G8: The verdict

22 July 2008

The 2008 G8 Summit acknowledged the importance of the water and sanitation sector

Credit: WaterAid

In early July the G8 leaders met for their annual summit, this year in Hokkaido, Japan.

We are pleased to report that WaterAid supporters' incredible campaigning efforts helped ensure that sanitation and water appeared on the agenda and were included in the leaders' final declaration.

The first faltering steps have been taken towards recognising their key role in reducing poverty – WaterAid and the End Water Poverty campaign were part of this.

However, the G8 didn't deliver what WaterAid is calling for as part of the End Water Poverty coalition. No global action plan, no global taskforce.

By the time the G8 next meet, in Italy 2009, around two million children will have died from entirely preventable diseases and billions of the world's poorest people will be left by their governments to live in squalor, disease and indignity.

The G8 have failed again to learn from history, experts and the poor themselves: tackling the sanitation and water crisis will hugely reduce global poverty.

Henry Northover, Head of Policy at WaterAid, said:

"The G8 leaders have committed themselves to review progress next year. There is now an opportunity to stress to the G8 the need for urgent attention on both water and sanitation in international development, and to end the woeful lack of progress on these most fundamental human rights. 

"In the month that has seen emerging evidence that puts sanitation and water poverty as the biggest killers of children in the world, it is time that all leaders give these sectors the highest priority.”

So, what now?

We must continue to build public pressure ahead of the next major influencing opportunity, the UN High-Level MDGs meeting being held this September. WaterAid, through the growing End Water Poverty coalition, will lobby hard to ensure that sanitation and water is the central focus of the meeting.

The campaign continues because 2.5 billion people are still waiting for the world to act.

Find out how you can take action

Read WaterAid's blog from the G8