Search Tips
sorted by
30 shown of 219 entities
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The explanations for the insufficient progress towards the realization of the Millennium Development Goals are both context-specific and complex. Human rights do not provide all of the answers. However, there are a number of important ways in which the human rights framework may help fill critical analytical and implementation gaps in Millennium Development Goal-based strategies. The international human rights framework must be seen as the baseline commitment on global efforts to meet the Goals. While human rights embody legally binding obligations and need no instrumental justifications, there is increasing evidence that human rights-based approaches cannot only promote inclusive development processes, but also help to produce more equitable and sustainable development results. Enforceable socio-economic rights claims have been shown to have large-scale life-saving impacts.
- 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
- All
- 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. 16
- Paragraph text
- It is challenging in many contexts to form definitive judgements about the extent to which States are meeting their obligations progressively to realize human rights. It is difficult to assess in quantitative terms whether a State is expending "the maximum of its available resources". However, there is an emerging body of research and practice in the field of quantitative assessments of human rights progress, going directly to the question of whether States are dedicating sufficient resources to the realization of their obligations. The human rights framework requires an examination of the fiscal and policy efforts undertaken for the realization of human rights, to assess whether these are sufficient under the given circumstances. Not only is an evidence-based assessment of this question important in its own right, but States which are able to demonstrate maximum effort may enjoy strengthened legal and moral claims for international assistance where national resources are lacking. Rights-based budget analysis has been explored quite extensively. There are many other approaches, including the use of cross-country comparisons of national budget expenditure on various rights to support advocacy as well as reporting processes under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (see www.cesr.org). There are also more elaborate and data-intensive approaches using econometric analysis, costing exercises and modelling of affordability constraints. Strengthened accountability can be pursued through composite indexes aiming to reveal comparative insights about the adequacy of Government efforts in fulfilling a limited bundle of socio-economic rights. Such instruments can help to assess whether States are directing the maximum of available resources towards the progressive realization of the rights to sanitation and water for all.
- 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
- 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. 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. 45
- Paragraph text
- A defining attribute of the human rights framework is its potential to empower people, to challenge existing inequities and to transform power relations to bring about real and sustainable changes, particularly for those most marginalized, with strengthened accountability. Human rights standards compel the participatory formulation of public policies and development plans and the institutionalization of democratic processes. All people have the right to participate in decision-making processes that may affect their rights, and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights affirms in its General Comment No. 15 that all people should be given full and equal access to information concerning water, sanitation and the environment (E/C.12/2002/11, paras. 12 (4), 48 and 55).
- 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
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The Millennium Development Goals help to promote accountability at national and global levels through monitoring and reporting against internationally agreed as well as nationally tailored targets. They draw upon widely available socio-economic statistics to monitor progress towards a realistic number of quantifiable targets. In this regard, they can provide a valuable complement to more traditional human rights monitoring tools and techniques, bringing human development data and quantitative assessment methods to human rights monitoring and hence helping to give a more complete picture of countries' progress - in absolute as well as comparative terms - towards the fulfilment of certain socio-economic rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Under international human rights law, States are obliged to put in place mechanisms for accessible, affordable, timely and effective remedies for any breaches of economic, social or cultural rights. These requirements convey a different idea about accountability than that embodied in the Millennium Development Goals framework. The consequences for the non-realization of the Goals and the incentives for better performance are determined largely in the court of public opinion on the basis of the content of periodic reporting processes. This is not to be discounted: in countries with democratic and responsive governing institutions and a free and pluralistic media, a relatively poor scorecard - particularly when contrasted with countries with comparable per capita GDP - may provide welcome stimulus for improved performance. However, human rights standards and monitoring bodies go further by assessing compliance with specific legal obligations for the realization of human rights as well as responsibilities for violations, including with respect to discrimination, exclusion and unjustifiable retrogression.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The MDGs and the human rights to water and sanitation 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The enforcement of human rights claims can have preventive as well as reactive or corrective impacts and, through a range of feedback channels, exert enduring influence on legislative reform and policymaking. Recent empirical research in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Nigeria and South Africa has found that "legalizing demand for socio-economic rights might well have averted tens of thousands of deaths in the countries studied ... and has likely enriched the lives of millions of others". Litigation of course has its limitations and risks, and we are still learning about the preconditions for effective claims in any given context. Nevertheless, the role of human rights adjudication should be accorded a more explicit and prominent place in strategies to 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
- 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. 63a
- Paragraph text
- [In line with these conclusions, the independent expert recommends the following:] States are encouraged to adapt, tailor and contextualize Millennium Development Goals at the national level, in a way that ensures respect for human rights, on the basis of an objective assessment of national priorities and resource constraints. States must take deliberate, concrete and targeted steps to progressively realize the rights to water and sanitation and corresponding development targets as expeditiously and effectively as possible. Ultimately, they must aim for universal access in line with human rights standards;
- 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
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- To be able to respect human rights, non-State actors need to know the actual and potential impact of their activities on the realization of human rights. According to the framework of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, such actors are required to exercise due diligence "to become aware of, prevent and address adverse human rights impacts". Due diligence is understood as "a comprehensive, proactive attempt to uncover human rights risks, actual and potential, over the entire life cycle of a […] business activity, with the aim of avoiding and mitigating those risks". That responsibility is not a mere passive one, but requires active steps to put into place the necessary policies, mechanisms to identify actual and potential harm to human rights, and grievance mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The decision whether to delegate service provision must take place in the context of a sound overall strategy that lays out how the State aims to achieve universal access to sanitation and water. Both the strategy and the decision on delegation have to be adopted in a democratic, participatory and transparent process. In the view of the independent expert, the participation of all concerned must be active, free and meaningful. To enable genuine participation, this requires disclosure of adequate and sufficient information and actual access to information, referring in particular to the instruments that delegate service provision. In the case of State-owned companies, management will usually be delegated via legislation, decrees or contracts, while the authorities will often enter into contracts with private providers. The creation of a wider enabling environment for meaningful participation must be ensured, as well as specific opportunities for participation and reinforcement of the capacities of individuals and civil society to enable them to participate, monitor, evaluate and report on possible human rights abuses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Democratic decision-making implies that Governments must not be pushed into the decision to delegate service provision by donor conditionalities. Such conditionalities may limit independent decision-making in developing countries and thus undermine democracy and the capacity of local authorities to address and solve local problems. States must not limit their regulatory and policy space and must safeguard the ability to protect human rights (A/HRC/14/27, paras. 20-25). The decision for, or against, delegating service provision to non-State actors should always be taken in the light of the local circumstances. In that regard, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights considers that the "international financial institutions [...] should take into account the right to water in their lending policies, credit agreements, structural adjustment programmes and other development projects […], so that the enjoyment of the right to water is promoted", which, in the opinion of the independent expert, also applies to the right to sanitation.
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- While it is the obligation of the State to put into place the necessary regulations, providers also have responsibilities in the operation of services. As outlined above, they must exercise due diligence to become aware of, prevent and address adverse impacts on human rights. To meet this responsibility, service providers should take certain measures, such as ensuring that the water they provide is of safe quality, ensuring the regularity of supply, not discriminating in their operations, adopting fair procedures in cases of disconnections due to non-payment and refraining from disconnections when people are unable to pay and the disconnection would leave them without access to minimum essential levels of water.
- 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
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Effective regulation depends on the capacity to carry out regulatory functions. Regulation must be independent and shielded from political interference and capture by specific groups or politicians. A transparent and comprehensive regulatory framework helps to reduce the potential for abuse. Regulatory and institutional models may differ: some countries have independent regulatory agencies at the national level, while others largely regulate private sector participation by contract. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but regulation has to be approached in a flexible manner and be adapted to local circumstances, needs and challenges such as the degree of decentralization. The essential point is that institutions must be in a position 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)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The capacity to regulate effectively does not only depend on the institution itself, but is embedded in the broader context. Regulation will be undermined in a situation where corruption is rampant or when there is no functioning independent judiciary to enforce the regulatory framework and decisions taken by the regulator. Accountability and access to effective remedies are essential for closing the circle, as service providers and the State can be held accountable for deteriorating services, unmet performance standards, unjustified tariff increases, inadequate social policies or other breaches.
- 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
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- To ensure accountability, roles and responsibilities have to be clearly designated and made transparent. Also, the coordination between different entities involved - public and private - has to be ensured. Water and sanitation users must be able to identify who is responsible in order to hold the relevant actor to account. Corruption presents an additional challenge to building responsive and accountable institutions. Fighting it requires, above all, strong political will. Transparency, in particular, will help to reduce the risk of corruption, for instance, by ensuring that bidding is competitive and contracts are made public. Where a State-owned company is formed to deliver water and sanitation services, the legislative process for the establishment of the company should be the product of a participatory and transparent process. In all cases, clearly defined performance targets and disclosure of information help to reduce the risk of corruption.
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human Rights Obligations Related to Non-State Service Provision in Water and Sanitation 2010, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Accountability can be achieved through judicial, quasi-judicial, administrative, political and social mechanisms at the national and international levels. Mechanisms can be based at the level of the service provider or of the State. As stated by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, irrespective of the obligation of the State to establish accountability mechanisms and ensure access to these, service providers have a responsibility to put into place means that allow individuals to bring alleged human rights abuses to their attention (A/HRC/8/5, para. 82). Such mechanisms should be easily accessible to consumers, but also to people within the area of operation who are not considered clients, for instance due to the non-payment of bills. This is part of exercising human rights due diligence, since accountability mechanisms enable the service provider to become aware of its (alleged) human rights impacts. Establishing grievance mechanisms can be seen as a necessary feedback loop complementing the general monitoring of human rights compliance. When abuses have been identified, non-State actors bear a responsibility to remedy those. Evidently, the set-up of these mechanisms will vary depending on the size of the business and other factors. For instance, while a large company might have an entire department dealing with complaints, small providers might be in touch directly with those who rely on their services. According to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, to be effective and credible, a non-judicial grievance mechanism should be legitimate, accessible, predictable, equitable, compatible with rights and transparent (para. 92).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- 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. 63o
- Paragraph text
- [The human rights framework does not call for any particular form of service provision. It is well established that, from a human rights perspective, States can opt to involve non-State actors in sanitation and water services provision. But the State cannot exempt itself from its human rights obligations and hence remains the primary duty-bearer. Therefore, also when involving other actors in services provision, the role of the State is crucial. The obligations of States and the responsibilities of non-State actors are complementary. The latter can and should support the State in the realization of human rights. In line with these conclusions, the independent expert offers the following recommendations:] States should ensure that economic, social and cultural rights, including the rights to sanitation and water, are justiciable before national courts and other accountability mechanisms. They must ensure access to justice in practical terms, including physical and economic access on an equitable basis;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Although human rights law recognizes that States often have limited means, they are nonetheless required to work progressively to fully realize the rights to water and sanitation. The principle of progressive realization acknowledges that fully implementing economic, social and cultural rights is a long-term process, but affirms that States must progress over time, taking deliberate, concrete and targeted steps towards meeting the obligations recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in order to move as expeditiously and effectively as possible towards fulfilment of those rights. Running corollary to this principle is the prohibition of deliberately retrogressive measures. States which renege on their basic obligations and reduce protection for a particular right bear the burden of proof to show that such measures are justified by reference to the totality of the rights provided for in the Covenant and in the context of full use of the maximum available resources.
- 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
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- With a view to achieving progressively full realization of the rights to water and sanitation, each State is obliged to take steps to the maximum of its available resources and cannot justify neglect of its human rights obligations based on assertions that it lacks the necessary funds or human resources. Rather, there is a positive obligation for States to mobilize resources from those living within their borders and, where necessary, the international community. Regardless of the funding sources that a State chooses, it must always ensure that there are corresponding mechanisms in place to support transparency, public participation and 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- It is not enough, however, for States to mobilize a large amount of resources for the water and sanitation sector without also ensuring that they are spent in ways that have the greatest possible impact on achieving universal realization. States should look to maximize results by, inter alia, developing sector-wide strategies and strong regulatory frameworks; working to increase awareness and demand for water and sanitation services; and investing in low-cost, high-efficiency technologies, where appropriate. Emerging strategies in the area of quantitative assessment make it possible to monitor whether the maximum of available resources are directed towards the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, including the rights to water and sanitation. Human rights law also requires States to actively promote non-discrimination. States must prioritize their spending to target groups and communities with the greatest need.
- 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
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Ensuring that targeted subsidies reach the intended beneficiaries can, however, be complicated and expensive. It is especially important to ensure that targeted subsidies are not a mask for favouritism of certain groups based on political connections, or subject to capture by the elite, as this could reinforce disparities among groups or regions. In this regard, it is especially important that the targeting process and eligibility criteria be fair, reasonable, objective and transparent. Where identifying the persons in need is difficult, a universal system of subsidies may be appropriate in order to guarantee that those most in need of assistance actually benefit. With no system of means testing, universal systems can also be cheaper to administer. Essentially, States must have a system in place to ensure that households requiring assistance in accessing water and sanitation obtain such assistance, taking into account the needs of present and future generations as well as the efficient use of resources.
- 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
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- This process begins with strong sectoral planning, including the articulation of both a uniform, sector-wide policy and specific targets. Evidence shows that without a clear national policy framework, effective and efficient service delivery is particularly difficult to achieve. Moreover, when international donors consider which sectors to prioritize they regularly cite the existence of strong sectoral plans as a crucial factor influencing their decision-making. Sectoral planning, meanwhile, should begin with a comprehensive assessment of available resources and the current status of the realization of the rights to water and sanitation, both in terms of overall access as well as affordability, acceptability and quality.
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The long-term success of the realization of the rights to water and sanitation also requires investment in governmental and human capacity, particularly at the local level. Decentralizing responsibility for managing water and sanitation services may boost their efficiency, and thus their sustainability, while also enhancing transparency, accountability and sensitivity to local needs. These attributes of decentralization, however, are not automatic and the central Government maintains an important monitoring role in respect of human rights. In particular, the central Government must ensure that the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups are prioritized, and adopt the necessary measures (e.g. through tied or earmarked transfers to local authorities), so as to avoid funding being diverted to, or captured by, privileged segments of the population or other sectors.
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Financing for the Realization of the Rights to Water and Sanitation 2011, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- As with capacity-building, progress towards realization of the rights to water and sanitation cannot be sustainable unless it occurs within the context of a strong regulatory framework. National regulatory frameworks bolster the rights in a number of ways, such as setting clear targets and benchmarks for implementation; clarifying and harmonizing the responsibilities of various actors; setting minimum standards for quality, accessibility and affordability; and improving accountability by creating incentives for compliance. Regulatory frameworks allow governments to prioritize unserved or under-served populations and can form the foundation of subsidy programmes and other safeguards for low-income households.
- 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
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Planning for the realization of the rights to water and sanitation 2011, para. 81e
- Paragraph text
- [Human rights law provides a framework for ambitious, but realistic planning. While the ultimate goal must be universal coverage, the notion of progressive realization tailors this goal to the country situation and allows for the time frame that proves to be realistic in a given context. States must go to the maximum of available resources in the realization of the rights to water and to sanitation, turning to international assistance where needed. Progressive realization also implies gradually higher levels of service. In line with this:] States must ensure financing to the maximum of available resources for the implementation of the rights to water and to sanitation. Adequate financing must ensure that water and sanitation systems are sustainable, while services are affordable to everyone;
- 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
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Planning for the realization of the rights to water and sanitation 2011, para. 82a
- Paragraph text
- [The human rights framework requires a coherent and comprehensive approach to planning that emphasizes the underlying structural causes and systemic biases for the lack of access to water and sanitation. It requires considering how laws, social norms, traditional practices and institutional structures and actions affect access. As such, the human rights framework helps to not only cure the symptoms, that is, the lack of access, but aims at addressing the underlying reasons, leading to more sustainable results. In this regard:] States should ensure the sustainability of investments by not only focusing on infrastructure, but also ensuring operation and maintenance, the institutional and managerial structure, including regulation, and structural measures, including increasing capacity;
- 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
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Planning for the realization of the rights to water and sanitation 2011, para. 82b
- Paragraph text
- [The human rights framework requires a coherent and comprehensive approach to planning that emphasizes the underlying structural causes and systemic biases for the lack of access to water and sanitation. It requires considering how laws, social norms, traditional practices and institutional structures and actions affect access. As such, the human rights framework helps to not only cure the symptoms, that is, the lack of access, but aims at addressing the underlying reasons, leading to more sustainable results. In this regard:] Strategies and plans must be developed through a participatory and inclusive process ensuring, in particular, that disadvantaged, marginalized and vulnerable people and communities are represented. Participation must go beyond mere information sharing and superficial consultation, and provide real opportunities for influence throughout the planning process;
- 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
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Planning for the realization of the rights to water and sanitation 2011, para. 82c
- Paragraph text
- [The human rights framework requires a coherent and comprehensive approach to planning that emphasizes the underlying structural causes and systemic biases for the lack of access to water and sanitation. It requires considering how laws, social norms, traditional practices and institutional structures and actions affect access. As such, the human rights framework helps to not only cure the symptoms, that is, the lack of access, but aims at addressing the underlying reasons, leading to more sustainable results. In this regard:] States must ensure transparency throughout the planning process, making relevant information, including on existing policies and measures, and expert advice on available technical options, as well as drafts of the plan, publicly available in all relevant languages via multiple channels to ensure accessibility.
- 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
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Planning for the realization of the rights to water and sanitation 2011, para. 83a
- Paragraph text
- [The human rights framework puts a strong emphasis on accountability. Legal frameworks provide the basis for accountability by allowing people to base their claims on legally binding entitlements. These should be complemented by targets backed by relevant and reliable data and reflecting State commitment for which Governments can be held accountable. In this regard:] States must review existing legislation to detect gaps and to assess whether the existing legislative framework is in line with the rights to water and to sanitation. Where legislation is found to be inconsistent, it must be repealed, amended or adapted to meet human rights standards and principles;
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph