Right to Water
The right to drinking water and sanitation, a recognised human right
The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity.
United Nations Resolution A/HRC/RES/18/1
In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution A/RES/64/292, July 2010) and the Human Rights Council (Resolution A/HRC/15/L.14, September 2010) recognised the right to access drinking water and sanitation as a human right on the same footing as other social rights such as the right to food and the right to health.
Despite this international recognition, there is still much to be done: every ten minutes, ten people including four children die of diseases directly related to water. The time has come for the right to water and sanitation to be put into effect.
A French language publication called “Droit au but”̋ (“On target” / “Straight to the Point”) has been published by Catarina de Albuquerque, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. This book presents of a large number of best practice examples for ensuring the right to water and sanitation is put into effect.
Activities of the WWC on the Right to Water
The WWC is co-authoring with Waterlex of a report on global governance for the implementation of the right to access drinking water and sanitation. This will be published by the UN World Water Assessment Programme (UNESCO-WWAP) in the run-up to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).
- On the Right Track - Good Practices in realising the Rights to Water and Sanitation. Catarina de Albuquerque, Rapporteuse Speciale des Nations Unies sur le droit a l’eau potable et a l’assainissement, avec Virginia Roaf. Version française.
- The right to water and water rights in a changing world, Papers presented at a colloquium held on 22 September 2010 in Delft, the Netherlands
- Accès à l'eau et à l'assainissement dans des conditions économiquement acceptables par tous (Rapport de mission sur la mise en oeuvre de l’article
1er de la loi n° 2006-1772 du 30 décembre 2006 sur l’eau et les milieux aquatiques)
- Accès à l'eau et à l'assainissement pour les plus démunis - exemples de bonnes pratiques
- Assessing the Impact of a Right to Sanitation on Improving Levels of Access and Quality of Services - Executive Summary - DFID, United Kingdom
- Droit à l’eau et à l’assainissement - Manuel à l’usage des militants - FAN
- The Human Right to Water and Sanitation in Emergency Situations - the legal framework and a guide to advocacy - ACF-France on behalf of the Global WASH Cluster
- Report of the First Consultation on Post-2015 Monitoring of Drinking-Water and Sanitation - Berlin, 3-5 May 2011 - WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation (JMP)
- Macroeconomics and the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation - Meeting Report, March 31 – April 1, 2011 - Center for Women's Global Leadership
United Nations General Assembly
- Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque -
Rapport de la Rapporteuse spéciale sur le droit à l’eau potable et à l’assainissement
- Promotion and Protection of all Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economis, Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development - Report of the independent expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque
- Le droit fondamental à l’eau et à l’assainissement
- Les droits de l’homme et l’accès à l’eau potable et à l’assainissement
- Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council 18/1 - The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation