The human right to drinking water in Colombia: Decisions by the state and private actors

Abstract

This paper provides some reflections on the discussions resulting from the UN declaration, A/64/L.63/Rev.1. It is a resolution dated July 26, 2010 whereby the UN enacts the drinking water and sanitation as an essential human right, which creates some obligations the private actors will demand the Member States to comply with. Based on the foregoing, the UN Member States, including Colombia, are now required to ensure a water supply with quality and 100% coverage to their inhabitants via an aqueduct. However, governments face, in turn, the challenge to preserve the water sources constituting the raw material for ensuring those rights the UN has enacted as claimable by all human beings. This way, this paper poses some questions and queries regarding the tasks to be undertaken by both the Colombian State and the private actors to comply with the UN directives, without detriment to the water sources and the environmental sustainability.