Dutch Government in favour of the right to water

In a speech delivered on World Water Day, 22 March 2007, the new Minister for Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, Bert Koenders, announced that he wants the Netherlands to play a prominent role in getting the right to water recognised as a human right. Koenders said that this is necessary to make water a political priority. He also wants Dutch embassies to push for the right to water at country level.

More important, though, said Koenders, was the realisation of the right to water in practice. The Netherlands is contributing to this through its programme to give 50 million people access to safe water and sanitation by 2015. So far contracts have been signed for projects that provide safe water to 32 million people and sanitation to 25 million.