A/62/214 is particularly important for low-income households that rely on small-scale water and sanitation facilities; (h) International Year of Sanitation (2008). The General Assembly recently declared 2008 the International Year of Sanitation to raise awareness about the importance of sanitation. 59 The Special Rapporteur urges States to seize this opportunity to take joint and concerted efforts towards the realization of the Millennium Development Goal water and sanitation target; (i) Monitoring and accountability. One of the most important steps which many States need to take towards realization of the right to health generally, and access to water and sanitation in particular, is to establish an effective, transparent and accessible monitoring and accountability mechanism. This may be, for example, a national human rights institution, health ombudsperson or water and sanitation regulator. The mechanism should have the responsibility to monitor and hold all relevant public and private actors to account, in relation to the national water and sanitation policy, as well as access to water and sanitation for all; (j) Climate change. The Special Rapporteur calls on the Human Rights Council to urgently study the impact of climate change on human rights generally and the right to the highest attainable standard of health in particular; (k) The human right to water and sanitation. To its credit, the Human Rights Council has begun to study the issue of human rights and access to water. 60 It is recommended that the Council appoint a special rapporteur on the right to water and sanitation to assist States understand their legal obligations, identify and disseminate best practices and monitor the progressive realization of this important human right. For their part, all States should recognize the human right to water and sanitation. __________________ 59 60 24 General Assembly resolution 61/192. See A/HRC/L.3/Rev.3. 07-45379