Ways to realise the human rights to water and sanitation

Abstract

Pireh Otieno (UN-habitat) This paper focuses on the implementation challenges and issues that need to be addressed to realise the human rights to water and sanitation. It highlights the tools and good practices/lessons for overcoming these challenges to ensure that everyone has access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. i. The human rights to water and sanitation Water is the essence of life. Safe drinking water and sanitation are indispensable to sustain life and health and fundamental to the dignity of all. Without safe drinking water and sanitation, people are trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease. While since 1990 more than 2 billion people have gained access to improved drinking water sources, over 780 million people still do not have access to improved sources of drinking water, while 2.5 billion lack access to improved sanitation facilities.1 Moreover, low-income urban dwellers have to pay high prices for water, sometimes up to 50 times the price paid by higher income groups. This problem is worsened by a rapid and unplanned urbanization. To address this challenge, the international community increasingly recognizes that safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all must be considered within a human rights framework. The UN General Assembly through Resolution 64/292 recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realisation of all human rights. This deepened State commitment to Economic Social and Cultural Rightsbservation N º 15 establishing the human right to water and sanitation. 2 The Resolution calls upon States and international organisations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all. On 28 September 2011, the UN Human Rights Council passed a new resolution which takes the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation a step further. The Council welcomed the submission of the compilation of good practices on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, in which the Special Rapporteur put particular emphasis on practical solutions