In Mumbai, India, October 9–14 the Global Forum on Sanitation and Hygiene took place for the first time. It was organized by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC).

Thanks to the efforts of WSSCC, at the beginning of the 21st century the global campaign «Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All!» (WASH) was started and in 2002 according to the decision of the Summit in Johannesburg sanitation became a part of Millennium Development Goals.

The current Global forum of WSSCC gathered over 500 specialists of the sanitation and hygiene sector and members of WSSCC from over 70 countries of different continents. For a week the participants had a possibility to share knowledge and experience, learn and define strategic directions of work on vital problems of sanitation and hygiene of the 21st century. The Forum promoted dialogue and cooperation between interested sides, countries and regions.

It is well-known that today over 2.6 billion people without toilets are unable to fulfil their daily needs with safety, convenience and dignity. An even larger number are unable to practice safe hygiene in their day-to-day lives, further endangering their health and safety.

Among the participants in the Forum 50% came from Asian regions (50%) and Africa — 33%, and 17% — from Europe and America. 14% of Europeans were presented mainly by organizers, experts, donors, and not by representatives of national WASH coalitions or local organizations, which work on the issues of sanitation and hygiene.

From the Central and Eastern European region and countries of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia only 6 representatives from 3 countries came: Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine. Unfortunately, there is a stereotype that there are no problems with access to sanitation and hygiene in European region— almost 100% of population of the region are provided with toilets and improved conditions of sanitation.

The representative of the UNE NGO «МАМА-86», Anna Tsvetkova, as a national coordinator of WSSCC in Ukraine, took part in Forum and presented at the WASH Fair the work experience gained in the framework of national campaign «Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All!».

The Forum had 4 main objectives:

• To facilitate learning between practitioners on approaches, tools and lessons that resonate in their own reality.
• To energize professional communities and catalyse action by focussing exclusively on sanitation and hygiene.
• To showcase knowledge and practice; communications; advocacy; partnership; and networking approaches.
• To strengthen national, regional, South-South and global dialogue and initiate collaboration for action.

The agenda of the Forum included:

Gender equality and rights to water and sanitation, actions for behavior changes to improve sanitation and hygiene, sanitation of cities and slums, popularization of the best practices and experience, regional prospects, special features and future activities.

During the seminars and group work the participants discussed the issues of financing sanitation and hygiene, providing basic rights, corruption in water supply and sanitation sector, participation of Mass Media and the role of state in solution of problems of access to sanitation.

The Forum provided a possibility to present diverse experience of communities, NGOs, governmental structures, international organizations and funds in different countries and continents.

In the framework of the Forum the WASH Fair was held. Its participants — WASH coalitions of different regions demonstrated results of their work on improvement of access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

India, which hospitably hosted the Forum, demonstrated significant achievements in improving sanitation conditions. Thanks to the partnership of state and private sector in the sphere of sanitation it has made a significant progress, which was reported by both NGOs and governmental institutions.

The participants of the Forum also visited slums in Mumbai, built without permission and basic sanitation, necessary for living. There thousands of people, who came to the city from villages, live. Other participants saw how local communities collect second- hand stuff and recycle it, and how they educate village communities in terms of hygiene.

Unlike other events of such level the Forum in Mumbai had not adopted any documents, because there are enough of solutions and declarations in this sphere. At the same time it became a unique event with a certain practical direction, and provided a platform for exchange of practical experience, discussion of the demands of the sanitation sector and developing new partnerships for health and dignity of people.