KASHIRAM
RANA LEAVES TODAY FOR BANGLADESH TO ATTEND REGIONAL CONFERENCE
ON SANITATION
A high-level delegation
led by Shri Kashiram Rana, Union Minister for Rural Development
is leaving for Bangladesh today to attend Ministerial level Regional
Conference on Sanitation at Dhaka from October 21-23, 2003.
The overall goal
of the Conference is to accelerate the progress of sanitation
and hygiene work in South Asia so as to enhance people’s quality
of life, in fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals and
the commitments made in the World Summit on Sustainable Development
(WSSD) in Johannesburg.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
are participating in the Conference with the objective to promote
a regional initiative to improve sanitation.
Although much has
been achieved in the last decade, the sanitation picture is still
dismal in Asia. Only 39% of the population in South Asia, and
48% in East Asia and the Pacific, have adequate sanitation facilities.
The event will bring together a number of ‘Country Papers’ that
look at what is being done to counter the problems arising from
inadequate sanitation coverage, both in terms of the approaches
and the processes being undertaken. Papers will also outline a
future Plan of Action that represents a series of stretching,
measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound commitments to
formulating and implementing policy.
The Conference is
being organised with financial and technical support of UNICEF
and other development partners.
