“Women, Water and Wells”

Ambassador King
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a pleasure to welcome you all for this exhibition. I particularly thank the Permanent Mission of the United States of America for organizing this special event, which highlights the critical importance of clean, safe water to African development, and in particular, to women.

According to the World Health Organization, 37 per cent of the developing world’s population – 2.5 billion people – lack improved sanitation facilities, and over 780 million people still use unsafe drinking water sources. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, coupled with poor hygiene practices, kills and sickens thousands of children every day, and leads to impoverishment and diminished opportunities for thousands more.

Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have many other serious repercussions. Children – and particularly girls – are denied their right to education because their schools lack private and decent sanitation facilities. Where water supplies are not readily available, women and girls spend large parts of their day fetching water. Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, health systems are overwhelmed and national economies suffer. Without water, sanitation and hygiene, sustainable development is impossible.

Despite the challenges, there is some good news. In March of this year, WHO and UNICEF confirmed that the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water had been met in advance of the 2015 deadline. Between 1990 and 2010, over two billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources, such as piped supplies and protected wells. This is an important achievement for the world. However, it is true that global figures mask massive disparities between regions and countries, and within countries. Only 61 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to improved water supply sources compared with 90 per cent or more in Latin America and the Caribbean, Northern Africa, and large parts of Asia.

The United Nations continues to work to ensure access to safe drinking water for everyone. In 2010, the UN General Assembly recognized drinking water and sanitation as human rights. This provides an impetus for both States and international organizations to provide financial resources, and assist in capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries to provide safe, clean and accessible drinking water and sanitation for all.

Dear Colleagues:
These photographs vividly show the critical link between water and health in West Africa, as well as the dramatic economic and public health outcomes that can be achieved when safe water is delivered to communities. As we enjoy this exhibition, let us all re-commit to ensuring that this important work continues.

Thank you for your attention.