UPSC Prelims 2024 Q24: World Toilet Organization — Explained
Consider the following statements regarding World Toilet Organization:
1. It is one of the agencies of the United Nations.
2. World Toilet Summit, World Toilet Day and World Toilet College are the initiatives of this organization, to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.
3. The main focus of its function is to grant funds to the least developed countries and developing countries to achieve the end of open defecation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 1 and 2
- 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 2 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — The World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a global non-profit. Jack Sim founded it in Singapore on 19 November 2001. It is not a UN specialised agency, fund or programme. The UN observes World Toilet Day, which the General Assembly adopted in 2013, but that does not make the founding NGO part of the UN system.
- 2: correct — The WTO held the first World Toilet Summit on the day it was founded, 19 November 2001. It started World Toilet Day the same year and later set up the World Toilet College as a training arm. The UN General Assembly made 19 November an official UN day through resolution A/RES/67/291, 'Sanitation for All', on 24 July 2013, after a Singapore-led initiative. All three are WTO initiatives meant to inspire action on the global sanitation crisis.
- 3: incorrect — The WTO is an advocacy, networking and capacity-building body. It works through summits, campaigns, media and training. It does not fund least developed or developing countries. Sanitation finance comes from governments, multilateral banks and donors. The WTO's role is to push sanitation onto the agenda and to train people.
How to eliminate
Statement 2 looks safe. Its wording ('to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis') echoes the official World Toilet Day line, and the three initiatives share the organisation's name. Every option except (b) includes it, so treat 2 as true. Next, test the other two. Statement 1 is a common UPSC trap. A body with 'World' in its name, linked to a UN day, sounds like a UN agency. But the UN has a fixed, short list of specialised agencies, and no 'toilet' body is on it. UN work on sanitation is coordinated by UN-Water, so 1 is false. Statement 3 says 'main focus' is grant-making. Bodies that grant funds to LDCs are usually banks, funds or donor agencies, and a body that runs summits, a 'Day' and a 'College' is clearly an advocacy group. So 3 is false, and the answer is 2 only. The fact to remember: the World Toilet Organization is a Singapore-based NGO founded in 2001, not a UN agency.
Know more
World Toilet Organization (WTO), the 'other WTO'
- Founded: 19 November 2001, Singapore, by Jack Sim ('Mr Toilet').
- Nature: global non-profit. It started with 15 members and later grew to a network of member organisations in more than 50 countries.
- Method: advocacy, media campaigns, summits and training. It does not fund projects.
Its initiatives
| Initiative | What it is |
|---|---|
| World Toilet Summit | Global conference; the first was held on 19 Nov 2001 |
| World Toilet Day | 19 November; made an official UN day by UNGA resolution A/RES/67/291 ('Sanitation for All'), 24 July 2013 |
| World Toilet College | Training arm for sanitation workers and trainers |
How World Toilet Day works in the UN today
Once the UN adopted the day, UN-Water took over coordination. UN-Water picks a yearly theme and runs the campaign. The day supports SDG 6.2: adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all, and an end to open defecation, by 2030. Singapore moved the 2013 resolution, and over 100 countries co-sponsored it. The resolution also recognised the role of civil society and NGOs in raising awareness.
India's link
India uses 19 November for sanitation campaigns under the Swachh Bharat Mission (launched 2 October 2014). Examples are the rural 'Swachhta Run' (2022) and the urban 'Clean Toilets Campaign' (19 November to 25 December 2024).
Pattern to remember
UPSC often tests whether a body with a global-sounding name belongs to the UN. Similar cases: the World Economic Forum (Swiss foundation), the World Wide Fund for Nature (NGO) and the World Toilet Organization (NGO). All three are outside the UN system.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Swachh Bharat Mission: India's main open-defecation programme; Indian events on 19 November run under it, so it frames the 'sanitation crisis' the statements describe.
- Access to sanitation and drinking water: Defines the basic-sanitation indicator behind SDG 6.2 and the 'end open defecation' goal mentioned in the statements.