H. Con. Res. 318 Agreed to August 1, 2008

One Hundred Tenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and eight 

Concurrent Resolution 

Whereas, in 2000, the United States, along with other world leaders, 

at the 55th United Nations General Assembly, committed to 

achieving the Millennium Development Goals 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 Senator 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; 

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

an estimated 2,600,000,000 people do not have access to basic 

sanitation facilities, which includes 980,000,000 children; 

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 sub-Saharan Africa and 37 percent 

of 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 developing world’s 

people 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; 

Whereas according to the World Health Organization, every dollar 

spent on proper sanitation by governments generates an average 

of $7 in economic benefit; 
H. Con. Res. 318—2 

Whereas improved disposal of human waste protects the quality 

of water sources used for drinking, preparation of food, agriculture, and bathing; 

Whereas, in 2006, the United Nations, at the 61st Session of the 

General Assembly, 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— 

(1) raising awareness of the importance of sanitation and 

its impact on reaching other Millennium Development Goals; 

(2) encouraging governments and their partners to promote 

and implement policies and actions for meeting the sanitation 

target; and 

(3) mobilizing communities, particularly women’s groups, 

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

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress— 

(1) supports the goals and ideals of the International Year 

of Sanitation; 

(2) recognizes the importance of sanitation on public health, 

poverty reduction, economic and social development, and the 

environment; and 

(3) encourages the people of the United States to observe 

the International Year of Sanitation with appropriate recognition, ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate the 

importance of sanitation and hygiene in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, and to support developing countries 
H. Con. Res. 318—3 

in their efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal 

target on basic sanitation among populations at greatest need. 

Attest: 

Clerk of the House of Representatives. 

Attest: 

Secretary of the Senate.