About us
About SWA global partnership
About SWA global partnership
SWA is the United Nations-hosted partnership working towards a joint objective of water, sanitation, and hygiene for all, always, and everywhere. The partnership uses innovative ways to increase political support for the human rights to water and sanitation. It does this through the mobilization of partners in governments, utilities, regulators, donors, financial institutions, UN agencies, civil society and research organizations, and the private sector.
Partners share the conviction that achieving universal access to water and sanitation requires more than building wells or latrines and laying pipes, so they harness their collective power around strong leadership and good governance. This includes advocating for political prioritization at the highest levels of power, promoting participation of vulnerable groups in decision-making, ensuring finance is made available and used effectively, learning across countries and regions, and holding each other accountable for commitments made.
SWA Secretariat has put together communication materials for partners and other stakeholders to promote the work of the partnership in achieving water, sanitation and hygiene for all. The materials are available in English, French and Spanish.
SWA 2020-2030 Strategic Objectives
The following three high-level, mutually reinforcing strategic objectives will guide the partnership to fulfill its mission as we head towards 2030. The strategic objectives are designed in a way that allows all partners, especially SWA partner countries and regions, to adopt and adapt as needed to maximize the added value of the SWA partnership to their own context.
Objective 1
Build and sustain political will to eliminate inequalities in water, sanitation and hygiene
Objective 2
Champion multi-stakeholder approaches towards achieving universal access to service
Objective 3
Rally stakeholders to strengthen system performance and attract new investments
Why we exist
SWA is a multi-stakeholder partnership of governments and their partners from civil society, the private sector, UN agencies, research and learning institutions and the philanthropic community. Partners share the belief that government-led, collaborative and multi-stakeholder decision-making leads to more effective and sustainable solutions.
Together, our partners stimulate high-level political dialogue (at both the country, regional and global levels) and coordinate and monitor progress toward the sanitation, water and hygiene-related targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
More specifically, SWA’s work focuses on encouraging and motivating partners to increase political prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene; ensure adequate financing, and build better governance structures and institutions to achieve SDG6 by the year 2030.
SWA acts as a catalyst for change, highlighting the importance of human rights, gender equality, integrity, transparency and mutual accountability in all its work with partners.
The SWA partnership is led by a Steering Committee, supported by a Secretariat, headed by Catarina de Albuquerque, SWA‘s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Global Leadership Council is the high-level group of appointed SWA leaders who advocate for and mobilize wider political commitment to the Guiding Principles and aims of the SWA partnership.
How SWA is organized at country level
Achieving SWA’s mission requires that the partnership be functional and effective at national level in partner countries.
To support this, SWA relies on Focal Points. Every SWA country partner has one Focal Point for each constituency represented in that country. The Focal Points:
Coordinate all SWA partners within their constituency to ensure their engagement in SWA multi-stakeholder activities
Collaborate with other Focal Points nationally, regionally and globally
Strengthen understanding and integration of the SWA Framework among partners
As SWA aims to support and build national processes and institutions; SWA Focal Points work with existing sector platforms and coordination structures – they specifically work to avoid duplication of existing national processes.
To reach your constituency’s Focal Point in your country, please contact the Secretariat.
SWA is funded by:
The impact of the SWA partnership around the world
The SWA Impact Booklet: Celebrating progress and change, gathers stories of the impact of the partnership's work. It offers a powerful snapshot of what partners working together achieved in recent years.
Videos
SWA Chief Executive Officer
Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque joined Sanitation and Water for All in 2014 and has since positioned SWA to be a vital contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals agenda, and strengthened political will in favour of water, sanitation and hygiene.
Global Leadership Council
The Global Leadership Council is the high-level group of appointed SWA leaders who advocate for and mobilize wider political commitment to the Guiding Principles and aims of the SWA partnership. The Council helps to champion the need for universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene and supports in increasing SWA's visibility at regional and global levels.
High-level meetings
SWA’s High-level Meetings are unique in the sector and the partnership’s most visible activity. They are platforms where ministers from different countries come together and discuss the achievement of the water, sanitation and hygiene-related targets of the SDGs.
Governance
WA’s partners are organized into 6 constituencies, with common interests and roles in the WASH sector.