The Beyond 2015 campaign coalition’s position paper on water has been released highlighting the central role of water to the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and calling for the foregrounding of the human rights to water and sanitation in the future post 2015 development framework. (more…)
News Archive
UK Government supports right to sanitation inclusion at Rio+20
On 15 June, the UK government, which until now has not recognised the human right to sanitation, announced that they are in a position to support the inclusion of commitments to the right both to safe drinking water and to sanitation as a human right in the Rio+20 outcome document. (more…)
Commitments to water and sanitation must come with real commitments to human rights
An Open Letter from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to water and sanitation to States negotiating the Outcome Document of the Rio+20 Summit
New comprehensive sourcebook of laws and policies
13 March 2012
At the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille, WASH United, Freshwater Action Network and WaterLex are launching a resource, The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation in law and policy – a sourcebook, detailing laws and policies guaranteeing the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation at national, regional and international levels.
Download The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation in law and policy – a sourcebook (PDF 2Mb)
Plus – WaterLex searchable online rights database
Browse a searchable online database of these laws and policies produced by WaterLex with contributions from FAN Global and WASH United.
New resource: The right to sanitation in national laws
To counteract the statement that the right to sanitation did not exist, a team of specialists issued The right to sanitation in national laws (Book, 480p) describing the right to sanitation in national law in 16 countries and in international law. Half of the case studies are in English and half in French.
Download the flyer (PDF 1.3Mb)
Rights breakthrough: legal recognition of water and sanitation affirmed by UN
On 30th September 2010 the UN Human Rights Council, responsible for mainstreaming human rights within the UN system, adopted by consensus a resolution affirming that water and sanitation are human rights. Resolution A/HRC/15/L.14
Independent Expert addresses the Human Rights Council
On the 15 September 2010, Catarina de Albuquerque delivered a statement at the 15th session of the Human Rights Council, calling the GA resolution a breakthrough and introducing this year’s thematic report. (more…)
Human Rights Council to decide whether to pass resolution on the rights to water and sanitation
The Spanish and German delegation has raised a resolution on the rights to water and sanitation to be decided at the 15th Session of the Human Rights Council.
The General Assembly formally recognises the right to water and sanitation
The General Assembly formally recognised the right to water and sanitation by supporting the Resolution initiated by Bolivia on 28 July 2010. The Resolution 64/ 292 acknowledges that clean drinking water and sanitation are integral to the realisation of all human rights.
(more…)
Independent Expert recommends sanitation to be recognised as a distinct human right
The independent expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, submitted a report focusing on the human rights obligations related to sanitation. (more…)
