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Affordability of water and sanitation services 2015, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Disconnection of services due to an inability to pay for the service is a retrogressive measure and constitutes a violation of the human rights to water and sanitation (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 15 (2002) (E/C.12/2002/11), para. 44a). Disconnections are only permissible if it can be shown that households are able to pay but are not paying. The South African 1997 Water Services Act states that disconnections may not result in a lack of access to services for non-payment where the individual is unable to pay for basic services. More recently, France adopted the Brottes Law, which prohibits disconnections for 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
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Another approach is having an explicit discussion on the rules for deliberation, accompanied by a conscious attempt to draw out the voices of marginalized individuals. Otherwise, the process can easily default to existing patterns and hierarchies, with their attendant unacknowledged communication protocols. Two different approaches demonstrate this. Villagers serving on health watch committees in Bangladesh were inducted through a series of workshops, at which they agreed on the rules of deliberation (when and how to speak, addressing every member with respect, etc.). The minutes of meetings of the health watch committees show evidence of genuine balanced deliberations, whereas a similar initiative, where no rules on deliberation were agreed, was dominated by the voices of medical professionals and members with higher social status.
- 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
- Health
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 92
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- Any decisions on the adoption of certain technologies, types of services, management models and the prioritization between different measures must be taken on the basis of active, free and meaningful participation of all those concerned. South African courts have developed the concept of "meaningful engagement", which stipulates requirements for the process of decision-making. In the context of sanitation services, a court ruled that meaningful engagement requires consultation with authorized representatives following the sharing of information and technical support, where necessary. It also voiced concern that a majority within a community cannot approve arrangements in terms of which the fundamental rights of a vulnerable minority within that community will be violated. In doing so, the Court highlighted the essential role of inclusion in participatory processes to avoid that the process is captured by the elite, better-off, majority group (see A/69/213).
- 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
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- In addition, it would be extremely valuable to monitor how gender, age, and disability-related inequalities manifest themselves in relation to water, sanitation, and hygiene in public facilities such as schools and health facilities where other human rights are also compromised. Indeed, such inequalities may be even more acute in public spaces, making the collection of data about equity and equality variables especially important in these contexts.
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 16
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- Inequalities are present in every country across the globe, yet, they manifest themselves differently across regions and within countries. Some types of discrimination, such as those based on gender, age or disability status, are relevant across most, if not all, countries, while others - such as ethnic or related discrimination - can take varied shapes from country to country. Despite these country differences, inequalities and disparities are structural factors with direct impact in development, hence they cannot be left out from a global framework. While the specific groups may vary, patterns of marginalization, exclusion and discrimination are consistent across the world. Showing these patterns and trends across the world through global monitoring conveys a very powerful message and provides a tool to draw attention to the situation of the most disadvantaged and marginalized, helping to target efforts towards them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 66
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- Broad-based awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns on various issues are essential to achieve visibility. This can include posters, booklets, radio, television, magazines, websites and other media. The stigma index developed in the context of HIV/AIDS is an innovative tool aimed at measuring stigma and using the data for raising awareness, empowering the stigmatized, and advocating for change. In the context of menstrual hygiene, UNICEF Bangladesh aims to contribute to developing better menstrual hygiene in rural areas through the training of community hygiene promoters targeting 30 million rural Bangladeshis.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 41
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- Stigma often finds its way into legislative and policy frameworks mirroring societal attitudes and prejudices. In many countries, stigmatization is reflected in the criminalization of work-related activities and practices or the lack of legal protection. For instance, the lack of protection creates a climate of impunity, invisibility and silence and violence against sex workers. They are often forced to work in unsafe environments, including in the outskirts of cities, with no access to services.
- 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
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Stigma and the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2012, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- For many stigmatized individuals, stigma results in a negative impact on their right to privacy when attempting to meet their water and sanitation needs. For instance, homeless people may be forced to urinate and defecate in public, given the inexistence or lack of maintenance of public facilities. During her mission to Slovenia, the Special Rapporteur met with Roma communities who were forced to defecate in the open and bathe in a stream due to the lack of adequate facilities. When doing so they were reportedly chased by the police (A/HRC/18/33/Add.2, para. 35). In these cases, the State directly interferes with people's privacy, not only by chasing them, but also by not allowing their dwellings to be connected to water supply and sewerage systems due to their alleged "illegal" status. Similar situations can be found in slums all over the world where the alleged "illegal" status of settlements results in people being denied access to facilities that would guarantee their privacy. In South Africa, a case was brought to the court concerning unenclosed toilets built by the municipality, that is, toilets that were erected without the enclosing superstructure that would hide people from view when using them. The Western Cape High Court found, inter alia, a violation of the right to privacy enshrined in article 14 of the South African Constitution.
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 65
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- Targets and indicators should therefore specifically address the "most disadvantaged groups". As discrimination manifests itself differently across regions and in countries and discriminated against groups vary by country, the formulation "most disadvantaged groups" is recommended, allowing for national specificity while making global monitoring possible. States would be required to identify the specific groups that will be monitored at the global level through a participatory process. Groups that might be chosen for monitoring include those defined by ethnicity, race, religion, language, or spatially defined groups such as slum dwellers, residents of specific geographic areas, or other nationally tailored groupings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Initiatives taken by residents can also have a significant impact on the improvement of services and sanitary conditions. For instance, Rialto Rights in Action has been campaigning in Dublin for improvement of the conditions in Dolphin House, a large public housing complex. The campaign seeks to empower people to claim their right to housing. Residents gathered evidence of wastewater invasion through toilets and baths and mould. They developed indicators based on human rights that are monitored regularly, including sewage invasion and dampness; records were kept of responses received from the Dublin City Council and on instances of inclusion of residents in decision-making. Residents successfully engaged with the media and, following public pressure, by 2013 the city had refurbished 40 of the worst-affected housing units. While progress has not been as quick as initially agreed, a regeneration plan is in progress.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Year
- 2014
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