9AWW: One CWIS, One Voice: Joint Statement from Development Finance Institutions

In recent years, Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) has gained significant acceptance in the urban sanitation sector to achieve SDG 6.2 for urban sanitation. As a result, several Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) have been mobilizing investments in CWIS-aligned projects and programs to improve urban sanitation services in different countries, particularly in Asia and Africa regions. In February 2022, a CWIS working group (WG) among DFIs – the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), African Development Bank (AFDB), World Bank (WB), Agence Française de Developpement (AFD), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Foundation)- was created to discuss progress and recent activities on CWIS implementation challenges and solutions. In February 2024, the DFIs WG reached a significant milestone by establishing a Joint Statement to ‘’Mainstreaming citywide inclusive sanitation to accelerate progress towards SDG 6’’. This joint declaration acknowledges the fundamental contribution of DFIs in making City-Wide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) a global movement, highlights the lessons learned in integrating CWIS approaches into investment projects in Asia and Africa, and emphasizes the DFIs' commitment to institutionalizing CWIS through coordinated action. It also underscores the importance of strengthening a global coalition of development partners while addressing cross-functional and cross-sectoral challenges.