An event titled “One World One Dream: Sanitation and Water for All” was held at UN headquarters in New York, US, on 24 September 2008, and focused on the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) calling for reducing by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by 2015.

Speaking at the event, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for accelerated efforts to expand access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and warned against the instability of a world short of water. Noting that current trends are “disturbing,” he added that the world faces an “uphill battle.” Ban underlined that the challenge is exacerbated by extreme weather phenomena associated with climate change and outlined the necessary steps to reach the MDG, including: taking concrete measures to build infrastructure, transfer technology and scale up good agricultural practices; improving management of water resources; and expanding investment. The event brought together leaders from civil society, the private sector and governments, including Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and high-level officials from Tajikistan, Germany, Japan and Tanzania.
Link to further information
UN Press Release, 24 September 2008