A/66/255 principle of non-retrogression suggests that resources should contribute to the longterm sustainability of efforts towards universal realization. Quite often this means optimizing the use of existing resources and creating the necessary physical and regulatory infrastructure, as well as the human capacity needed to absorb additional resources in the future. 42. Recent assessments of resources available to the water and sanitation sectors show that they are not always being used to make gains towards realization of the rights. At both the international and national level, the majority of resources are benefiting the relatively well off rather than low-income communities which lack even basic access. 53 Moreover, while States and international donors have made headway in terms of expanding coverage, corresponding investments in operation and maintenance, capacity-building and awareness-raising, all of which support the sustainability of progress towards realizing the rights, are not a priority. In short, money is being spent in the wrong places. The subsections below highlight some of the key human rights arising out of current targeting within the sector and offer suggestions on how States can utilize resources more effectively. B. Resources are not reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized 43. Meeting the obligations of immediate effect related to the rights to water and sanitation means guaranteeing basic access to all people while prioritizing the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals and communities. Under the current allocation of resources, priority is, however, generally not assigned to these groups, and there is no correlation between the amount of aid a particular country receives and the percentage of the population with adequate access to water and sanitation services. 54 44. There are several reasons for this, including poor targeting and monitoring as a result of a lack of data at both the international and national level and because donors prioritize certain recipient countries for geopolitical reasons. At the international level, most donors do not know specifically whom their resources are reaching or how they are being targeted. Only slightly more than one half of them indicate that they measure the impact of their aid on the poorest sectors of the population, 55 many reporting that more than one half of their aid commitments to water and sanitation were to middle-income countries. 56 Indeed, 7 of the top 10 recipient countries of aid for water and sanitation report levels of access to improved water and sanitation of more than 90 per cent. 57 While aid to middleincome countries is important, it is crucial to ask whether these significant resources are reaching those who are most marginalized and disadvantaged or whether the funds go towards improving access for the relatively well off. 45. At the national level, few States report that they have developed or consistently apply criteria designed to ensure that sectoral resources are distributed equitably, particularly with respect to sanitation. 58 In India, for example, __________________ 53 54 55 56 57 58 11-44364 UN-Water Global Annual Assessment, p. 26. Ibid., p. 33. Ibid., p. 35. Ibid., p. 26. Ibid. p. 24. Ibid., p. 34. 15