A/HRC/RES/21/2
Affirming the need to focus on local and national perspectives in considering the
issue, leaving aside questions of international watercourse law and all transboundary water
issues,
1.
Welcomes the recognition of the human right to safe drinking water and
sanitation by the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, and the reaffirmation
by the latter that 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;
2.
Also welcomes the commitments of States regarding the human right to safe
drinking water and sanitation made at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development on 22 June 2012;
3.
Further welcomes the fact that, according to the 2012 Joint Monitoring
Programme report, the Millennium Development Goal target relating to the reduction by 50
per cent of people without access to an improved water source has been met five years
before its deadline of 2015, insists that much remains to be done on safety, equity, equality
and non-discrimination issues, and regrets the fact that the Millennium Development Goal
target on sanitation is still one of the most off-track of the United Nations development
agenda beyond 2015;
4.
Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe
drinking water and sanitation, the comprehensive, transparent and inclusive consultations
conducted with relevant and interested actors from all regions for her thematic reports and
compilation of good practices, and the undertaking of country missions;
5.
Also welcomes the second annual report of the Special Rapporteur submitted
to the General Assembly on financing for the realization of the right to water and
sanitation,1 and takes notes with appreciation of her recommendations and clarifications
with regard to questions of financing the implementation of the human right to safe
drinking water and sanitation;
6.
Takes note of the fourth annual report of the Special Rapporteur submitted to
the Human Rights Council;2
7.
Expresses deep concern at the negative impact of discrimination,
marginalization and stigmatization on the full enjoyment of the human right to safe
drinking water and sanitation;
8.
Reaffirms that States have the primary responsibility to ensure the full
realization of all human rights and must take steps, nationally and through international
assistance and cooperation, especially economic and technical, to the maximum of their
available resources, to achieve progressively the full realization of the right to safe drinking
water and sanitation by all appropriate means, including in particular the adoption of
legislative measures in the implementation of their human rights obligations;
9.
Takes note of the finding made by the Special Rapporteur that ensuring safe
drinking water and sanitation for all will require considerably more resources;
10.
Also takes note of the finding made by the Special Rapporteur that better
targeted use of existing resources to prioritize the most excluded and marginalized, as well
1
2
A/66/255.
A/HRC/21/42.
3