World Water Day Celebration, 20 March 2008

World Water Day 2008 will be celebrated by the UN on Thursday, 20 March. In 2008 the day will highlight issues on sanitation in accordance with the International Year of Sanitation 2008. People around the world are encouraged to celebrate the day to draw attention to the world’s sanitation challenge. HRH the Prince of Orange will attend the celebrations in Geneva.

The United Nations officially launched the International Year of Sanitation to accelerate progress for 2.6 billion people world wide who are without proper sanitation facilities.  The International Year of Sanitation logo was unveiled and the IYS public service announcement as well as the message of Gareth Thomas of the Department for International Development UK viewed. The launch of IYS, which runs through 2008, was organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in collaboration with the UN-Water Task Force on Sanitation.