Building on the previous Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Finance Ministers’ Meetings, and adapting to these unexpected times, in 2020 SWA will organise three virtual Regional Finance Ministers’ Meetings (FMMs). These meetings will take place in November and December:
- Africa Finance Ministers’ Meeting on 4 November
- Latin America and the Caribbean Finance Ministers’ Meeting on 18 November
- Asia and the Pacific Finance Ministers’ Meeting on 2 December
The SWA partnership has been convening regular High-level Meetings (HLMs) of ministers and other high-level representatives of SWA partners, since 2009, fostering an on-going high-level political dialogue. This dialogue is especially important now when governments need solutions to ensure water, sanitation and hygiene for all, including to improve economies, spare health systems, and protect populations from COVID-19 and future public health pandemics. Ministers of finance are critical decision-makers and leaders in creating and maintaining the links and partnerships necessary to effectively integrate water, sanitation and hygiene into the economic and health recovery needed to manage and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
UN-Water Expert Group on WASH released a joint UN-Water statement to be presented to the ministers of finance attending the SWA Finance Ministers’ Meeting. In the statement, the UN-Water family expressed its appreciation for SWA’s advocacy on water and sanitation. The UN-Water family looks forward to joining forces through the SDG 6 Global Acceleration Framework to increase sustainable financing at the country level.
