A/HRC/RES/12/8
page 3
responsibilities and the appropriate inclusion of sanitation in national poverty reduction
strategies and development plans;
(b) To collect, at the appropriate level, current, accurate and detailed information about
sanitation coverage in the country and the characteristics of unserved and underserved
households, and to make this information available to all stakeholders;
(c) To develop, where appropriate, national and/or local plans of action, in cooperation
with other stakeholders, in order to address the lack of access to sanitation in a comprehensive
way, giving due consideration to wastewater management, including treatment and reuse;
(d) To ensure and promote access to information for, and the full, free and meaningful
participation of, local communities in the design, implementation and monitoring of the above
mentioned plans of action;
(e) To adopt a gender-sensitive approach to all relevant policymaking in the light of the
special sanitation needs of women and girls;
(f) To organize or otherwise support, as appropriate, large-scale public awareness
campaigns promoting behaviour change in sanitation and to provide information, in particular on
hygiene promotion;
5.
Recognizes the important contribution of the private sector when addressing the issue
of access to sanitation;
6.
Stresses the important role of international cooperation and technical assistance
played by the specialized agencies of the United Nations system, international and development
partners as well as donor agencies, and therefore the need that more should be done when
mobilizing resources to support effectively the efforts of States to address the lack of access to
sanitation, and urges development partners to adopt a human rights-based approach when
designing relevant development programmes in support of national initiatives and plans of
action;
7.
Requests the independent expert to continue to report, on an annual basis, to the
Council and to submit an annual report to the General Assembly;
8.
Notes with appreciation the cooperation extended to date to the independent expert
by different actors, and calls upon all States to continue to cooperate with the independent expert
in the discharge of her mandate and to respond favourably to her requests for information and
visits;
9.
Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to
ensure that the independent expert receives the necessary resources to enable her to discharge her
mandate fully;
10. Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda item and
in accordance with its programme of work.
30th meeting
1 October 2009
[Adopted without a vote.]