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UN Human Rights Council moves forward on Right to Water and Sanitation
On 28 March 2008, the Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution sponsored by Germany and Spain (and more than 40 co-sponsors) establishing an Independent Expert on human rights obligations - related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. This means that the UN human rights system now has a separate mechanism exclusively dedicated to issues related to the right to water and sanitation. The resolution also confirms that governments have obligations to ensure access to safe drinking water and sanitation under international human rights law.
Find out more, download an information note and read the legal basis

Netherlands formally recognise the Human Right to Water
In the opening of the 7th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 3 March 2008, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Verhagen, announced the Netherlands is to recognise water as a human right. He stressed that merely recognising the right would not solve the issue but is a powerful incentive to increase access to water for the poor.

Why Canada must recognise the Right to Water and Sanitation
The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) has produced a policy paper which emphasises why Canada should recognise the right to water and sanitation. The right to water and sanitation is already legally recognised in international law and does not require Canada to share its water resources with other countries. Furthermore, the Canadian government's opposition undermines the efforts of people living without access to water and sanitation who hold their governments to account.
Download Why Canada must recognise the human right to water and sanitation

New Human Rights Council study on the right to water and sanitation
A new study of the scope and content of the human rights obligations related to the provision of safe drinking water and sanitation has been presented to the sixth session of UN's Human Rights Council meeting in September 2007. (23 Oct 2007)

UK Government recognises right to water
In response to the launch of the UN’s latest Human Development Report, Beyond scarcity: power, poverty and the global water crisis, the UK Government hasannounced that it recognises the human right to water. (11 November 2006)

Realising the right to water
Rights and Humanity welcomes the UK Government's recognition of the Right to Water as a fundamental human right and commends its leadership role. (11 November 2006)