Primary Functions
- An annual event to bring attention to the global sanitation crisis.
Detailed Description
World Toilet Organization was founded on 19 November 2001 and the inaugural World Toilet Summit was held on the same day, the first global summit of its kind. We recognised the need for an international day to draw global attention to the sanitation crisis – and so we established World Toilet Day. NGOs, the private sector, civil society organisations and the international community joined in to mark the global day.
In 2013, a joint initiative between the Government of Singapore and World Toilet Organization led to Singapore’s first UN resolution, entitled “Sanitation for All”, calling for collective action to address the global sanitation crisis through the commemoration of World Toilet Day. The resolution was co-sponsored and adopted by 122 countries at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. On July 24, 2013, World Toilet Day on 19 November became an official UN day.
Each year UN World Toilet Day calls on the global community to do more to address the sanitation crisis. The theme for 2016 is “Toilets and Jobs.”
World Toilet Day is THE day for action. It is the day to raise awareness about all the people who do not have access to a toilet, and the urgent need to end the sanitation crisis. And it is the day to stand up (or sit down or squat if you prefer) to do something about it.
Why Do We Need A Day For Toilets?
The ‘silent’ sanitation crisis is a ticking time bomb which affects billions of people around the world.
When World Toilet Organization was founded in 2001, the subject of sanitation received little media attention and it was severely neglected on the global development agenda. Sanitation has become more of a priority for world leaders in the 14 years since World Toilet Organization was founded, however the current level of prioritization is still far from what is needed, given the scale and impact of the sanitation crisis. It’s time for toilets to be treated as an urgent global priority.
We can’t wait while a lack of access to sanitation affects health, education, gender equality, nutrition, the environment and the economy! And in the words of our founder Jack Sim, “What we don’t discuss, we can’t improve.” We need to continue to address the taboo nature of toilets and shine a spotlight on sanitation each World Toilet Day.
The Global Urgent Run
The Urgent Run for UN World Toilet Day, an initiative of World Toilet Organization, is a global run to call for urgent action to end the sanitation crisis. It brings together communities around the world for a run or walk for sanitation in November, in the lead-up to UN World Toilet Day on 19 November.
It’s urgent because: 1 in 3 people on this planet still don’t have access to a clean and safe toilet; 1,000 children die each day due to poor sanitation; and better sanitation supports better nutrition and improved health, especially for women and children.
Join the global Urgent Run, visit www.urgentrun.com
How To Raise A Stink For UN World Toilet Day
Sustainable sanitation is a matter of dignity, equality, and safety, and is crucial to improving the health and wellbeing of one-third of humanity. So what can you do to help raise a stink this World Toilet Day? Join the global ‘movement’ and be a part of the change.
