A/67/270 Inequalities hinder efforts for poverty reduction and economic growth, 2 negatively affecting society as a whole. 3 In fact, the World Economic Forum cited inequality as one of the top global risks. 4 For major international actors and agencies, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equity and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), addressing inequalities is vital. 7. Just as the state of the world has changed in the last decade, it has also brought about some evolution in the human rights agenda, enhancing the tools to address growing concerns about inequality in the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. While the right to water and sanitation has always been a component of the right to an adequate standard of living as contained in several international human rights instruments, its explicit recognition in 2010 created an enormous momentum in the sector, galvanizing international support around providing resources, building capacities, and scaling up efforts to provide water and sanitation for all (see General Assembly resolution 64/292 and Human Rights Council resolution 15/9). 8. In 2011, the Human Rights Council urged States and other development partners to adopt an approach based on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation when designing and implementing future development programmes (A/HRC/RES/18/1, para. 9). Similarly, the recent United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) reaffirmed the commitments of Governments regarding the human right to water and sanitation, to be progressively realized for the population. 5 More generally, a deeper understanding of economic, social and cultural rights in the past decade, coupled with further articulated guidance about the role of non-discrimination in the realization of these rights 6 has allowed for a more discernible human rights framework around these issues. These evolutions must permeate a post-2015 global development agenda. 9. The present report is informed by the Special Rapporteur’s work during the past four years in direct contact with a wide range of stakeholders, including national and local authorities, international actors, civil society organizations and in particular with children, women and men of all ages whose access to water and sanitation is often denied by direct or indirect forms of discrimination. In all her country missions, the Special Rapporteur has become acutely aware of the structural causes of lack of access to water and sanitation, many of which are rooted in unequal enjoyment of human rights by specific individuals and communities. 10. The Special Rapporteur has benefited from her involvement in the process led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, known as the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation, which is officially charged with monitoring progress on the water and sanitation target. As 2015 draws closer, the Joint Monitoring Programme has started to discuss options for post-2015 __________________ 2 3 4 5 6 4 Claire Melamed, “Putting inequality in the post-2015 picture”, Overseas Development Institute (March 2012), p. 4. United Nations System Task Team on the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda, Thematic Think Piece, “Addressing inequalities: the heart of the post-2015 agenda and the future we want for all” (May 2012), p. 6. World Economic Forum, Global Risks Report 2012, Seventh Edition (Geneva, 2012), p. 19. Outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio de Janeiro, 20-22 June 2012 (General Assembly resolution 66/288, annex), para. 121. General comment No. 20 (2009) on non-discrimination in economic, social and cultural rights. 12-45653