Home > Invitation to WTS2007

Dear WTS 2007 Participant,

Subject: “World Toilet Summit 2007”

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the World Toilet Summit 2007 (WTS 2007) is being organised by the Sulabh International Social Service Organisation in collaboration with the World Toilet Organisation from 31st October to 3rd November, 2007 in New Delhi, India. As in previous World Toilet Summits organised in Russia (2006), Northern Ireland (2005), China (2004), Taiwan (2003), South Korea (2002) and Singapore (2001), the WTS 2007 would incorporate a Conference and an Expo where participants would discuss issues and showcase technologies and products pertaining to the theme – Toilets for All.

This Summit is an endeavour to underscore the crucial role played by toilets on all aspects of human development – social, economic, health, security, well-being and comfort. This mundane and commonplace thing which is deemed so ubiquitous by all of us, is an acute necessity and severely missed each day by over 40 percent of the world’s populace. The consequences of lack of toilets are far-reaching and particularly harsh on women and children, are most evident in the morbidity and mortality associated with lack of sanitation.

WTS 2007 will provide a platform to discuss pertinent issues vis-à-vis current sanitation scenario, exchange ideas, learn lessons from each other, and promote actionable strategies to meet the challenges posed by the lack of toilets in households and public places, in both rural and urban areas of the world. The Summit would focus on the development of sanitation services, promotion of appropriate technologies and fostering partnerships with a view to realizing the relevant Millennium Development Goals. Innovative, integrated approaches that respect cultural diversity to meet the sanitation needs of the populations along with the best practices and strategic partnership of the stakeholders would be deliberated in order to scale up sanitation coverage. The Delhi Summit will strive to address the socio-cultural behaviour, mass communication, and training and capacity-building issues related to sanitation. The Summit will also provide a unique opportunity to concretize action plans for 2008, as the International Year of Sanitation declared by the United Nations.

A large number of participants, including International Organisations, Central Government Ministries, State Government Departments, Central and State Government Corporations, Public Sector Undertakings of Central and State Governments, Municipal and Local Bodies, NGOs, private organisations, academicians, social scientists, architects, engineers, doctors, town planners, and manufacturers of sanitaryware from various countries ware expected to participate in this Summit.

I take this opportunity to welcome you all and seek your cooperation and support to make the World Toilet Summit 2007 a huge success.

With the sincere hope of making an all-out effort to undertake tasks towards the fulfilment of the MDG Sanitation Target, I look forward to meeting you in Delhi in October 2007.

Yours Sincerely

Dr. Bindeshwar Pathak
Founder, Sulabh Sanitation and Social Reform Movement