Testimonials
“We must make every effort to carry on with this work. According to the United Nations, 4.2 billion people are without safely managed sanitation and 3 billion don’t have basic handwashing facilities at home.
We are still a far cry from our Sustainable Development Goal to provide access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all. I hope and expect that the recent experiences with the coronavirus will give us new impetus. This work is of vital importance for a safe and healthy future.”
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
“I grew up in a house without electricity or modern
sanitation until my family moved into a three-room
public housing flat. My appreciation for modern
sanitation is the reason why I supported Jack Sim when he
launched his quirky World Toilet Organization.
I have also always felt that we should nurture graciousness in our society, and have publicly suggested that the
cleanliness of public toilets is one marker to track our
progress towards a gracious society. I applaud Jack and
the World Toilet Organization for their eforts to improve
toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide over
the past 20 years.”
Goh Chok Tong – Emeritus Senior Minister, Singapore
” I consider you a treasure of Singapore and the world. Your
campaign to enable every citizen of this planet to have access to a toilet is magnificent.
Because of your passion, eloquence
and persuasiveness, your campaign has been embraced by the leaders of the world, including China and India. Because of your initiative and efforts, the UN has designated the 19th of November as World Toilet Day.”
Professor Tommy Koh – Singapore’s Former Representative to The United Nations
“The World Toilet Organization’s work over the last 20 years has been critical to raising awareness and mobilizing collective action to tackle the problem. The World Toilet Summit has succeeded in bringing together stakeholders to fnd lasting solutions, and the World Toilet College has trained more than 23,000 people on the importance of sanitation. World Toilet Day has been designated by the UN since 2013.
The World Toilet Organisation’s efforts have made a significant contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation for all. I wish the World Toilet Organisation continued success in uplifting the dignity and livelihoods of vulnerable populations globally.”
Tharman Shanmugaratnam – Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, Singapore
“Toilets are an egregious example of market
failure. It is not expensive to provide good, clean toilets. Yet these are often short in supply. The reasons are principally sociological and psychological. The lack of money is sometimes but not often a reason. I was involved once in helping a Singapore embassy raise money for toilets for a rural district in a developing country. The toilets were built quickly enough. We did not expect that, far from being welcome, what we did was met with suspicion. The opening ceremony which I was looking forward to attending had to be cancelled. Poor toilets are the result of a deeper problem in society which is not purely economic”
George Yeo – Former Minister for Information and the Arts, Health, Trade & Industry, and Foreign Affairs, Singapore
“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the World Toilet Organization for reaching this 20-year milestone. WTO’s tireless efforts have helped to improve the hygiene and sanitation conditions of millions of lives around the world. They are championing an issue that is so prolific yet often neglected. Jack Sim was among one of the first members of the Schwab
Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship community almost 20 years ago. His energy, enthusiasm and passion to bring positive
change will always be an inspiration to us all. We wish Jack and the WTO team continued success in tackling this global crisis.”
Hilde Schwab & Professor Klaus Schwab – Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship World Economic Forum
” I think this approach that you, Jack, introduced by bringing the toilet issue to the highest levels of government, as you have done so successfully in so many countries; I’m really impressed by how many Prime Ministers and Presidents are lining up at your side, but also that it is all related at the end to the little villages in Africa, or the villages in South Asia, where
people really are suffering.”
Jan Eliasson – Former Deputy UN Secretary-General, 2012 – 2016
