April, 2008 - The Human Rights Council of the United Nations (HRC), adopted by consensus a resolution that establishes the appointment of a new independent expert engaged in the promotion of human rights and obligations in the area of access to safe water and sanitation.
The HRC, UN body specializing in human rights issues, recognizing the existence of numerous international legal instruments such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which identifies real human rights obligations relating to access to safe water and sanitation; adopted last March 28, the resolution entitled "Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic , Social and Cultural Rights, including the Right to Development ".
Through this resolution establishes a new independent expert, with a term of three years, whose main functions will be linked to the identification, promotion and compendium of best practices related to the human rights of access to safe water and sanitation; clarifying the content of these obligations, and a specific focus of analysis about the duty of non-discrimination in access to water for consumption.
This is a major advance in terms of security and protection of human rights, economic, social and cultural rights, especially if we take into consideration hundreds of millions of men, women and children that still have no access to safe drinking water and sanitary, it is a resource essential to life, which is crucial to relieve poverty, hunger, and disease, and critical for economic development.
The legal recognition of the right of access to safe water and the sustainable management of water resources is a claim and the subject of work of hundreds organizations, experts and thousands of communities around the world as well as an outstanding debt of National States
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