We need your help!
Help us ensure that the indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals prioritise marginalised and vulnerable communities.
Over the past year, the joint advocacy efforts of End Water Poverty (EWP) members have successfully ensured that the draft Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)dedicated to water and sanitation, and its related targets, explicitly reference some of the standards contained within the human right to water and sanitation.
Currently, the United Nations (UN) is discussing the global indicators which will be used to measure progress against these goals and targets – and we need your united support once again. To date, the discussion around the indicators has been led by technical experts – the voice of civil society has not been heard. EWP is calling to ensure that space is created for civil society to be an important part of the process. A participatory approach is essential as it leads to effective and sustainable interventions based on the real needs of communities. We need to hold the UN accountable to act on its promise that the post-2015 agenda will be a fully inclusive process, as so far, the indicator process is reneging on that promise.
We are also concerned that the current draft indicators do not go far enough to ensure the full implementation of the human right to water and sanitation, nor that poor and marginalised communities will have their right to water and sanitation recognised. Therefore we are calling for specific and necessary changes to the draft indicators.
Our calls are included in our new position paper which outlines our requests and messaging. The paper is available in English, French and Spanish.
We are using this paper to ensure organisations at the global level hear our demands, but we need you to help us ensure stakeholders at a national level, who will be discussing these indicators, hear our call and take up our message in the global discussions.
We need you to share this position paper with two target groups: your national statistical institutes and either your Minister for Foreign Affairs or the government lead on the SDGs. There are a number of ways you can get your message heard – through a letter, a meeting or using the media – you know the best route to get your voice heard in your country!
If you do not have such contacts, then think of who else you can work with to reach these groups – perhaps you are involved with a national water partnership or another coalition – any actors who can help ensure your message reaches the right people. Use any and all resources to help ensure our demands are met and civil society’s message is heard.
Contact us
Please do let us know who you have sent the position paper to and their responses so that we can track our collective impact. If you have any further questions, you may contact members of the SDG Task Team by emailing us at [email protected]
Thank you for your continued support!