The Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

A/RES/68/157View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 69b Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2014.

What else is in this group?

5 documents · 2011–2014

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2014	A/HRC/RES/27/7	The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation	2,649	–
2014	A/RES/68/157	The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation	1,536	–
2013	A/HRC/RES/24/18	The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation	2,137	–
2011	A/HRC/RES/18/1	The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation	1,819	–
2011	A/HRC/RES/16/2	The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation	1,357	–

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Coordination Within UN System Human Rights International Obligations Right to Drinking Water Sanitation

What’s in this document?

17 operative paragraphs

Reaffirms the recognition of the right to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights;

Recognizes the need to give due consideration to the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda, in particular while defining concrete goals, targets and indicators, taking into account an approach that supports the promotion and protection of human rights;

Welcomes the extension of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation by the Human Rights Council;Error: Reference source not found

Also welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and takes note with appreciation in particular of her reports¹³ and her contributions to shaping the post-2015 development agenda and to progressively eliminating inequalities in access to safe drinking water and sanitation;

¹³A/67/270 and A/68/264.

Takes note of the recommendation in the report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda,¹⁴ commissioned by the Secretary-General, in which the Panel lists water and sanitation among the illustrative goals in the post-2015 development agenda, and also takes note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “A life of dignity for all: accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the United Nations development agenda beyond 2015”,¹⁵ in which the Secretary-General recognizes the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation as one of the foundations for a decent life;

¹⁴See A/67/890, annex.

¹⁵A/68/202 and Corr.1.

Calls upon States:

To ensure the progressive realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation;

To continuously monitor and regularly analyse the status of the realization of the human right to safe drinking water;

To give due consideration to the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation and the principles of equality and non-discrimination in the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda;

To ensure the progressive realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation for all in a non-discriminatory manner while eliminating inequalities in access, including for individuals belonging to vulnerable and marginalized groups, on the grounds of race, gender, age, disability, ethnicity, culture, religion and national or social origin or on any other grounds and with a view to progressively eliminating inequalities based on factors such as rural-urban disparities, residence in a slum, income levels and other relevant considerations;

To consult with communities on adequate solutions to ensure sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation;

To provide for effective accountability mechanisms for all water and sanitation service providers to ensure that they respect human rights and do not cause human rights violations or abuses;

Invites regional and international organizations to complement efforts by States to progressively realize the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation;

Encourages Member States to intensify global partnerships for development as means to achieve and sustain the targets of the Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation;

Reaffirms that States have the primary responsibility to ensure the full realization of all human rights and to endeavour to take steps, individually and through international assistance and cooperation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of their available resources, with a view to progressively achieving the full realization of the right to safe drinking water and sanitation by all appropriate means, including in particular the adoption of legislative measures;

Stresses the important role of the international cooperation and technical assistance provided by States, specialized agencies of the United Nations system and international and development partners, as well as by donor agencies, in particular in the timely achievement of the relevant Millennium Development Goals, and urges development partners to adopt a human rights-based approach when designing and implementing development programmes in support of national initiatives and plans of action related to the right to safe drinking water and sanitation;

Decides to continue its consideration of the question at its seventieth session.

 Reissued for technical reasons on 25 June 2014.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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