28 February 2013: Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WaterAid released a joint position paper that recommends ensuring water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all in the post-2015 agenda, and stresses the connection between WASH and other water goals, such as water resources management, wastewater management and water quality.

In the paper, the organizations indicate their wish “to ensure that by 2030 every household is served with safe water and adequate sanitation and practices effective hygiene behaviors.” The paper further calls for WASH efforts beyond the household level to include schools and health centers. The paper also supports service provision related to sanitation, including effective maintenance and wise water management.

While supporting efforts to achieve and build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the organizations also recommend more ambitious goals that create incentives for change in the post-2015 agenda. They state that the goals should be simple, measurable, compelling and balance achievability with visionary ambition.

WSA, which is headquartered in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, is an inter-governmental agency that aims to provide technical leadership on WASH services in Africa. [WSA Press Release]