A/68/264 E. Informing the post-2015 sustainable development agenda 81. In the context of the ongoing discussion on the Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 development agenda, apart from targets on the use of water, sanitation and hygiene, 52 it will be critical to integrate human rights standards and principles into goals on water resources 53 and wastewater management. The broader water resource management and wastewater management targets must not be approached from a purely environmental or economic perspective. 82. More emphasis should be put on the safety of drinking water. The Joint Monitoring Programme’s proposal makes significant strides in that direction seeking to monitor bacterial contamination. 54 With regard to sanitation, its proposal incorporates the collection of wastewater and transportation to treatment places. 55 The Special Rapporteur welcomes those proposals. 83. However, owing to the “public bad” character of water pollution, it is imperative to formulate specific wastewater-related goals. Current proposals show a trend towards targets covering several dimensions: (a) preventing pollution; (b) reducing the impact of pollution through collection and treatment; and (c) reusing wastewater. 56 The Global Thematic Consultation on Water called for all used water and wastewater to be collected and treated before it is returned to nature and managed under principles of pollution prevention and reuse, 57 while the report of the High-level Panel suggests a target on the recycling or treatment of all municipal and industrial wastewater prior to discharge.16 84. From a human rights perspective, it will be crucial to integrate the concern for the most disadvantaged and most affected by water contamination. Framing targets accordingly might not be as straightforward as in the case of access to water, sanitation and hygiene. In that context, the elimination of inequalities can be monitored by comparing the levels of access of disadvantaged groups with that of the general population. 58 In the context of wastewater, access to wastewater management facilities does not correlate with those most affected by contamination. One proxy for monitoring progress for those most affected would be to focus monitoring on informal settlements, where challenges tend to be aggravated. Another crucial monitoring component is the collection and management of faecal sludge from septic tanks and pit latrines, as those technologies are predominantly used in low-income areas and have thus far received less attention, and the lack of safe disposal and management has direct impacts on the livelihoods of billions of people. __________________ 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 13-41825 Joint Monitoring Programme proposal, available from www.wssinfo.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ resources/A-proposal-for-consolidated-WASH-goal-targets-definitions-and-indicators_version7_ Nov22_final.pdf. On the implications for water allocation, see Inga Winkler, “The Human Right to Water: Significance, Legal Status and Implications for Water Allocation” (Oxford, United Kingdom, Hart Publishing, 2012). Joint Monitoring Programme proposal, pp. 11 and 12. Ibid., pp. 12 and 13. Background discussion paper on wastewater, p. 21. UN-Water, report on The Post-2015 Water Thematic Consultation, The World We Want, endorsed conclusions and recommendations, p. 22 (available from www.worldwewant2015.org/ file/341163/download/370843). Joint Monitoring Programme proposal, p. 26. 21/23