Charity leaders from 22 nations urge new G20 South Africa presidency to fulfil global water and sanitation promises
Charity CEOs and country directors, representing 22 nations from across the world, have called on the new G20 South Africa Presidency to honour and uphold their promise to strengthen global water, sanitation and hygiene.
The letter, coordinated by international charity WaterAid, congratulates H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa on his new G20 appointment, highlighting the world’s ‘anticipation for South Africa’s leadership'. For the first time, the G20 will be hosted on African soil, a moment WaterAid directors say ‘provides an opportunity to deliver on what Africa needs’
Building on the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration, where ministers called for bold action to strengthen financing and delivery on water, sanitation, and hygiene, the letter—signed by the WaterAid Chief Executive Tim Wainwright , along with WaterAid CEOs from the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Sweden, and regional directors across East, West, and Southern Africa—stresses that ‘now is the time to act’ to fulfil these commitments and ‘transform millions of lives’.
Open letter
Dear H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa,
WaterAid would like to congratulate South Africa on taking over the G20 Presidency. The world is looking at South Africa leadership with anticipation. The mission of the G20; to build a fairer world and a sustainable planet, to fight inequality, and to champion health and wellbeing for all has never been more critical. Hosting the G20 on the African continent for the first time provides an opportunity to deliver on what Africa needs.
At the heart of this mission to build a fairer world lies an undeniable truth: access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is fundamental to life, dignity, and progress. Yet for millions of people around the world, this basic human right remains out of reach. The numbers speak for themselves:
Every two seconds, a woman is forced to give birth in unsanitary conditions due to a lack of clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene in healthcare facilities.
More than 1000 children under five die every day due to diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene.
Almost one in ten people don’t have clean water close to home.
In the G20 Rio de Janeiro Leaders’ Declaration, ministers welcomed a bold call to action to strengthen the financing and delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene. This reflects a clear consensus: water, sanitation and hygiene are not just essential services, but a cornerstone of health, nutrition, and climate resilience – especially for women and girls who bear the brunt of its absence. If upheld, these commitments could transform millions of lives.
The call to action demonstrates a vital first step. It’s now time to act. The G20, under the South African G20 Presidency, must honour and uphold their promise to strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene. In doing so, millions of lives worldwide will prosper, with access to clean water serving as a foundation for dignity, opportunity, and resilience for generations to come.
With hope and solidarity,
Tim Wainwright CEO, WaterAid UK
Kelly Parsons CEO, WaterAid America
Anna Nilsdotter CEO, WaterAid Sweden
Tom Muller CEO, WaterAid Australia
Justin Murgai CEO, WaterAid Canada
Kaoru Takahashi Executive Director, WaterAid Japan
Peter Phiri Country Director, WaterAid Malawi
Yankho T. Mataya Country Director, WaterAid Zambia
Gaspar Sitefane Country Director, WaterAid Mozambique
Josette Vignon Country Director, WaterAid Madagascar
Yussif Azzika Tanko Pan African Director, WaterAid
Joyce Mpalanyi Magala Country Director, WaterAid Uganda
Anna Tenga Mzinga Country Director, WaterAid Tanzania
Eric Mamboue Country Director, WaterAid Burkina Faso
Leah Kaguara Regional Director, WaterAid East Africa
Robert L. J. Kampala Regional Director, WaterAid Southern Africa
Abdul-Nashiru Mohammed Regional Director, WaterAid West Africa
ENDS
Notes to editors
For media queries, please contact WaterAid’s press line on 020 7793 4537, or email [email protected].
About WaterAid
WaterAid is an international not-for-profit determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. We work alongside communities in 22 countries to secure these three essentials that transform people’s lives. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 28 million people with clean water and nearly 29 million people with decent toilets.
For more information, visit our website wateraid.org/uk; follow us on Twitter @WaterAidUK, @WaterAid or @WaterAidPress; or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.
