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Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The human rights to water and sanitation are binding on the State as a whole. All public or governmental authorities, or separate State bodies exercising regulatory functions at national, regional or local levels, have the responsibility to realize the State’s human rights obligations. To that end, regulatory actors must ensure that their policies, procedures and activities are compliant with the State’s international human rights obligations in relation to the rights to water and sanitation. Their obligations also include ensuring human rights compliance by the municipalities and other entities that they regulate (see A/HRC/36/45/Add.1, para. 31).
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The situation becomes far more complex when monitoring informal small-scale providers. Piped systems are often not available to rural households or to those living in informal settlements in urban areas (see A/70/203, para. 64). This represents a significant problem of inequality in access, as people living in these areas, who are often poorer, have to rely on alternatives that are often of lower quality and that tend to cost far more. In these situations, some types of services, such as informal shared or communal facilities and unregulated individual on-site solutions, are seen as necessary short- to medium-term solutions. However, without suitable regulation and monitoring, none of these services can be guaranteed to comply with human rights standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Non-governmental organizations and community-based organizations are taking on an important role in informal service provision, stepping in where the State is not involved in such activities. Many of the same challenges in relation to regulation and accountability apply to the activities of such organizations, for instance ensuring consistent standards as regards quality of services and ensuring that organizations are accountable to the people they serve. Population groups in many countries are served by community and informal service providers, which rarely report internal monitoring results to authorities.
- 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
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- The Water Resources Sector Strategy, published in 2004, contains some relevant provisions and guidelines related to the human rights to water and sanitation. For instance, it establishes that communities should be vested “with ownership rights and authority to select service providers”, contributing to the enjoyment of the right to participation. Projects and programmes should strengthen “regulatory oversight capacities, institutions and processes to provide greater transparency and predictability”. Moreover, financially disadvantaged people are to be ensured “access to safe, affordable water supply and sanitation services by reducing costs and increasing accountability”. However, the World Bank’s pro-poor focus is not equivalent to a human rights-based approach, since it does not embody the full spectrum of the human rights framework.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The general development cooperation policy of Japan is found in its development cooperation charter, revised in 2015. The charter reaffirms the country’s obligations to promote human rights through its international development activities. According to the charter, activities in the water supply and sanitation sector fall under the country’s policy umbrella of promoting development for human security. In the charter, “quality growth” and poverty eradication through such growth is designated as a priority policy issue, encompassing water supply and sanitation. Indeed, Japan adopts a cross-sectoral approach, that is, the approach to strengthening health systems also includes the strengthening of water services and other infrastructure (CRC/C/JPN/3, para. 68).
- 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
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The European Union has in place a regulation establishing a financing instrument for democracy and human rights worldwide. The most recent specific policy document on the water and sanitation sector was endorsed in 2002 by the Council of the European Union. It emphasizes the importance of relevant principles and standards related to participation, gender equality, transparency and access to information, financial and environmental sustainability in service provision, affordability, and improving service levels for the poorest populations and rural, urban and peri-urban areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Monitoring is essential for understanding current levels of access to water and sanitation services — by focusing on issues such as affordability and water quality, identifying barriers to access for unserved or underserved populations, and ensuring that participatory processes are inclusive. National and local monitoring processes gather information that helps identify drivers and bottlenecks, highlight gaps, and assess strengths and challenges, and as such are essential for the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- All service providers, whether public, State-owned or private, must comply with the State’s legal and regulatory framework. In cases where the State is the service provider, at central level or often through its municipalities, it must act in compliance with the laws and regulations of the State and in line with its international human rights obligations. Where service provision is formally delegated by the State to non-State actors, the State cannot exempt itself from its human rights obligations and retains the obligation to regulate and monitor their activities. Non-State service providers (formal and informal), on the other hand, have human rights responsibilities, which include complying with the national regulatory framework and respecting the human rights to water and sanitation.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Within the framework of international human rights treaties, all levels of government, including development cooperation agencies, have obligations to adopt specific policies aimed at the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation in legislative form or in other measures (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 3 (1990) on the nature of States parties’ obligations, paras. 6-7). Outside of the human rights treaty framework, myriad funders have expressed their commitment to realizing human rights through various international instruments. For instance, in the 2008 Accra Agenda for Action, most funders committed themselves to establishing and implementing development cooperation policies and programmes that respect human rights.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- However, the scant existence of specific, universal policy guarantees for water and sanitation projects reflecting human rights standards effectively grants officials from the World Bank and from partner States the liberty of determining a project’s goals and methods on a case-by-case basis. Moreover, one senior official of the Bank understands that “any project that improves access to improved [water supply and sanitation] is a step towards universal access” and that this is enough not to be negligent of the human rights framework. In the light of this discretionary approach, while some projects funded by the Bank could possibly be aligned with the human rights framework, others risk neglecting human rights.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- One project, in which the funder provided budget support to the partner State, consists of maintaining dialogue among government authorities with the aim of supporting sector reform. However, the process seemed to apply a non-participatory approach as relevant stakeholders, including local governments and civil society organizations, were apparently excluded from the discussion of key decisions. That may be a source of future conflict and could jeopardize the legitimacy of the agreements that will be made. The human rights to water and sanitation require funders to take measures to ensure meaningful participation by all stakeholders and to support partner States in developing methods to promote participation (for example, multi-stakeholder dialogues involving the authorities concerned, civil society organizations, private sector entities and marginalized groups). Such dialogues can contribute to building political will, to planning a more appropriate restructuring in the sector recognizing the diverse needs of various groups and their rights, and to creating opportunities to hold public authorities accountable.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Inextricably linked to the question of setting affordability standards for water and sanitation services is the issue of disconnections. Regulatory frameworks should set an outright prohibition on disconnections due to inability to pay.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 89g
- Paragraph text
- [In line with the above, the Special Rapporteur recommends that States:] Prohibit disconnections due to inability to pay, in law and in regulatory frameworks;
- 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
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Meaningful public participation and access to information are human rights principles that often tend to be overlooked by States and service providers during the process of tendering, bidding and contract negotiation. From a human rights perspective, it is crucial that governments ensure that contractual arrangements include the necessary human rights safeguards, and that overall they contribute to, rather than undermine, the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation, without discrimination.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- The human rights obligations of States are classified as obligations to respect, to protect and to fulfil. The obligation to respect requires that States’ regulatory frameworks refrain from interfering directly or indirectly with people’s existing access to water and sanitation. To that end, States must ensure that their regulatory framework prohibits disconnections from water and sanitation services due to users’ inability to pay, as it is a retrogressive measure and violates the human rights to water and sanitation, must ensure, when extending piped networks to informal settlements, that these services are affordable so as not to interfere with people’s access, and must avoid discriminatory or unaffordable increases in the price of water and sanitation services due to inadequate regulation. Furthermore, preparedness for situations of armed conflict, emergency situations, natural disasters and effects of climate change requires that States embrace in their regulatory frameworks the obligations relevant to water and sanitation provision pursuant to international humanitarian law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- The obligation to protect requires States to prevent third parties from interfering in any way with the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation by establishing an effective regulatory system, which includes independent monitoring, genuine public participation and imposition of penalties for non-compliance. In cases in which the provision of water and sanitation services is delegated to third parties, the State has the obligation to regulate the activities of those institutions to ensure that all aspects of human rights are guaranteed (see A/HRC/33/49/Add.2). Establishing an effective regulatory framework comprises the obligations to set service standards in line with the normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation, and to create public authorities to carry out regulatory functions independently.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Specifically, the Japan International Cooperation Agency has elaborated an assistance strategy on water supply and sanitation (2016). The strategy addresses some elements of the human rights to water and sanitation diffusely among six key issues. Several of those issues demonstrate the Agency’s intention to compensate for multiple imbalances in the water and sanitation sector worldwide. For example, a focus on sustainable rural water supply is adopted in order to tackle long-standing deficits with regard to access in certain geographical areas and on improved sanitation, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Provisions related to the standards of accessibility and quality of services and the principle of sustainability are integrated in the strategy. However, the strategy does not stipulate detailed provisions related to other crucial elements of the human rights to water and sanitation. Regarding affordability, provisions are limited to improving tariff policy and collection. Guarantees for the availability and accessibility of services for all are not mentioned either.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Neither that Framework nor those operational policies make any specific mention of sanitation services, while references to ensuring water supply are generally subsumed in other project themes, such as the resettlement of populations. In a general requirement regarding the provision of services to communities, one of the Framework’s safeguards pledges that partner States will be held to apply the concept of universal access, which is understood by the World Bank to mean unimpeded access for people of all ages and abilities in different situations and under various circumstances. That policy provision remains ambiguous in the Bank’s safeguard policies as it does not specifically address the provision of water and sanitation services in their different levels. Thus, those policies do not adequately safeguard essential elements of the human rights to water and sanitation, including service availability, safety/quality, affordability and acceptability, not to mention a more thorough, sector-specific description of accessibility.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Violations of the obligation to protect may occur when States fail to effectively regulate and control service providers in relation to safety, quantity or disconnections; fail to regulate pricing to ensure that services are affordable for everyone; fail to prevent discrimination by non-State actors; do not ensure that service providers extend services to marginalized households or communities; or fail to ensure that monitoring and complaints procedures are in place (see A/HRC/27/55, para. 27).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Regulations should ensure that decisions on the type and location of services and on improvements to services are participatory and inclusive. Inclusiveness in this process is crucial, so that services are designed to respond to the needs of the population, including of those in vulnerable situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Service regulation and human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Monitoring should not only examine compliance of service providers with national and local standards, but should also assess whether the provision of services is carried out in a way that ensures compliance with international human rights obligations such as equality and non-discrimination, participation, access to information and accountability. Regulatory actors are responsible for setting and monitoring indicators of progress towards the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation, which should reflect human rights principles and standards in a direct way. Indicators should cover all the different elements of the rights to water and sanitation and be disaggregated by prohibited grounds of discrimination, while setting specific benchmarks (feasible targets for gradually meeting the indicators) in relation to each indicator.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- In the context of development cooperation, the right to participation is relevant at two stages. First, the participation of a diversity of stakeholders is relevant during the processes of planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation and assessment (A/71/302, para. 17). Such participatory processes should involve input from national stakeholders and people whose rights are affected that can meaningfully affect the decision-making process in all aspects of development cooperation activities. Second, establishing participatory processes between the funder and the beneficiaries at the level of project implementation is key. If the knowledge and expectations of beneficiaries are not incorporated into those processes, cooperation will never improve their access to water, sanitation and hygiene in a manner consistent with their cultural values and human rights principles (ibid.).
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Since 2002, the European Union’s agenda for water and sanitation in development cooperation has been subsumed into broader strategies. In 2017, the Council of the European Union adopted the New European Consensus on Development, a policy addressing all of its development activities. That policy commits the European Union and its member States to a rights-based approach in development cooperation “encompassing all human rights”, and further envisages integrating the principles of inclusion and participation, non-discrimination, equality and equity, transparency and accountability. “Universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene” is recognized in paragraph 26 of the policy as “a prerequisite for health and well-being, growth and productivity”. However, the policy reveals that the European Union treats this sector of services not with a stand-alone approach, but rather in association with other priority areas, such as climate change and nutrition.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- While most funders’ project assessments are mostly focused on attainment of project objectives and sustainability of services, a specific human rights-based assessment during and upon completion of projects was not observed. Carrying out monitoring with a human rights perspective on a long-term basis would improve funders’ ability to assess the elements of sustainability in their projects and to protect, respect and fulfil human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Other examples include technical reports, briefing papers and other documents produced by funders to assess past experiences, take stock of current activity or provide recommendations for future practice. When such reports are formulated with a clear view to progressively realizing the human rights to water and sanitation, their often non-binding character can possibly be offset. For instance, in 2013, the European Commission commissioned the preparation of a briefing paper to examine the organization’s development cooperation from the perspective of those rights. The paper evidences that, despite the organization possessing a methodology to apply a human rights-based approach in its cooperation activities, policies and practices lack bolder and clearer orientations to realize the human rights to water and sanitation. Accordingly, it recommended assessments of the organization’s water and sanitation projects from the perspective of human rights with the aim of catalysing discussion and developing appropriate policies, guidelines and practices. It is a desirable minimum standard for funders to develop studies with a specific human rights focus and to advocate for their officials to give meaningful consideration to their findings. Furthermore, issues and recommendations brought to light by those studies may be used by diverse stakeholders, empowering them to urge funders to commit themselves to the progressive realization of the human rights through their development agendas.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Integrating human rights throughout the development cycle (see figure) helps to ensure that the needs of those living in the most vulnerable situations are prioritized, that services are provided in a safe and affordable way and that providers guarantee participation, access to information and accountability. This approach is the best way to achieve targets 6.1 and 6.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Otherwise, those targets will most likely not be achieved through the traditionally technocratic way that the water and sanitation sector is usually managed. Such traditions also extend to development cooperation practice and often reflect how projects in this sector are selected, designed and managed.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- When States are funders in development cooperation, they have legal obligations to ensure that their conduct is consistent with human rights standards and principles, pursuant to the international human rights treaties that they have ratified. In particular, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (arts. 2 and 11) requires that States parties recognize the essential role of international cooperation and assistance and take joint and separate action to achieve the full realization of the rights to water and sanitation. Those articles and the Charter of the United Nations (Article 56) set out the expectation that States must take action to help fulfil economic, social and cultural rights beyond their territories.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- State funders have obligations to respect human rights in other countries, to refrain from actions that interfere with the enjoyment of the rights to water and sanitation (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, general comment No. 15 (2002) on the right to water, para. 31) and to facilitate the realization of those rights through the provision of water supply and sanitation services, financial and technical assistance and necessary aid (A/71/302, para. 11). Accordingly, as part of the Governments of those States, development cooperation agencies (for example, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the French Development Agency) have the obligation to comply with the human rights to water and sanitation.
- 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
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- When part of a collective group, for instance, as members of international or regional organizations, States have the obligation to realize the human rights to water and sanitation through policy, decision-making processes and the activities of those organizations. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has stated that international organizations and international financial institutions (for example, the World Bank and IADB) have certain obligations under international human rights law based on customary law and general principles of international law (see E/C.12/2016/1) and that they should take into account the right to water in their lending policies, credit agreements and other international measures (general comment No. 15 (2002), para. 36). International organizations are also bound by the human rights-related provisions in their constitutions (A/71/302, para. 13).
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Development cooperation and the human rights to water and sanitation 2017, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Decisions related to the coverage of projects can have an impact on the beneficiaries, particularly the population in the most vulnerable situations. Applying a human rights approach to development cooperation in the water and sanitation sector would involve a greater emphasis on providing services for those populations who predominantly live in small, dispersed rural communities or in peri-urban areas. In the latter case, the informal nature of settlements may impede such dwellers from being connected to citywide systems. The principle of equality and non-discrimination sometimes requires the adoption of targeted measures and affirmative action in order to achieve substantive equality (Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 18 (1989) on non-discrimination, para. 10). Thus, funders and partner States should work together and identify individuals and groups to target, particularly those who are in vulnerable situations, and not be limited to identifying those who are financially disadvantaged, often called “the poor”.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph