International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent
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INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT
SOCIETIES DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK
800 Second Avenue
Suite 355, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel : (212) 338-0161 Fax : (212) 338-9832
E-mail : ifrcny@un .in t
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
12th SESSION
Plenary
Item 3(a) of the Agenda
Thematic Cluster for the Implementation cycle 2004 - 2005
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS
AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
Statement by Brynjulf Mugaas
Alternate Deputy Permanent Observer for the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
to the United Nations
New York, April 21, 2004
FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES SOCIETES DE LA CROIX-ROUGE ET DU CROISSANT-ROUGE
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
FEDERACION INTERNACIONAL DE SOCIEDADES DE LA CRUZ ROJA Y DE LA MEDIA LUNA ROM
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A-Z'JI
Thank you Mr. Chairman, for giving me the floor to address an agenda that is
very much linked to the core activities of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies .
World-wide we provide local communities and victims of disasters with 20
million liters of water per y benefiting some one million people in 30
programs. Our network now spends about 50 million Swiss francs each year on
water and sanitation .
These programs are developed and implemented in the framework of the UN
Millennium Goals, especially with emphasize on MDG 2, 3, 4 and 7 .
Allow me to give a few examples of what we are doing :
[MDG (2): Achieve universal primary education]
Water and sanitation facilities are needed at schools worldwide . In the disaster
scenario when IFRC supports rehabilitation or reconstruction of schools, we
ensure there is a safe water supply and that sanitation facilities are established .
During or after a disaster, wet feeding programmes at schools are often
undertaken for which a safe water supply is crucial .
In the developmental context, we know that many schools will be closed by
authorities if water and sanitation is not provided . We therefore work with Red
Cross volunteers and community members to re-opened or kept schools open by
building latrines or establishing water points near to schools .
To further encourage school attendance, particularly for female students,
adequate sanitation has shown to be a factor which adversely affects attendance .
To make it possible for young girls to attend school is of course also linked to
MDG 3 - gender equality .
Furthermore, women and children often bear the task of water collection from
great distances . By ensuring that women are properly represented and engaged
in community water and sanitation committees, they can influence the
positioning of water supplies to reduce to a minimum the distances they have to
walk.
It is now standard practice when our water projects are implemented that women
are properly represented in community structures and are given the same
training opportunities as men .
[MDG (4): Reduce child mortality]
A recognized primary cause of tinder five mortality is poor water and sanitation
linked to unsafe hygiene practices . Not only can this be significantly reduced by
establishing safe water and sanitation facilities, but the window that Water and
Sanitation can give to encouraging better hygiene have an even greater impact .
Hand and body washing, cleanliness at home and surrounding environment, safe
water and food storage, washing hands after using the toilet are all potential
means to reduce mortality significantly . Water and Sanitation combined with
better nutrition, inmiunizatiori and disease control delivered in an integrated
manner has the potential to make a big impact on child mortality .
[MDG (7): Ensure environmental sustainability .]
Community empowerment and engagement linked to our global network of
volunteers can increase the coverage of sustainable safe water and sanitation
among the world's poorest .
IFRC, already contributing in this fashion, intends to scale-up its activities
considerably.
In addition to this approach, the use of low-technology options as for example
non-fossil fuel water pumping systems that do no threaten the environment, is a
key element in our policy and strategy .
Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your attention .
4/2-1 ct,
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT
SOCIETIES DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK
800 Second Avenue
Suite 355, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel : (212) 338-0161 Fax : (212) 338-9832
E-mail : ifrcny@un .in t
UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
12th SESSION
Plenary
Item 3(a) of the Agenda
Thematic Cluster for the Implementation cycle 2004 - 2005
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS
AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
Statement by Brynjulf Mugaas
Alternate Deputy Permanent Observer for the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
to the United Nations
New York, April 21, 2004
FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES SOCIETES DE LA CROIX-ROUGE ET DU CROISSANT-ROUGE
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
FEDERACION INTERNACIONAL DE SOCIEDADES DE LA CRUZ ROJA Y DE LA MEDIA LUNA ROM
j. iI JN-4 JIJ y.~Yt _~.l.dl ,,1, .
A-Z'JI
Thank you Mr. Chairman, for giving me the floor to address an agenda that is
very much linked to the core activities of the International Federation of Red
Cross and Red Crescent Societies .
World-wide we provide local communities and victims of disasters with 20
million liters of water per y benefiting some one million people in 30
programs. Our network now spends about 50 million Swiss francs each year on
water and sanitation .
These programs are developed and implemented in the framework of the UN
Millennium Goals, especially with emphasize on MDG 2, 3, 4 and 7 .
Allow me to give a few examples of what we are doing :
[MDG (2): Achieve universal primary education]
Water and sanitation facilities are needed at schools worldwide . In the disaster
scenario when IFRC supports rehabilitation or reconstruction of schools, we
ensure there is a safe water supply and that sanitation facilities are established .
During or after a disaster, wet feeding programmes at schools are often
undertaken for which a safe water supply is crucial .
In the developmental context, we know that many schools will be closed by
authorities if water and sanitation is not provided . We therefore work with Red
Cross volunteers and community members to re-opened or kept schools open by
building latrines or establishing water points near to schools .
To further encourage school attendance, particularly for female students,
adequate sanitation has shown to be a factor which adversely affects attendance .
To make it possible for young girls to attend school is of course also linked to
MDG 3 - gender equality .
Furthermore, women and children often bear the task of water collection from
great distances . By ensuring that women are properly represented and engaged
in community water and sanitation committees, they can influence the
positioning of water supplies to reduce to a minimum the distances they have to
walk.
It is now standard practice when our water projects are implemented that women
are properly represented in community structures and are given the same
training opportunities as men .
[MDG (4): Reduce child mortality]
A recognized primary cause of tinder five mortality is poor water and sanitation
linked to unsafe hygiene practices . Not only can this be significantly reduced by
establishing safe water and sanitation facilities, but the window that Water and
Sanitation can give to encouraging better hygiene have an even greater impact .
Hand and body washing, cleanliness at home and surrounding environment, safe
water and food storage, washing hands after using the toilet are all potential
means to reduce mortality significantly . Water and Sanitation combined with
better nutrition, inmiunizatiori and disease control delivered in an integrated
manner has the potential to make a big impact on child mortality .
[MDG (7): Ensure environmental sustainability .]
Community empowerment and engagement linked to our global network of
volunteers can increase the coverage of sustainable safe water and sanitation
among the world's poorest .
IFRC, already contributing in this fashion, intends to scale-up its activities
considerably.
In addition to this approach, the use of low-technology options as for example
non-fossil fuel water pumping systems that do no threaten the environment, is a
key element in our policy and strategy .
Mr. Chairman, I thank you for your attention .