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Human Rights

Access to water and sanitation are recognized by the United Nations as human rights, reflecting the fundamental nature of these basic needs in every person’s life. Lack of access to safe, sufficient and affordable water, sanitation and hygiene facilities has a devastating effect on the health, dignity and prosperity of billions of people, and has significant consequences for the realization of other human rights, and for social and economic development.

Several national constitutions (e.g. Bolivia, Kenya, South Africa) enshrine the right to water and / or sanitation, and national legislation generally outlines the responsibility of the State to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation for all. National courts have also adjudicated cases related to the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation, covering issues such as the pollution of water resources, arbitrary and illegal disconnections, and inadequate access to sanitation.

The human rights to water and sanitation are among SWA’s Guiding Principles, and at the core of all the SWA partnership’s work that promote human rights principles: equality and non-discrimination, participation, access to information and accountability.

These include promoting transparency in all activities, supporting multi-stakeholder discussions to ensure that all voices are heard and respected, and implementing policies that reduce inequalities, such as through strategies to eliminate open defecation.

Human rights inform SWA’s Mutual Accountability Mechanism, a platform for SWA’s partners to make commitments through multi-stakeholder processes, based on national plans and targets to reach the SDGs, particularly SDG6.

CAMPAIGNS & RESOURCES

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10 years of the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation

To celebrate the 10 years of the rights, SWA designed communication materials to support partners and other stakeholders in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector, on how the recognition of these rights has a positive impact on the lives of many around the world.

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Affordability. Fundamental for human rights.

2021 marked the eleventh year since the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution 64/292, which explicitly recognized the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation. To celebrate this milestone, SWA prepared a communication toolkit and key messages to promote the importance of Affordability.

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Handbook for Realizing the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation

The Handbook, Realizing the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation, was developed in 2014 by Catarina de Albuquerque, the first Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, as she ended her mandate, and turned into a digital format in 2021 by SWA.

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Briefing paper: The human rights to water and sanitation

This Human Rights to Water and Sanitation Briefing paper offers SWA partners some concrete suggestions on the steps and approaches they could embrace to operationalize the human rights to water and sanitation, through the lens of the SWA framework.

The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation was first recognized by the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council aspart of binding international law in 2010.

Studies in Africa and Asia show that the poorest 20% of the population spend between 3 to 11% of their household income on water. This calculation does not include the cost of the time women spend on collecting water and managing water and sanitation facilities.

The human right to sanitation was explicitly recognized as a distinct right by the UN General Assembly in 2015.

Documents

View all Key documents
Key documents Type
Understanding the human rights principle of using ‘maximum available resources
Briefing paper: The human rights to water and sanitation
A Handbook on Realizing The Human Rights To Water And Sanitation
Briefing Paper: Leaving No One Behind
Briefing Paper: Integrity, Accountability and Transparency
HR Manual: 9 - Sources
HR Manual: 8 - Checklists
HR Manual: 7 - Principles
HR Manual: 6 - Justice
HR Manual: 5 - Monitoring
Human Rights Council

The human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity.

His Royal Highness King Willem-Alexander

I passionately believe that this shocking and humbling reality [lack of access to water and sanitation] must be overturned, so that all people can live better lives, in health, dignity and safety. I am convinced that the rights to water and sanitation have a significant contribution to make.

Chair of the United Nations Secretary General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation
Michelle Bachelet

Inequalities stir grievances and unrest; fuel hatred, violence, and threats to peace; and force people to leave their homes and countries. Inequalities undermine social progress, and economic and political stability. But human rights build hope. They bind humanity together with shared principles and a better future, in sharp contrast to the divisive, destructive forces of repression, exploitation, scapegoating, discrimination.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights