CHINA: Today is World Toilet Day - a special day which the WTO hopes will convert the world to its message of clean toilets, and flush away any lingering embarrassment about that most basic of human functions.
That's World Toilet Organisation, by the way, not the better-known namesake that deals with world trade.
Hygiene experts from around the world have gathered in Beijing for the fourth annual World Toilet Summit.
There are 190 delegates attending, including environmentalists, tourism officials and town planners, from 25 countries.
These toileticians take their job very seriously, saying it is a citizen's basic human right to relieve themselves in public in comfort. They refuse to get bogged down in rhetoric.
"The world deserves better toilets," said Jack Sim, founder of the WTO, co-sponsor of the summit, which will discuss the latest technologies for the device, which legend has it was patented by Thomas Crapper in the late 19th century. They will also exchange lavatory management tips and discuss the role of toilets in tourism.
Visitors at the conference can take a look at the shape of jacks to come in photos of showcase toilets, including one shaped like a ladybird, and a stand-up urinal for women called the Ladypee.
"People are saying 'We want good toilets!' because toilets are a basic human right and that basic human right has been neglected," said Mr Sim.
Also closely watching events are Chinese officials from the event's co-organisers, the Beijing tourist office and the city's administration commission. They know that Beijing can be toilet hell.
One of the less romantic experiences while walking through Beijing's atmospheric narrow hutong alleyways is the olfactory assault from the trench-style latrines that dot the ancient courtyard complexes.
Most of China's public toilets are squat-style holes in the ground with no running water, toilet paper or sinks to wash hands.
Foul-smelling toilets and public spitting have given China a poor international image when it comes to hygiene, but Beijing officials are launching a big push to flush out the stinkier loos ahead of the 2008 Olympics being held in Beijing.
City officials took delegates on a toilet tour of the city, which included a model WC where visitors can watch individual televisions above each urinal. And they can wash their hands afterwards too.
There were almost 108,000 public toilets in 660 cities across China at the end of 2003, of which about 60,000 flushed. On average there are just over three toilets for 10,000 citizens.
In the past three years the city has spent about €23 million building or refitting 747 public conveniences at tourist hotspots and the government plans to build 400 luxury washrooms before the Olympics.
It has also introduced a grading system that ranks public toilets like hotels. Beijing has 88 four-star johns featuring remote-sensor flushing, automatic hand-dryers and even muzack. Rumours of karaoke toilets could not be confirmed.
"What Beijing has done is an example to cities all over the world who could draw lessons from Beijing," said the Singaporean WC fan Mr Sim. "It's very impressive. Toilets are a sign of our civilisation and prove that people have achieved gracious living," he said.
Mr Sim has little time for toilet humour. "You can laugh at it for a short time. But after a few seconds, you should start to pay serious attention to the subject."
And Irish toilet experts take note - next year's venue is Belfast.