FEATURING: Ms. Angélique Kidjo, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and singer
WHAT: Global launch of the International Year of Sanitation 2008:
• Unveiling of the International Year of Sanitation logo;
• Presentation of a Public Service Announcement;
• Photo opportunities on hand-washing with Angélique Kidjo;
• Press interview opportunity with HRH Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (12:30 – 1:00 p.m.)
WHERE: United Nations Headquarters – Delegates Dining Room 6.
WHY: Concerned by the 2.6 billion people still without access to basic sanitation services, the UN General Assembly decided to declare 2008 the International Year of Sanitation. The goal of the Year is to raise awareness and accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to reduce by half the proportion of people without basic sanitation by 2015. The target was defined in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation in 2002.
Note to editors: The meeting is hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and organized in collaboration with UNSGAB and the UN-Water Task Force on Sanitation (UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNU, WHO, WSP, WSSCC).
Note to broadcasters: Video footage of sanitation projects worldwide is available free of charge from The Newsmarket at http://www.thenewsmarket.com or by visiting www.unicef.org.
Note to editors: The meeting is hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and organized in collaboration with UNSGAB and the UN-Water Task Force on Sanitation (UNICEF, UNDP, UNEP, UN-Habitat, UNU, WHO, WSP, WSSCC).
For further information, detailed programme and interviews please contact:
Martina Donlon, UN Department of Public Information
Tel: 212 963 6816, Email: donlon@un.org
Kate Donovan, UNICEF Media
Tel: 212 326 7452, Email: kdonovan@unicef.org
