A/67/270 A. Focusing on progressive realization while reducing inequalities 53. The omission of progressive realization striving towards universal access in the current framework has allowed States to settle for less-than-universal coverage, to the point of remaining at low levels of service, or ignoring persisting gaps among different segments of society, even when their available resources would allow them to go beyond the Millennium Development Goal commitments. While not intended as end-of-the-road national targets, the Goals have often been interpreted as such, hence missing the opportunity to tailor targets to the national level, beyond the international limits. 54. Human rights law requires States to prioritize basic access for everyone. This must be reflected in future goals, targets and indicators. Progressive realization also means that expeditious and effective steps must be taken and that it is not acceptable for States to aim at universal access at the most basic level only. Instead, continual improvement towards an adequate standard of living must be the aim. However, prioritizing those lacking services and ensuring progressive realization does not by itself address non-discrimination. 55. Among those who are disadvantaged in their access to water and sanitation, there are many who are discriminated against — because they have a disability, because they are girls, or a combination of these and other factors. If this additional dimension is not captured, the ones who are discriminated against will continue to be discriminated against, even among the most disadvantaged in their access to water and sanitation. 56. The Special Rapporteur encourages investigating data analysis techniques that elucidate the impact of intersecting forms of discrimination, since a human rightsbased approach requires attention to such intersectionality — the ways in which different forms of inequality overlap and interrelate. For instance, some Governments have made use of data analysis to target subsidies according to income or geographic location, to ensure that they reach the desired households and individuals. 35 Often, place of residences and socioeconomic situation, together with sex and age, can point to multiple discrimination. B. Address geographical inequalities: rural/urban disparities and slums 57. One of the most pervasive inequities in water and sanitation exists between the urban and rural populations. Global monitoring shows that rural populations persistently have lower levels of access than urban populations, calling for special attention in targets and/or indicators. Geographically removed, remote and marginalized regions are often overlooked in planning. The Special Rapporteur therefore encourages policymakers to keep the disaggregation between rural and urban, as called for in the current monitoring framework, while improving the methodology to capture the special situations of people living in slums. 58. People living in urban slums or informal settlements frequently lack access to adequate water and sanitation. Worldwide, it is estimated that a billion people live in __________________ 35 16 Catarina Albuquerque and Virginia Roaf, On the Right Track: Good Practices in Realising the Rights to Water and Sanitation (Lisbon, 2011), chap. II. 12-45653