Right to Water and Sanitation

FAN works towards the progressive realisation of the human right to water and sanitation. We are currently working towards developing our knowledge on the use of the right to water and sanitation at the community level. 

               

---

UN public consultation on the human rights obligation related to sanitation

29 April 2009

FAN’s Advocacy Action and Learning Officer, Kolleen Bouchane represented FAN at this public consultation on the human rights obligations related to sanitation chaired by Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, the United Nations Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Read more about this consultation and learn how you can contribute to a submission to the Independent Expert

UN Human Rights Council moves forward on Right to Water and Sanitation

On 28 March 2008, the Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution sponsored by Germany and Spain (and more than 40 co-sponsors) establishing an Independent Expert on human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

This means that the UN human rights system now has a separate mechanism exclusively dedicated to issues related to the right to water and sanitation. The resolution also confirms that governments have obligations to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation under international human rights law 

Find out more (pdf)

Background to the legal basis (pdf)

Netherlands formally recognise the Human Right to Water

                                                                   

---

UK government recognises human right to water 

Coinciding with the launch of the Human Development Report 2006 the UK Government recognised the human right to water. The UK had fought official recognition of the right to water but changed its position.

                                                                   

---

Belgium government recognises Right to Water

In April 2005, the Belgian federal government adopted a "water resolution" recognising that access to safe water as a human right should be included in the Belgian constitution.

Email for more information    

                                                                   

---

France recognises the right to water

France has published a new law on water and the aquatic environment whose first article stipulates that each individual, for his food and his hygiene, has the right to reach drinking water under conditions economically acceptable by all.

Read the report  

                                   

---

Why Canada must recognise the Right to Water and Sanitation

COHRE's policy paper emphasizes that the right to water and sanitation is already legally recognised in international law, that the right to water and sanitation does not require Canada to share its water resources with other countries and that the Canadian government’s position opposition to references to the right to water and sanitation undermines the efforts of people without access to water and sanitation to hold their governments to account.

Find out more