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United Nations Human Rights Office of the High commissioner
Welcome to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Water and Sanitation

Participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation

Pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 16/2 of 2011 and 21/2 of 2012, the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, was mandated to work on identifying challenges and obstacles to the full realization of the rights, as well as protection gaps, good practices and enabling factors.

She was also asked to monitor the way in which the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is being realized throughout the world. She considers that active, free and meaningful participation is essential in the realization of human rights. There are many great examples in the water and sanitation sectors of participatory processes. However, they seem more like isolated instances of good (or even excellent) practices, rather than a systematic approach to ensuring participation at all levels. At the same time, instances of a lack of participation abound. For this reason, the Special Rapporteur will prepare a report on the issue of participation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation. The report will be presented to the General Assembly in October 2014.

The Special Rapporteur invited States, intergovernmental organizations, national and international non-governmental organizations, national human rights institutions, United Nations agencies and entities, academia and all other interested stakeholders to contribute their views and perspectives in writing through a questionnaire (E F S).

Submissions received