Toespraak minister-president in New York over drinkwater en sanitatie

De toespraak is in het Engels gehouden:

Ladies and gentlemen,

Tajikistan, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands have joined together to organise today's side event on drinking water and sanitation. The world is on track to meet the MDG drinking water target. For the first time in history the number of people with no access to safe drinking water has dropped below one billion.

However, the world is not 'on track' to meet the MDG sanitation target. Four out of ten people all over the world are without improved sanitation. Every year, around 1.5 million children die from diseases related to poor sanitation and hygiene and unsafe drinking water. Water is crucial for reaching the objectives on MDG 4 and 5 regarding child and maternal mortality. Many countries, especially in Africa, are confronted with an emergency situation. We need to step up our efforts considerably.

National governments have to take their responsibilities: one such responsibility is good national planning for water and sanitation as part of their overall development strategy. Investing in water and sanitation pays dividends. Every dollar invested generates nine dollars' worth of productive activity.

We in the Netherlands are trying to help our development partners achieve their national MDG targets on water and sanitation. The Netherlands is a country where water management is part of everyday life and crucial for our existence. We are willing to make our specific expertise available to others. This year the Netherlands recognised access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a basic human right. In our view, it is the obligation of each government to provide this for its citizens. In our dialogue with international organisations and with our partner countries the Netherlands will raise the issues of government responsibility for water and sanitation and the rights of citizens to access. I pay tribute to the work of the chair of the Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB). Your efforts have made a huge difference.

I suggest four concrete actions to secure further progress:

First: We need concerted action worldwide to keep or bring individual national MDG investment plans for water and sanitation 'on track';
Second: we must give continued political and diplomatic support to international efforts to address water and sanitation issues.
Third: we should promote good integrated water resources management;
Fourth: we should establish a global Framework for Action with the following points:

• a high-level task force comprising representatives of the main donors, the International Financial Institutions and the regions where investment is most needed;
• one annual global MDG progress report on water and sanitation;
• an annual high-level meeting to review progress;
• the development of a fast-track financing instrument, similar to the one we have for the education sector. This instrument should provide transitional grant funding for the implementation of national water and sanitation sector programmes.

The Dutch government is committed to helping provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation for at least 50 million people by 2015. We have signed various bilateral and multilateral agreements and agreements with civil society, and we have entered into public-private partnerships. I strongly believe that governments cannot solve these problems alone. The role of civil society and businesses is essential. These agreements will benefit almost 30 million people, at a cost of around 1.3 billion euros.

I invite other donor countries to do the same and commit themselves to the Framework for Action, ensuring adequate funding for water and sanitation. And I will do all I can to ensure that the donor community and international development partners respond generously to our renewed call to achieve the MDG water and sanitation targets. Together we can improve the health of millions of people in need, restore their dignity and bring them opportunities.

Thank you.