East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene 2007 (Beppu, Japan, 30 November – 1 December 2007): Conference Report

The East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene (EASAN) 2007 was held in Beppu City, Japan on Friday, 30 November and Saturday, 1 December 2007. The conference focused on nine countries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Vietnam. Official delegations also came from countries that have already achieved high rates of access to improved sanitation, namely Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Sinagpore and Thailand. Officials of the Government of Japan also participated.
  
Despite East Asia’s buoyant economic growth, almost half of the region’s population lacks access to adequate sanitation. Insufficient sanitation leads to disease and deprivation, reinforces a vicious cycle of poverty among the marginalized, and widens disparities between urban and rural, rich and poor households. Meeting the Millenium Development Goal on sanitation would still leave nearly one third of the region’s population without access to improved sanitation, highlighting the need for countries to go beyond the target. The primary focus of EASAN, therefore, was to discuss options for accelerated national action to achieved and exceed the sanitation targets of the Millenium Development Goals.

Contents:

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Objectives
1.2 East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene 2007 Declaration
1.3 Organizational Matters

2. PROCEEDINGS
2.1 Session 1: Opening Ceremony
2.2 Session 2: Making progress in sanitation and hygiene
2.3 Session 3: Practical programmes and projects
2.4 Session 4: Policy issues
2.5 Session 5: Ministerial round table
2.6 Session 6: Workshops
2.7 Session 7: Closing ceremony

3. CONCLUSIONS

ANNEXES:
ANNEX 1: East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene 2007 Declaration
ANNEX 2: Programme of Work
ANNEX 3: List of Participants
ANNEX 4: Message from the East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene 2007 Core Group
ANNEX 5: Analysis of Feedback on The East Asia Ministerial Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene 2007