Organizing a press gathering, the MoUD Secretary Kishor Thapa said the conference intends to develop a regional agenda on sanitation, enabling learning from past experiences and to set future actions for all the eight member countries. [break]
Discussions would cover eight themes such as sanitation and health, community-wide sanitation and sustainability, school sanitation, sanitation technology and marketing.
Similarly, experts from participating countries will hold discussions on media advocacy and sanitation, urban sanitation, knowledge and networking. Nepal has been assigned to cover the media advocacy part.
On the last day of the conference, the ministers of all the participant countries would hold a final discussion centering on the views in the conference and set new declarations to be implemented in the next two years, said the officials.
Though data indicates Nepal has met Millennium Development Goal target on water and sanitation, only 50 percent of the water supply schemes are functional and sustainability of the sanitation practices and behavior are still dissatisfactory to ensure public health. In such situation, the regional conference would be a milestone for the entire WASH sector, said Awadh Kishor Mishra, joint secretary of the MoUD.
As many as 400 people, including 250 from seven SAARC countries, 100 from Nepal and 50 as an expert and the representative of national and international organizations would participate in the program.
Mamorandum to Chairman Regmi
Thirteen non-government organizations handed in a petition with more than 19,000 signatures calling on the decision-makers to keep their promises on water and sanitation, to the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Khil Raj Regmi on Tuesday.
The organizations handed the petition to remind the government that current 62 percent coverage on sanitation and 82 percent coverage on drinking water might not ensure the commitment of Nepal Government for the universal coverage of water and sanitation for all by 2017.
Receiving the petition, Regmi said that the government was aware that there must be access to water and sanitation for all, and there are strong policies to support it. “We are committed and working to fulfill the promises made.”
He further appreciated the role of civil society on reaching WASH goals.
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