One the eve of the 4th UN Conference of the Least Developed Countries, Wateraid and End Water Poverty have released their manifesto for the conference calling for financing of all credible national water and sanitation plans. LDC IV meets on the 9th of May in Istanbul, Turkey. The meeting will assess the results of its 10 action plan and agree new measures and strategies for theLCDs for the next decade. The water lobby wants to put the provision of water and sanitation at the heart of this agenda and are calling for a commitment from donor governments that no credible country plan aiming at delivering water and sanitation to the poor will go unfunded. This is a similar strategy undertaken the global education groups in the 00's.
Water campaigners report that the draft Istanbul Programme for Action is ambitious on water and states that by 2020, all LDCs will have access to clean water and basic santition.
The End Water Poverty coalition will be in Istanbul undertaking lobbying and a number of media stunts including a Walk for Water.
