11 April 2014: The Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High-Level Meeting was convened by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to address the theme “smart investments to achieve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all.” The meeting was marked by 250 commitments pledged by 40 SWA partner countries to variously: increase and improve the use of financial resources; reduce inequality in access; build capacity of institutions delivering water and sanitation services; and coordinate resources more effectively from both governments and donor aid.

The meeting, which took place on 11 April, was hosted by the World Bank in Washington, DC, US, and brought together 50 government ministers from developed and developing countries, as well as representatives from development banks, foundations and civil society. The meeting aimed to: outline a vision for the sector; link sanitation to economic growth and development; communicate to finance ministers how to achieve value for money; emphasize the importance of getting investments right, targeting inequalities and achieving sustainable and effective aid; provide an opportunity to learn from successful, cost-effective investments; and challenge participants to make WASH a high priority in the post-2015 development agenda.

The Sector Minister’s Meeting (SMM) was held just prior to the HLM on 10 April, providing an opportunity for ministers to discuss commitments developed under the ongoing High-Level Commitments Dialogue (HLCD), review progress on the forthcoming Global Annual Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) and results of the 2014 Data Update by the World Health Organization (WHO)-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation, and how to strengthen WASH in the debate on the post-2015 development agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). [SWA Press Release] [UN-Water Press Release] [World Bank SWA HLM Web Cast]