A/HRC/RES/21/2
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
9 October 2012
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-first session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
21/2.
The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation
The Human Rights Council,
Reaffirming all previous relevant resolutions of the Human Rights Council, inter
alia, resolutions 7/22 of 28 March 2008, 12/8 of 1 October 2009, 15/9 of 30 September
2010, 16/2 of 24 March 2011 and 18/1 of 28 September 2011,
Recalling General Assembly resolution 64/292 of 28 July 2010, in which the
Assembly recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human
right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights,
Recalling also the holding of the General Assembly plenary meeting of 27 July 2011
entitled “The human right to water and sanitation”,
Recalling further the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 19/5 of 22 March 2012 on the question
of the realization in all countries of economic, social and cultural rights,
Recalling also the relevant provisions of declarations and programmes with regard
to access to safe drinking water and sanitation adopted by major United Nations
conferences and summits, and by the General Assembly at its special sessions and during
follow-up meetings, inter alia, the Mar del Plata Action Plan on Water Development and
Administration, adopted at the United Nations Water Conference in March 1977, Agenda
GE.12-17389
The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in
the report of the Council on its twenty-first session (A/HRC/21/2), chap. I.