A/71/302 openness and a wider plurality of stakeholders and viewpoints is essential to successfully introducing the human rights to water and sanitation into development cooperation and to achieving the water and sanitation -related goals of the 2030 Agenda. V. Stakes in development cooperation for water and sanitation based on the human rights framework 58. Based on the previous sections, which have mapped out development cooperation in the water and sanitation sector and its current and potential level of integration in the human rights framework, some proposals have been put forth that suggest possible avenues for achieving a proper scenario for development cooperation. The following subsections briefly discuss a number of th ose proposals, which are bases for part of the recommendations in the present report and serve as a preliminary guide to the development of the forthcoming report of the Special Rapporteur to be submitted to the General Assembly in 2017. A. Human rights-based approach 59. The existence of a human rights-based approach in the formulation of development cooperation projects and programmes appears to be more of an exception than a rule in the current policies of bilateral and multilateral funders. 60. Establishing a human rights-based approach in the initial stages of a given project is essential to ensuring that the human rights framework will be embedded in the project from its conception and throughout its implementation. The specific measures to effectively implement that approach depend on the nature of the project. It may include a human rights impact assessment or other due diligence measures that enable funders to identify and mitigate the negative impact of their activities on human rights, to provide positive support, advice and assistance to States in relation to human rights (see A/70/274, para. 84) and to refrain from supporting projects and programmes that would contravene the international human rights obligations of funders and partner States. In that context, it is noteworthy that several stakeholders, including 28 special procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council, have exhorted the World Bank to include human rights assessments in the environmental and social policies of their revised safeguards. 51 B. Country ownership 61. The lack of consideration of country ownership in the process of development cooperation is a frequently raised issue. In that regard, the participation of Governments and civil society in partner countries in conceptualizing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development policies, programmes and __________________ 51 16-13590 Philip Alston and others (28 special procedures mandate holders), letter to the President of the World Bank, 12 December 2014. Available from www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/EPoverty/ WorldBank.pdf; Human Rights Watch, “The World Bank’s second draft environmental and social framework”, October 2015, available from http://consultations.worldbank.org/Data/hub/files/ hrw_submission_wb_second_draft_environmental_and_social_framework_10_8_20151.pdf. 19/24