Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 102 standing in my name for today relating to international aid assistance for clean water and sanitation.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate:

(a)

recognises that 19 November 2010, is World Toilet Day – a day to acknowledge the importance of sanitation and raise awareness of the 2.6 billion people, two-fifths of humanity, who lack access to basic sanitation,

(b)

notes that on 24 August 2010 the United Nations General Assembly formally recognised the right to water and sanitation as a basic human right (resolution 64/292);

(c)

expresses concern that more than 1.4 million children die each year as a result of unclean water and poor sanitation and that diarrhoea is the leading cause of death in Africa and the second leading cause of child death globally;

(d)

notes that access to clean water and sanitation are the foundation for progress on other development outcomes, especially child health and education;

(e)

acknowledges the positive step taken by the Australian Government in 2007 with the implementation of a 3 year water and sanitation initiative; and

(f)

calls on the Australian Government and AusAID to deliver on its previous commitment to report publicly on their water and sanitation activities,  including reporting on the proportion of development aid spent on sanitation.