Derechos Humanos al
Agua
y al
Saneamiento
MDG target on water
In 2012, the MDG target on water had been reached.
But …
Still around 800 million people worldwide lack access to an improved drinking water source. Water quality is not monitored.
Disparities among rich and poor, rural and urban, informal and formal settlements.
MDG Target on Sanitation
Sanitation is one of the most off-track targets of the MDGs.
9 2.5 billion people do not have access to improved sanitation, 70 per cent of which live in rural areas. 9 Around 1 billion people
practice open defecation. 9 1.6 million people, mostly
children under the age of 5, die each year from water and sanitation-related diseases.
Striking Inequalities in Access: Urban-Rural 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1990 2010 All water infrastructure+surface water All water infrastructure Improved water sources Safe water sources safe water sources that is within 30mins of home safe water sources at home 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1990 2010 All water infrastructure+surface water All water infrastructure Improved water sources Safe water sources safe water sources that is within 30mins of home safe water sources at home Urban Rural
Urban-Rural disparities (2010) (source WHO-UNICEF)
Striking Inequalities in Access: Rich-Poor 5 11 7 16 31 36 57 37 Poorest 10 20 16 32 34 48 40 0 Poor 13 21 24 38 31 41 32 0 Middle Open defecation Unimproved facilities Shared i mproved facili ti es
Impr oved facilities
27 32 36 44 26 24 12 0 Rich 47 51 36 40 13 9 4 0 Richest
Rich-poor gap (rural): 42%pt (2000), 40%pt (2008)
Why human rights matter to water and sanitation?
Legal basis for the human rights to water
and sanitation
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (art. 25(1))
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (art. 11)
Convention on the Rights of the Child (art. 24(2)(h))
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (art. 14(2)(h))
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (art. 18 (2)(a))
UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions 292/64 and 15/9,
respectively
Human Rights Council resolution 24/41 affirmed the normative content of the HR to water and sanitation
Equality and non-discrimination:
Everyone is equal before the law; prohibition of arbitrary differences of treatment
Participation and inclusion:
Every person is entitled to active, free and meaningful participation in and contribution to decision-making processes affecting them
Accountability and the rule of law:
State and other duty-bearers should be accountable for the fulfilment of their obligations
Human rights-based approach: key elements
What is the Human Right to Water and
Sanitation?
The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe,
acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.
The human right to sanitation
entitles everyone, without discrimination, to physical and
affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, which is safe, hygienic, secure, socially and culturally
acceptable, which provides privacy and dignity.
Normative content of the rights to water
and sanitation
AVAILABILITY: sufficient and continuous for personal and
domestic uses; within immediate vicinity
QUALITY: safe for consumption and other personal uses;
hygienically and technically safe to use
ACCESSIBILITY: to everyone without discrimination, within the immediate vicinity
AFFORDABILITY: price must be affordable for all without
compromising the ability to secure other essential necessities
guaranteed by human rights
ACCEPTABILITY: culturally acceptable and gender-specific, and to ensure privacy and dignity
1 ¿Qué es el acceso a la justicia?
Los Estados tienen la obligación de realizar los
derechos humanos al agua y al saneamiento y se puede exigir su responsabilidad por el
cumplimiento de dicha obligación.
El derecho de acceso a la justicia es
indispensable para poner en práctica este principio fundamental.
las personas pueden denunciar supuestas violaciones a los derechos humanos ante órganos independientes e imparciales.
1.1 Fundamentos legales
Los derechos humanos al A&S son componentes del derecho humano a un nivel de vida adecuado (Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales).
Comité de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y
Culturales (CDESC), Observación general Nº 15
“Toda persona o grupo que haya sido víctima de una violación del derecho al agua deberá contar con
recursos judiciales o de otro tipo efectivos tanto en el plano nacional como en el internacional”.
“Todas las víctimas de las violaciones del derecho al agua deberán tener derecho a una reparación
adecuada”.
La Observación general Nº 15 se aplica igualmente al derecho humano al saneamento.
1.2 Las dimensiones del acceso a la justicia
La obligación de respetar (desconexiones,
acceso a fuentes de agua, contaminación, reducción cuantidad)
La obligación de proteger (prevención de
violaciones…cambio de proveedores)
La obligación de cumplir (universalización…)
No discriminación e igualdad
Participación
3 Cómo hacer para que el acceso a la justicia sea eficaz
Todos los mecanismos de rendición de cuentas
deben resolver las denuncias de manera inmediata, expeditiva, eficaz, imparcial e independiente.
Los recursos deben ser accesibles, asequibles,
3.1 Cómo superar los obstáculos al acceso a la justicia Acceso a la información. Accesibilidad física. Asequibilidad Servicios jurídicos Otros obstáculos
Barreras sociales que enfrentan las mujeres.
No familiaridad con regulaciones y tradiciones de los tribunales.
Dependencia económica de personas o grupos que violan los derechos.
Miedo a represalias, discriminación o estigmatización (privacidad y anonimato)
3.2 ¿Qué se requiere para garantizar el acceso a la justicia?
Expertise y capacitación.
Independencia, imparcialidad, transparencia y
rendición de cuentas.
Toma de decisiones en forma inmediata y
oportuna.
Procesos y decisiones comprensibles.
Interpretación del derecho nacional en
consonancia con el derecho internacional.
Los tribunales y los organismos de derechos
humanos deben evaluar si el Estado ha
3.3 Recursos apropiados y eficaces
Diseño de recursos apropiados, incluso
recursos sistemáticos.
Cómo garantizar el cumplimiento de las
Rights to water and sanitation – what do
they mean in practice?
Do States have to implement these rights overnight?
Do States have to provide access directly?
Is everyone entitled to piped water and a flush toilet connected to a sewerage network?
Do States have to provide services free of charge?
Do human rights contribute to providing access to water and sanitation?
Integrating human rights in Post-2015 development agenda
For further information
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues /WaterAndSanitation/SRWater/ Pages/SRWaterIndex.aspx
