The United Nations (UN) World Toilet Day is annually observed across the globe on 19 November to raise awareness about 3.5 billion people without access to safe sanitation and to encourage action to address the global sanitation crisis.
The global campaign theme of World Toilet Day 2023 is, “Accelerating Change”.
- Every year, the theme of World Toilet day is chosen by UN-Water, the UN’s coordination mechanism on water and sanitation.
Note: In 2024, the theme for World Toilet Day will be “Leveraging Water for Peace”.
Symbol:
i.The hummingbird is the symbol of World Toilet Day 2023, because a toilet is small but mighty, just like a hummingbird.
ii.The 2023 campaign theme ‘Accelerating Change’, used the hummingbird to inspire people to take personal action to help improve toilets and sanitation systems.
Note: Hummingbird was also featured in the animated film for World Water Day 2023.
Background:
i.Jack Sim, a philanthropist from Singapore, established the World Toilet Organization(WTO), global non-profit organisation aimed to improve toilet and sanitation conditions across the world on 19th November 2001.
- Subsequently, WTO declared 19 November as World Toilet Day.
ii.On 24 July 2013, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution (A/RES/67/291) titled “Sanitation for All” and designated the 19 November of every year as World Toilet Day.
iii.The 1st UN recognised World Toilet Day was observed on 19 November 2013.
Key Messages:
i.World Toilet Day also aims to help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which promises safe toilets and water for all by 2030.
- With only 7 years remaining to achieve SDG 6 targets, the current speed needs to increase 5-fold for timely success.
ii.Sanitation and drinking water are fundamental human rights, and access to these services is critical to people’s health and environmental integrity.
Note: Over 7,000 people have already committed to take water and sanitation-related actions to help accelerate change towards SDG 6.
Key Facts:
i.2 billion people, a quarter of the world’s population, lack basic handwashing facilities at home to wash their hands with soap and water.
ii.According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Triple Threat 2023:
- Unsafe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) are responsible for the deaths of around 1,000 children under 5 every day.
- Globally, 600 million children still lack safely managed drinking water, 1.1 billion lack safely managed sanitation and 689 million lack basic hygiene services.
- At the current rate, 3 billion people will still be living without safe toilets, 2 billion will be without safe drinking water and 1.4 billion will lack basic hygiene facilities by 2030.
