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Right to Water in the MENA region
"Right to Water in the MENA region", by Jauad El Kharraz, is a paper published at MENA Rule of Law Conference 2010 by The World Justice Project.
Water is essential to life - no one should be able to control it or expropriate it for profit. In the current global water crisis, billions of people still lack access to basic water and sanitation services. Everyday, thousands of people die from preventable diseases contracted because they do not have access to clean water.
In November 2002 the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued the General Comment No.15 of 2002 which declares water as a human right as follows: “Water is a limited natural resource and a public good fundamental for life and health. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity. It is a prerequisite for the realization of other human rights.”
Whereas another UN resolution on the ‘right to development’ set a precedent by acknowledging the Right to food and to clean water 10 years ago, this marks the first time a resolution entirely dedicated to the right to water and sanitation is adopted and by such an important number of countries, including industrialized. It also goes further than the previous resolution by proclaiming sanitation a human right and by clarifying the Right to water.
Finally, the 3rd Commission of the 64th General
Assembly of the United Nations made history last 28th July 2010 by
overwhelmingly adopting the draft resolution proclaiming the Human Right to
Safe drinking Water and Sanitation. Presented by
It also “calls upon States and international organisations to provide Financial resources, capacity building and technology transfer, through international assistance and co-operation, in particular to developing countries, in order to scale up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.”
While the resolution only needed support from a majority of the States present, the fact that no State opposed the resolution also sets an encouraging precedent in the advancement of the realization of these Rights.
A resolution has no binding mechanisms attached to it like a Convention or a protocol would. However, it carries tremendous political weight, enough to provoke harsh negotiations between States, to help advance key issues on the international agenda and to trigger national endorsements.
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Right to Water at EMWIS website.
| Contact information |
Dr. Jauad El Kharraz, Euro-Mediterranean Information System on the know-how in the Water sector (EMWIS/SEMIDE)
(email: jauad.el-kharraz@semide.org ; jauad@uv.es ) Phone: +33 492 94 22 93 ; Fax: +33 492 94 22 95 |
|---|---|
| News type | Inbrief |
| File link |
http://www.mena2010wjp.org/wp-content/upload/2010/09/Jauad_rightowater_paper-DRAFT.doc |
| File link local |
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| Source of information | World Justice Project MENA Regional Conference 2010 |
| Keyword(s) | right to water, Human Right to Water |
| Subject(s) | DRINKING WATER , DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION : COMMON PROCESSES OF PURIFICATION AND TREATMENT , POLICY-WATER POLICY AND WATER MANAGEMENT , RIGHT , RISKS AND CLIMATOLOGY , SANITATION -STRICT PURIFICATION PROCESSES , WATER DEMAND |
| Relation | http://www.worldjusticeproject.org/ |
| Geographical coverage | n/a |
| News date | 07/10/2010 |
| Working language(s) | ENGLISH |
