"Hopes of a breakthrough in the global sanitation and water crisis at the [2008 Hokkaido Toyako] G8 summit were [...] dashed as the G8 delivered a communiqué largely devoid of concrete actions to help the 2.6 billion people lacking access to a safe toilet, and the 1.1 billion people lacking access to clean water", according to End Water Poverty coalition. "Instead of agreeing an action plan […], G8 leaders were content to report on progress at the 2009 summit and take steps to implement the discredited 2003 G8 Evian Water Action Plan”, the coalition added. The G8 did not agree on proposals for an annual meeting and review to drive progress and “failed to provide any specific financial commitments".

The G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit Leaders Declaration did include one paragraph on water and sanitation. It called on national governments to “prioritize access to sanitation” and voiced its support for “efforts to improve the governance of the water and sanitation sector”.

The End Water Poverty coalition has now targeted the UN Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals on 22-25 September 2008, to continue its campaign aimed at world leaders. It will build on the global petition undertaken for the G8 summit and aims to bring the petition over the 1 million mark. At the same time national coalition members will be lobbying their governments.

Related news: G8: Heiligendamm Summit overlooks water and sanitation, campaigners look to Japan, Source Weekly, 21 Sep 2007

Web sites: End Water Poverty ; G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit

Source: End Water Poverty press releases, 13 Aug and 08 Jul 2008

Tags: policies & legislation, sanitation, water supply