I thought this article by Erma Uytewaal from Water Services that Last was pretty interesting and a good introduction to the SWA process.

We are now in the final sprint of preparations for the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) High Level Meeting (HLM) that will be held in Washington on 11 April.  “We” represent the almost 100 members of the SWA partnership. At country level, High Level Country Dialogues (HLCD) are being wrapped up; governments are revisiting and updating their respective commitments for presentation during the HLM. Similarly, donors are finalising their statements and briefing ministers of development cooperation in preparation for their participation in the HLM. Last but not least, the small but highly efficient SWA secretariat, hosted in UNICEF, is doing an excellent job attending to final programmatic and logistical details to offer a first-class forum befitting of the over 40-country member delegation in attendance.

Clearly, the HLM is a massive global undertaking. As an IRC colleague phrased it, the HLM is the “cherry on the cake” that is preceded by a long preparatory process. Whether the HLM delivers the results that justify the gigantic efforts and costs associated with it is in my opinion a very legitimate question. Here, I will reflect on this question by first looking at what has been achieved against the commitments framed in earlier HLMs; what the obstacles have been in framing commitments, monitoring implementation and holding governments to account; and what we as IRC can commit to.

Continue reading at Water Services that Last