About the Call to Action

The Call to Action on Strengthening Water and Sanitation Regulatory Systems is a growing coordinated effort by governments, utilities/service providers, regulators and external support agencies aimed at strengthening water and sanitation systems, improving public health, and advancing social equity. While several organizations have been working to shape the collaborative process, the initiative itself is an independent, sector-wide effort and is not controlled or run by any single organisation.

 

With less than five years to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6, the Call to Action encourages proactive, flexible, and inclusive approaches to strengthen regulatory systems. It offers a framework for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy to support the development of effective, sustainable water and sanitation regulations.
 
The Call to Action will contribute to: 
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• Increasing political recognition: strengthen national leadership; define roles, responsibilities, powers and collaborative opportunities for stakeholders; highlight critical role of regulation and empowerment; establish/maintain funding mechanisms; develop national roadmaps. 

• Promoting uptake of good regulatory practices: working frameworks and approaches that improve service delivery. 

• Promoting enhanced and better coordinated technical assistance: increase financial and technical support; foster knowledge sharing and collaboration among external support agencies, financing institutions. 

• Monitoring the status of water and sanitation regulation: establishing robust mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating; use data and evidence to inform policy adjustments and improvements; regularly publish reports on the status of and progress on water and sanitation regulation. 

 
Above all, effective regulatory systems require adequate funding to build capacity, ensure enforcement, and maintain sustainability. Governments must recognize that investing in regulatory system strengthening is not just a financial obligation but a strategic move to improve public health, environmental sustainability, and economic development. 
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This initiative seeks to engage: 
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• Policy makers: increase political recognition of the crucial role of regulation in strengthening delivery of water and sanitation services. 

• Regulators, utilities/service providers and policy makers: increase political recognition and national leadership through development of roadmaps to advance water and sanitation regulation; improve uptake by countries to implement and support regulation as a driver for water and sanitation services. 

• External support agencies, technical cooperation agencies and international financing institutions: promote enhanced and better coordinated technical assistance on regulation. 

• Governments, regulators and external support agencies: monitor the state of and trends water and sanitation regulation.