Dear Editor,
See below a news article from the UN on safe drinking water and sanitation. It is now recognised as a human right issue and is now legally binding. I would like to request some of our lawyers to look into this and assist ordinary citizens to rally for a vigorous shake up of SIWA. We have heard talks about reforms but haven't seen much change. We need the people's power to move this and this can be an additional tool to make in roads towards solving this problem.
UN news article:
RIGHT TO WATER AND SANITATION IS LEGALLY BINDING, AFFIRMS KEY UN BODY
New York, Oct 1 2010 11:05AM
The main United Nations body dealing with human rights has affirmed
that the right to water and sanitation is contained in existing human
rights treaties, and that States have the primary responsibility to
ensure the full realisation of this and all other basic human rights.
While the General Assembly declared in July that safe and clean
drinking water and sanitation is a human right essential to the full
enjoyment of life and all other human rights, this is the first time
that the Human Rights Council has declared itself on the issue.
"This means that for the UN, the right to water and sanitation, is
contained in existing human rights treaties and is therefore legally
binding," said the UN Independent Expert on human rights obligations
related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de
Albuquerque.
"This landmark decision has the potential to change the lives of the
billions of human beings who still lack access to water and
sanitation," she said of the resolution adopted yesterday by the
Geneva-based Council.
Almost 900 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water
and more than 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic
sanitation. Studies also indicate about 1.5 million children under the
age of five die each year and 443 million school days are lost because
of water- and sanitation-related diseases.
The Assembly's resolution recognized the fundamental right to clean
water and sanitation, but did not specify that the right entailed
legally binding obligations.
The Council closed this gap by clarifying the foundation for
recognition of the right and the legal standards which apply,
according to a news release.
"The right to water and sanitation is a human right, equal to all
other human rights, which implies that it is justiciable and
enforceable," said Ms. de Albuquerque. "Hence from today onwards we
have an even greater responsibility to concentrate all our efforts in
the implementation and full realization of this essential right."
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For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
SIWA what say you: UN on Water and Sanitation
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