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The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Target 7.C commits the international community to "halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation". The indicator used is the "proportion of population using an improved drinking water source or improved sanitation facility, urban and rural". The term "improved" was not specified any further, but in practice is taken to refer to water sources or delivery points that, by nature of their construction and design, are likely to protect the water from outside contamination; and sanitation facilities that hygienically separate human excreta from human contact. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation is the official United Nations mechanism tasked with monitoring progress towards the drinking water and sanitation target. The Joint Programme publishes estimates every two years on access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities worldwide, drawing data from household surveys and censuses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Within certain parameters, the Millennium Development Goals can be seen as complementing and contributing to national efforts to realize human rights. They might do this by bringing strengthened political commitment to the fulfilment of certain basic needs - including water and sanitation - protected under international human rights law, and by strengthening bilateral and multilateral partnerships within the framework of Goal 8, where needed. However, the Millennium Development Goal targets and indicators agreed at the global level reflect certain tensions and occasional inconsistencies with international human rights standards. Unless these problems are rectified, the result may be not only policy incoherence, but also Goal-based development strategies that may inadvertently violate international human rights standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The first question concerns the scale of ambition embodied in the Goals. The targets on access to water and sanitation are set at a 50 per cent reduction in the lack of access by the year 2015. But international human rights obligations do not stop at 50 per cent reduction or any other arbitrary benchmark. Whatever time period may prove realistic, international human rights law requires that States ultimately aim for universal coverage within time frames tailored to the country situation. Achieving the global Millennium Development Goal targets would undoubtedly represent a great success for many countries; but it is important to keep in mind that this would still leave 672 million people without access to water and 1.7 billion people without access to sanitation in 2015. In that regard, some countries present notable examples. For instance, Bangladesh, Kenya and South Africa have set targets for access to water and sanitation that are higher than the global Millennium Development Goal targets, and Sri Lanka is aiming for universal access to water by 2025.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Human rights require that such national target-setting be undertaken with reference to an objective assessment of the national priorities and resource constraints within each country. This, in essence, is the meaning of the term "progressive realization", as enshrined in article 2(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. States parties are under the obligation to progressively realize the rights to water and sanitation to the maximum of their available resources. States are required to move towards the goal of full realization as expeditiously and effectively as possible, within available resources and within the framework of international cooperation and assistance, where needed. This implies that all States - including those that have already reached the global Millennium Development Goal target - must continue to take steps to ensure the full realization of the human rights to sanitation and water. Reaching the Millennium Development Goal target must not be used as a justification for falling short of achieving universal access. In the process of achieving universal access, the Goals may provide relevant medium-term national benchmarks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- National strategies and action plans, endorsed at the highest levels, are central to demonstrating the vision for ensuring full enjoyment of the rights to water and sanitation. The Human Rights Council has called for national and/or local plans of action "in order to address the lack of access to sanitation in a comprehensive way" with the "full, free and meaningful participation of local communities in the design, implementation and monitoring of such plans". General Comment No. 15 of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights identifies the adoption of a national strategy on safe drinking water as a priority and specifies certain characteristics this strategy should have (see E/C.12/2002/11, para. 47). National plans should be ambitious but realistic, integrated within national poverty reduction strategies and short- and medium-term expenditure frameworks, within a longer-term vision and strategy for universal access. These linkages will help to ensure that water and sanitation plans will not go the way of many well-meaning but ineffective national human rights planning exercises, but will actually be financed and operationalized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- The poor record of achievement for target 7.C reflects inadequate political prioritization by donor and partner countries alike, particularly in the case of sanitation. While aid for water and sanitation is increasing in absolute terms, the share of the water and sanitation sector has been declining relative to other sectors. Moreover, aid is generally not well-targeted: only 42 per cent of aid for these sectors committed between 2006 and 2008 was addressed to least developed and other low-income countries. The share of aid for basic sanitation and water services decreased from 27 per cent in 2003 to 16 per cent in 2008, much greater shares being directed at large systems, which generally do not reach the poorest segments of the population. Strikingly, only about one third of aid to the water and sanitation sectors is directed to sanitation, even though far greater efforts are needed in this area.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- With regard to sanitation, the safety criterion is implicit in the Millennium Development Goal indicator insofar as avoiding contact with excreta is concerned, but the indicator does not refer to water necessary for personal hygiene. Moreover, the indicator is silent on the question of safe disposal of excreta, which in turn can affect water quality. Where the collection, treatment, disposal or re-use of excreta is not carried out with adequate care, leakage into groundwater, which is often a source of drinking water, may occur. Similarly, sewage from flush toilets that is not treated may end up in water used by downstream communities. In such cases, leakage of sewage from "improved" sanitation facilities then results in polluting water sources which are nevertheless considered "improved" sources under the Millennium Development Goal framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- The above reasoning suggests that the Millennium Development Goal indicators reflect human rights criteria to a certain extent, but that human rights can bring important dimensions to targets and indicators based upon the Millennium Development Goals, helping to refine and expand them. When these additional criteria are factored in, a much bleaker picture emerges. While the extent of the gap is unknown, far more people than indicated by the figures measuring access to improved water sources and sanitation facilities do not have access to sufficient water and sanitation services that are safe, acceptable, accessible and affordable. Assessments carried out by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme demonstrate this by explicitly considering regularity and affordability as additional criteria. Another assessment highlights that access to safe water in urban areas is significantly lower in certain countries than the official figures for access to improved sources would suggest. Likewise, pilot studies by the Joint Monitoring Programme indicate that far from all water sources that are categorized as improved meet water quality standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Accountability begins with reliable, relevant and adequate data. It is critical to supplement the data sources used by the Joint Monitoring Programme with additional data sets that relate specifically to human rights standards. Indicators should reflect the human rights criteria of availability, safety, acceptability, accessibility (including reliability) and affordability. Generating such additional data sets might be viewed as a considerable opportunity cost, to the extent that these funds could otherwise be dedicated to water or sanitation programmes directly. But in the view of the independent expert, the "opportunity" far outweighs the "cost", not only in terms of focusing interventions on key bottlenecks and informing policymaking in the water and sanitation sectors, but also the very substantial multiplier effects this would bring for health, education, gender equality, education, nutrition and related human rights and Millennium Development Goals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The global targets and indicators are generally formulated in terms of aggregate attainments. While the United Nations guidance on monitoring recommends gender as well as urban/rural disaggregation for all Millennium Development Goal indicators as far as possible, in practice the data are only disaggregated to a very limited extent. The indicators on water and sanitation are a notable exception. But even this is no panacea, as the distinction is often more administrative than real, particularly in peri-urban areas, and studies have found that in national surveys many urban slums are treated as rural areas. In other instances, the population of informal settlements does not appear at all in the statistics. The situation in urban slums, in particular, can therefore be assumed to be much bleaker than the official figures suggest.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Further synergies between monitoring of the Millennium Development Goals and human rights monitoring will be critical for ensuring that development strategies based on the Goals are not targeted by default at the better-served populations for whom household data are more readily available (as distinct, for example, from informal settlements), thereby running the risk of entrenching existing inequalities. Strategies for the realization of access to water and sanitation should include targeted interventions, aiming at those who are most disadvantaged and harder to reach as a stepping stone towards universal service provision.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The lack of adequate participation has been a troubling feature of many national poverty reduction planning processes, whether based on the Millennium Development Goals or not. Participation has sometimes been reduced to the involvement of user groups in delivery of water and sanitation, or has been dominated by a few well-established non-governmental organizations. A reductionist, tokenistic and technocratic understanding of participation might lighten the State's load in the short run, but will rarely, if ever, be sufficient to genuinely empower people in connection with the decision-making processes that affect their lives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The indivisibility and interrelatedness principles strengthen the case for collaborative, intersectoral responses to problems concerning access to water and sanitation. The human rights framework requires that States plan over time towards the ultimate goal of universal water and sanitation coverage. This raises potentially difficult trade-offs in the short run, given the relatively high unit costs of getting to the "hardest to reach". However, these decisions should not be taken in isolation: a rigorous and informed rights-based situational analysis should reveal critical intersectoral linkages necessary for effective collaborative actions and sustained progress towards universal coverage. Whatever the financial and other difficulties involved in reaching the most excluded, there must at least be immediate planning in that direction, through "concrete, targeted and effective" steps.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Apart from judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms, there is a broad range of administrative, political and social mechanisms and processes to strengthen accountability and incentives for the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and related human rights, including public expenditure reviews, participatory social audits, community scorecards, impact assessments of public policies, budget transparency initiatives and "legal empowerment" initiatives, among many others. There are many institutions with roles to play, from parliamentary review committees and oversight mechanisms to executive and administrative agencies, line ministries, national audit offices and local government bodies. Water and sanitation regulatory bodies, in particular, can play a significant role, when endowed with the power to monitor and enforce service standards, tariffs and regulations in line with human rights standards (see A/HRC/15/31, para. 52). Ombudsmen and national human rights institutions, civil society organizations, community organizers and alternative law groups also have the potential to help strengthen accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Among many other suitable mechanisms, human rights impact assessments should be conducted more systematically in all fields of public policymaking, before, as well as during and following implementation. While there is no template for a human rights impact assessment, the principal elements should include (a) incorporating the human rights to water and sanitation in the explicit subject of the assessment; (b) identifying indicators for the assessment that are consistent with relevant international human rights standards; (c) focusing on people who are most excluded and marginalized along with responsible actors; (d) striving to ensure that the assessment, as far as possible, contributes to building the capacities of relevant national stakeholders; (e) ensuring that the process of carrying out the assessment respects human rights principles such as participation, non-discrimination, transparency and accountability; and (f) seeking to involve human rights mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Generally speaking, the human rights obligations of States can be classified as obligations to respect, to protect and to fulfil. Obligations to respect require States to refrain from interfering with existing access. Obligations to protect take into account the role of third parties, requiring States to prevent such third parties from interfering with the enjoyment of human rights by others. Finally, obligations to fulfil call on States to adopt the necessary measures to enable and assist individuals to enjoy their human rights and to ensure direct provision as a last resort, when individuals are, for reasons beyond their control, unable to provide for themselves. States have to achieve the full realization of the rights to water and sanitation progressively. They are required to devote the maximum available resources and move towards it as expeditiously and effectively as possible, but do not have to achieve the full realization immediately.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- When non-State actors are involved in service provision, there is a shift to a stronger focus on the obligation of the State to protect. At the same time, the obligation to fulfil retains its significance with the aim of creating an enabling environment. States have a duty to regulate and monitor providers that they involve in service delivery. Moreover, they may need to adopt supplementary measures depending on the circumstances, for instance to ensure the affordability of services. A comprehensive approach is needed: non-State service providers can be involved, but the State has the obligation to develop an overall (short, medium and long-term) strategy on how to fully realize the rights to water and sanitation. When the State does not directly provide services, its role nevertheless remains obligatory and critical.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Compared to other business activities, the provision of water and sanitation services is characterized by special features: the services relate directly to the fulfilment of human rights. While non-State actors are well positioned to positively contribute to the realization of the rights to sanitation and water through service provision, the activities of service providers, whether through their direct actions or through failure to live up to the mandate delegated to them, can also potentially result in abuses of the rights to water and sanitation. In this regard, their activities are intrinsically linked to the realization of human rights, and therefore they need to observe particular requirements in exercising due diligence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- [The challenges in the water and sanitation sector are huge. Many of these challenges are faced by all service providers, State and non-State, and thus this analysis may be relevant in a broader context. However, the present section retains a specific focus on situations where non-State service providers are involved, clarifying the obligations of States and the responsibilities of non-State actors in this context, since the human rights analysis changes when non-State actors become involved. By identifying the challenges in the context of water and sanitation service provision, it is hoped that concrete and practical guidance may be offered to States and service providers alike. Against the standard of the human rights to water and sanitation, a number of such challenges can be identified, including:] Guaranteeing transparent and democratic decision-making
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- [The challenges in the water and sanitation sector are huge. Many of these challenges are faced by all service providers, State and non-State, and thus this analysis may be relevant in a broader context. However, the present section retains a specific focus on situations where non-State service providers are involved, clarifying the obligations of States and the responsibilities of non-State actors in this context, since the human rights analysis changes when non-State actors become involved. By identifying the challenges in the context of water and sanitation service provision, it is hoped that concrete and practical guidance may be offered to States and service providers alike. Against the standard of the human rights to water and sanitation, a number of such challenges can be identified, including:] Addressing power asymmetries in the bidding and negotiation process
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 4b
- Paragraph text
- [It is possible to identify three different forms of service provision:] Delegated service provision. Instead of providing services itself, the State may choose to formally delegate service provision to non-State actors. While more attention is often paid to the involvement of large, transnational companies, service provision may also be delegated to smaller companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or community-based organizations. Services are also often operated through State-owned companies, that is, companies that are totally or in the majority owned by the State, but that are legally distinct entities from the State itself. From the perspective of human rights, the crucial aspect is that the State has delegated the task of providing water and sanitation services to a third actor;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- While the private sector has a long history of involvement in water and sanitation service provision, the starting point for the most recent wave of private sector participation can be situated in the 1980s in several developed countries, followed by many developing and transition countries during the 1990s. Private sector participation in developing countries should be understood in the context of donor approaches and international policies. International financial institutions, in particular, have promoted neo-liberal reforms advocating for States to reduce public spending and avoid significant investments. Some of the reforms leading to greater involvement of the private sector have been imposed through loan or aid conditionalities, debt reprogramming or loan forgiveness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Some highly visible instances of private sector participation have triggered a vigorous debate, criticism and high scrutiny over the formal private sector, focusing more on water than sanitation. On the one side, some argue that water is a public good and a unique resource essential for life and health and thus should remain in the public domain. Critics often point to instances where private sector participation is perceived to have failed, arguing that performance has been poor, agreed coverage targets have not been met, the quality of services has decreased, prices have increased substantially and that processes have not been transparent. Conversely, others argue that the private sector can contribute to the necessary investments in the sector, and thus extend coverage to currently unserved or underserved areas, as well as increase service quality and efficiency, contribute with technologies and skills and provide services at lower prices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The intensity of the debate between advocates and critics, which is sometimes ideological and emotional, may have partially obscured the actual extent of private sector participation. While such participation is very common in some countries, on a global scale, other forms of service provision predominate. It has been estimated that, as of 2003, only 5 per cent of world's population was being served by the formal private sector. Moreover, the debate sometimes conveys the impression that the private sector is largely dominated by transnational corporations. This does not reflect present reality. Some transnational corporations have started to withdraw from developing countries, they are increasingly developing local partnerships, and, in a number of countries, local private actors are also very active. Moreover, delegated service provision is not limited to the operation of networks; service provision can also be delegated to suppliers of non-networked services including standpipe operators, water kiosks, and operators of shared sanitation facilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Compared to the formal private sector, many more people are served by informal small-scale providers. It has been estimated that up to 25 per cent of the urban population in Latin America and almost 50 per cent of the urban population in Africa rely on small-scale providers to some extent. Apart from unprotected sources, such as rivers, poor households rely on a variety of private water vendors such as water truck, standpipe and kiosk operators and small-scale water delivery services, which often - although not always - operate on an informal basis. When other sources are unsafe, people also often depend on bottled water in particular for drinking purposes. Even more so than in the water sector, small-scale local entrepreneurs are of enormous significance in the provision of sanitation services. Sanitation for low-income households is often provided on site and multiple actors are involved, with activities ranging from constructing, maintaining and emptying latrines and septic tanks to managing public facilities and selling related products such as cleaners and soap.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- To a large extent, the debate has focused on the relative advantages and disadvantages of formal public or private provision, too often losing sight of this de facto commercialized service provision. While such services differ greatly depending on the circumstances, it is not uncommon for people to have no choice but to rely on services (often low quality) which are exorbitantly priced. Due to the high number of intermediaries involved in providing the service, high transport costs and a lack of regulation, water bought from informal private vendors is frequently 10 to 20 times as expensive as water provided by a utility. When looking beyond networked water supply and sewerage, adding in informal small-scale providers, a completely different picture of the characteristics of the private sector emerges. Overall, there is a need for a more nuanced debate, which recognizes the various forms of private sector participation, the wide range of non-State actors involved, the role of State-owned companies, as well as differences between networked provision of water and sanitation vs. on-site solutions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises is especially relevant to the subject of this report as it is concerned with States' obligations and business responsibilities. In his 2008 report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Representative set out a three-part policy framework entitled "Protect, Respect and Remedy" (A/HRC/8/5). It consists of the States' obligation to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, the responsibility of companies to respect human rights, and the need for access to effective remedies and grievance mechanisms to address alleged human rights violations. The Human Rights Council welcomed the framework by consensus in its resolution 8/7. The Special Representative is now in the process of further operationalizing the framework. To some extent, the work of the independent expert builds on the framework and is aimed at contributing to its operationalization by applying it specifically to the provision of water and sanitation services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- [The challenges in the water and sanitation sector are huge. Many of these challenges are faced by all service providers, State and non-State, and thus this analysis may be relevant in a broader context. However, the present section retains a specific focus on situations where non-State service providers are involved, clarifying the obligations of States and the responsibilities of non-State actors in this context, since the human rights analysis changes when non-State actors become involved. By identifying the challenges in the context of water and sanitation service provision, it is hoped that concrete and practical guidance may be offered to States and service providers alike. Against the standard of the human rights to water and sanitation, a number of such challenges can be identified, including:] Reaching the poorest and most marginalized
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- [The challenges in the water and sanitation sector are huge. Many of these challenges are faced by all service providers, State and non-State, and thus this analysis may be relevant in a broader context. However, the present section retains a specific focus on situations where non-State service providers are involved, clarifying the obligations of States and the responsibilities of non-State actors in this context, since the human rights analysis changes when non-State actors become involved. By identifying the challenges in the context of water and sanitation service provision, it is hoped that concrete and practical guidance may be offered to States and service providers alike. Against the standard of the human rights to water and sanitation, a number of such challenges can be identified, including:] Ensuring affordable services
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- [The challenges in the water and sanitation sector are huge. Many of these challenges are faced by all service providers, State and non-State, and thus this analysis may be relevant in a broader context. However, the present section retains a specific focus on situations where non-State service providers are involved, clarifying the obligations of States and the responsibilities of non-State actors in this context, since the human rights analysis changes when non-State actors become involved. By identifying the challenges in the context of water and sanitation service provision, it is hoped that concrete and practical guidance may be offered to States and service providers alike. Against the standard of the human rights to water and sanitation, a number of such challenges can be identified, including:] Avoiding disconnections in cases of inability to pay
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph