Italy receiving vibes of global framework for action from Nepal

End Water Poverty (EWP) Campaigners in Nepal on May 20, 2009 called upon Mr. Ravi Bhakta Shrestha, Honorary Consul, Consulate of Italy, Kathmandu urging him to recommend the Italian Government for endorsement of global framework for action in forthcoming G8 meeting to be hosted by the Italian Government during July 8-10,2009. The Honorary Consul receiving global call of EWP from Ms. Lajana Manandhar committed that he will forward the concerns of campaigners to the Italian Government with personal comment to emphasize translation of global framework for action principles into action. He emphasized on the realization of the concerns by the national government and urge donor countries for the support with more priority in the water and sanitation. He opined that the global campaigning targeted to donor countries together with national campaigning focused on national development agenda would support to combat global crisis of water and sanitation.


Photo 1: EWP campaigner, handing over calls to Honorary Italian consular in Nepal [photo credit Prakash Amatya]


Contextualizing the meeting, Mr. Sanjaya Adhikary, Country Representative, WaterAid in Nepal shared that global development agenda do not incorporate crisis of water and sanitation that globally kills 4000 children per day. It is a moral responsible for annual loss of 10,500 children in Nepal due to diseases related to lack of safe drinking water and sanitation. He expressed that it is a high time, for Italian government to show its strategic leadership to endorse the Global Framework for Action (GF4A) on water and sanitation during the forthcoming G8 meeting being held in Italy to conquer the moral crisis.



Photo 2: EWP campaigners in Nepal called upon his Honorary Consul, Consulate of Italy
[photo credit Anil Sthapit]

Mr. Rabin Lal Shrestha, Research and Advocacy Manager, WaterAid in Nepal appreciated leadership of Italy where the global framework for action on water and sanitation has been expanded from Africa to other continents including Asia. He also briefed about inception of the campaign in Nepal as well as sector beyond approach for wider repercussions of the campaign. Ms. Lajana Manandhar, Executive Director, Lumanti handed over the call to the Honorary Consul and briefed on the global calls of EWP campaign.The handing over of the call was supported by the presence of campaigners representing FEDWASUN, Guthi, Lumanti, NEWAH, NGO Forum, Radio Sagarmatha and WaterAid in Nepal.