The Third South Asia Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN 2008), organised by Government of India, was held in New Delhi, during November 16-21, 2008, with the theme as "Sanitation for Dignity and Health".

A major conference output was the 'Delhi Declaration', signed by all the heads of delegations from the participating 8 SAARC nations, which states in unequivocal terms, the actions and commitments of all the nations, towards recognising sanitation as a basic human right, and making full attempt towards achieve the sanitation-related national and millennium development goals by 2015. The declaration document also contains an Indicative Roadmap 2015, which outlines a nation-wise plan of achieving these national and millennium development goals.

The Delhi Declaration being a document of international importance, has been translated into several Indian languages for wider dissemination to the public.The 11th issue of WaterDrops, the WaterAid India newsletter, has in-depth coverage of the Third South Asia Conference on Sanitation (SACOSAN 2008), held in New Delhi, during November 16-21, 2008.

A pre-SACOSAN civil society meet was also organised involving over 170 participants from six countries. The meet was an attempt to highlight the sanitation scenario, voice the concerns and highlight the key issues requiring urgent action of the government.

This newsletter provides a snapshot of the SACOSAN meet and the pre-SACOSAN civil society meet, the declarations brought out during the meets and highlights what needs to be done towards achieving the sanitation national and millennium development goals.

WaterAid is an international NGO, based in the United Kingdom, focussed on ensuring the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene education to the world's poorest people, and works in 15 countries (including India) mostly in Asia and Africa.

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