
  
  
• More information about World Water Day can be found here