Singaporean entrepreneur Jack Sim founded the World Toilet Organization in 2001, informally launching World Toilet Day on November 19 that same year. After more than a decade of international campaigning, the UN General Assembly formally adopted the day in 2013 through resolution A/67/L.75, titled "Sanitation for All" — Singapore's first-ever UN resolution. The day aims to break the silence around sanitation, highlighting that nearly two billion people worldwide still lack access to safely managed sanitation facilities, exposing them to serious waterborne diseases and disproportionately affecting the health and dignity of women and girls in schools and public spaces. Governments and water and sanitation organizations mark the day with hygiene awareness campaigns, initiatives to build sanitation facilities in underserved areas, and media events working to remove the stigma around discussing this vital topic.