UN sets World Toilet Day to promote sanitation  

11亿人随地大小便 联大通过决议设“世界厕所日”

Beijing (CNS) -- In an effort to make sure everyone in the world has access to clean sanitation facilities, the United Nations General Assembly adopted on Wednesday a new resolution and designated Nov. 19 as World Toilet Day.

According to statistics released by the UN, 2.5 billion people in the world still do not have proper sanitation, and 1.1 billion people still defecate in public, which poses huge threats to public health.

The assembly urged UN member states and stakeholders to encourage behavioral changes and adopt policies to increase access to sanitation among the poor.

The resolution calls on countries to approach sanitation in a much broader context that includes hygiene promotion, the provision of basic sanitation services, and sewerage and wastewater treatment and reuse in the context of integrated water management.

Chinese Singaporean Jack Sim initiated the World Toilet Organization on Nov. 19, 2001, and held the first summit in Singapore. More than 500 representatives from over 30 countries and regions attended the summit.