IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 72 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 8, 2008 

Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Year 

of Sanitation. 

Whereas at the 55th Session of the United Nations General 

Assembly in 2000, the United States, along with other 

world leaders, committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which provide a framework for 

countries and international organizations to combat such 

global social ills as poverty, hunger, and disease; 

Whereas one target of the Millennium Development Goals is 

to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without access 

to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, the only target to be codified into United States law, in the Paul 

Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (Public Law 109– 

121); 

Whereas the lack of access to safe water and sanitation is one 

of the most pressing environmental public health issues 

in the world; 


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SCON 72 RFH 

Whereas over 1,000,000,000 people live without potable 

water, and an estimated 2,600,000,000 people, including 

980,000,000 children, do not have access to basic sanitation facilities; 

Whereas every 20 seconds, a child dies as a direct result of 

a lack of access to basic sanitation facilities; 

Whereas only 36 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa and 

37 percent of people in South Asia have access to safe 

drinking water and sanitation, the lowest rates in the 

world; 

Whereas at any one time, almost half of the people in the developing world are suffering from diseases associated with 

lack of water, sanitation, and hygiene; 

Whereas improved sanitation decreases the incidences of debilitating and deadly maladies such as cholera, intestinal 

worms, diarrhea, pneumonia, dysentery, and skin infections; 

Whereas sanitation is the foundation of health, dignity, and 

development; 

Whereas increased sanitation is fundamental for reaching all 

of the Millennium Development Goals; 

Whereas access to basic sanitation helps economic and social 

development in countries where poor sanitation is a 

major cause of lost work and school days because of illness; 

Whereas sanitation in schools enables children, particularly 

girls reaching puberty, to remain in the educational system; 


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Whereas according to the World Health Organization, every 

dollar spent on proper sanitation by governments generates an average $7 in economic benefit; 

Whereas improved disposal of human waste protects the quality of water sources used for drinking, preparation of 

food, agriculture, and bathing; 

Whereas at the 61st Session of the United Nations General 

Assembly in 2006, the United Nations declared 2008 as 

the International Year of Sanitation to recognize the 

progress made in achieving the global sanitation target 

detailed in the Millennium Development Goals, as well as 

to call upon all member states, United Nations agencies, 

regional and international organizations, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to renew 

their commitment to attaining that target; 

Whereas the official launching of the International Year of 

Sanitation at the United Nations was on November 21, 

2007; and 

Whereas the thrust of the International Year of Sanitation 

has three parts, including raising awareness of the importance of sanitation and its impact on reaching other Millennium Development Goals, encouraging governments 

and its partners to promote and implement policies and 

actions for meeting the sanitation target, and mobilizing 

communities, particularly women’s groups, towards 

changing sanitation and hygiene practices through sanitation health-education campaigns: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Inter4 national Year of Sanitation; 


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1 (2) recognizes the importance of sanitation on 

2 public health, poverty reduction, economic and social 

3 development, and the environment; and 

4 (3) encourages the people of the United States 

5 to observe the International Year of Sanitation with 

6 appropriate recognition, ceremonies, activities, and 

7 programs to demonstrate the importance of sanita8 tion, hygiene, and access to safe drinking water in 

9 achieving the Millennium Development Goals. 

Passed the Senate May 7, 2008. 

Attest: NANCY ERICKSON, 

Secretary. 


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