UN council affirms right to safe water, sanitation

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution which affirms that the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living.

This resolution effectively re-affirms that the rights to water and sanitation are implicitly contained in several human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to which 160 States are party, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which has reached nearly universal ratification, and are therefore legally binding rights.

This is the first UN Human Rights Council resolution to affirm the right to water and sanitation. This resolution reiterates the recognition by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UNCESCR) that the right to water — like the rights to food and adequate housing — emanates from the right to an adequate standard of living contained in Article 11 (1) of ICESCR.

In addition, the resolution affirms that the right to sanitation is also derived from the right to an adequate standard of living.

Last July, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that “recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.”

The Human Rights Council resolution refers to the General Assembly resolution and takes a further step by specifying that the right to water and sanitation is legally binding.

In total, 178 countries from all regions of the world have now recognized the right to water and sanitation at least once in an international resolution or declaration.

Governments cannot deny that they are legally obliged to ensure the rights to water and sanitation.

This resolution will strengthen the ability of persons denied their rights to water and sanitation to hold governments to account.