CATS +2 Meeting

CATS +2 Meeting

A UNICEF Global Sanitation Meeting was called in November to discuss emerging issues in the implementation of Community Approaches to Total Sanitation (CATS).  Nearly 50 UNICEF offices are involved in CATS programming, and the pace, the success, the challenges and innovations in promoting improved sanitation have varied across these countries.

The discussion at CATS +2 revolved around a few key questions:

• How does our principles-based approach support sustained sanitation?
• How to promote and support sustained use of household latrines?
• How to support households in "moving up the sanitation ladder?"
• How to ensure equity for the poorest quintiles?
• What is UNICEF's role in supporting sustained sanitation?
  The objectives of the meeting were twofold: first, to convene UNICEF and external sanitation practitioners for exchange of best practice and second, to continue the dialogue on global approaches to sanitation, with a particular focus on approaches to move beyond triggering and to sustain behaviour change, specifically, through sanitation marketing.
  Over the course of four days, participants reviewed current progress on CATS since the 2008 meeting, discussing common challenges and opportunities.  The meeting then transitioned to extensive discussions on sanitation marketing and its relation to UNICEF.
  
  Regions were also afforded a chance to collaborate on issues of common concern and to think of regional vehicles for enhanced dialogue and action.  Asian countries discussed the development of a regional community of practice to look at social norms and the possibility of a regional training session.  African countries discussed a similar community of practice and ways to further enhance the institutionalization of the CATS principles as a vehicle for promotion harmonized approaches and a solid platform for introducing sanitation marketing concepts.
  Several key ideas and action points came out of this meeting.  You will find the meeting summary and presentations that took place in the modules on the right.
  
   Source: UNICEF.ORG