In a disaster preparedness and response context, where there are acute water and sanitation needs, the International Federation is part of an inter-agency working group comprising the following partners:

• Action Contre la Faim (ACF)
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
• Oxfam
• UNHCR
• UNICEF

The working group focuses on water and sanitation issues. The purpose of this group is to exchange information on activities and to standardize approaches and technologies. Building on the successful cooperation with Oxfam UK during relief operations, a Global Memorandum of Understanding has been established between the International Federation and Oxfam UK. The International Federation also actively engages with the UNICEF-led water and sanitation cluster with the aim of improving coordination of activities during major disasters.

In the context of development, under the umbrella of the International Federation's Global Water and Sanitation Initiative (GWSI), a co-financing partnership has been established with the European Community Water Facility for African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (EU-ACP Water Facility), Nestlé and over 25 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies.

The International Federation also recognizes an emerging and increasingly important role of promoting low-cost, low-tech household level water and sanitation interventions and has joined the WHO-led network to promote household water treatment and safe storage to share experience and partner on such interventions. The International Federation has worked closely with Loughborough University in the UK and other institutions on a number of publications.

To further strengthen our overall water and sanitation capacities, a Memorandum of Understanding has been entered into with the Austrian Red Cross to outsource certain activities to the Austrian Red Cross, which may lead to the formation of a Water and Sanitation Reference Centre.