This is the third newsletter of 2018 on the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. Several activities of significance to the mandate have taken place in the passing months and more will be coming up soon. In this newsletter you will find information on the following issues:

1. High-Level Political Forum 2018 (HLPF)

2. Official visit to Malaysia: call for input

3. #Youth4watsan online challenge: announcement of winner!

4. Human Rights Council 39th session

5. Follow-up analysis of country visits

6. Communications and press releases

1. High-Level Political Forum 2018 (HLPF)

The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development took place in New York from 9 to 18 July 2018, with the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”. I was present at the HLPF from 9 to 11 July 2018 and participated through the following activities:

· Intervention at High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on the implementation of SDG 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” (video of intervention and written intervention)

· Key-note speaker at HLPF Side-event: “Building resilience by ensuring access to water and sanitation for all: Experiences with human rights-based approaches” (invitation)

· Panel discussant at HLPF Side-event “Water and Faith Communities towards achieving SDG 6” (invitation)

2. Official visit to Malaysia: call for input

I will be undertaking an official visit to Malaysia from 21 November to 4 December 2018, at the invitation of the Government. The purpose of this country visit is to understand, in the spirit of co-operation and dialogue, how the State endeavours to implement the human rights to water and sanitation. For all previous country visits see here. To that end, I will examine both good practices and challenges faced in the country with regard to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. In September 2019, I will present my findings and recommendations related to my visit to Malaysia in a report that will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council.

Civil society, human rights activists and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to submit general input and specific proposals with regard to:

• Issues of concern related to the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, including but not limited to availability, accessibility, quality and safety, affordability and acceptability of water for drinking and domestic usage and sanitation (see the full instructions here for an explanation and guiding questions)
• Potential areas to visit such as towns or communities during the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Malaysia.
• Relevant organisations and individuals to meet during the Special Rapporteur’s visit to Malaysia.

Please send your input in Word format by email to srwatsan@ohchr.org.

3. #Youth4watsan online challenge: announcement of winner!

One month prior to the UN International Youth Day (12 August), I launched a challenge for youth aged 15 to 24 to show their knowledge and passion for the human rights to water and sanitation: the #Youth4watsan challenge (see instructions in English | French| Spanish).

The prize for the winning submission is an all-expenses-paid trip to Geneva for the winner to talk at a side-event of the 39th session of the Human Rights Council about his or her submission and the situation regarding the human rights to water and sanitation in his or her country.

Over 150 submissions were received from around the world, in several different languages. I would like to thank each and every participation for showing inspiring dedication and creativity to demonstrate their passion as human rights defenders and future leaders.

I am glad to announce that the winner of the #Youth4watsan challenge is Asniya Mohamad (Philippines). Her submission can be viewed here.

4. Human Rights Council 39th session

The 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council will be held from 10 to 28 September 2018. I will be in Geneva during the first week of the session with a busy agenda:

Presentation of reports. I will be present the following reports to the Council on 10 September (Monday):

· Thematic report on forcibly displaced persons (A/HRC/39/55) — advanced edited report

· Country visit report to India (A/HRC/39/55/Add.1) — advanced edited report

· Country visit report to Mongolia (A/HRC/39/55/Add.2) — advanced edited report

Brainstorming Roundtables on 2019 thematic reports. Similar to last year, as part of the preparation for my research and to consult relevant stakeholders, I will convene two brainstorming roundtable meetings in order to have a preliminary discussion on the possible scope and content of the report.

· Brainstorming Roundtable on the impact of mega-projects on the human rights to water and sanitation — 11 September 2019 (Tues) 9:30 a.m. — 11:30 p.m. OHCHR Palais Wilson, Room 1–016 (concept note)

· Brainstorming Roundtable on the human rights to water and sanitation in spheres of life beyond the household — 12 September 2019 (Wed) 10:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m OHCHR Palais Wilson, Room RS 181 (concept note)

Side-event on Youth. In addition, on 11 September 2018 (Tues) at 3:30 p.m., I will co-organize a side-event at the margins of the 39th session of the Human Rights Council focusing on youth and the human rights to water and sanitation. The winner of Youth Challenge will be invited to speak at this event.

5. Follow-up analysis of country visits

Throughout 2018, I have been conducting a follow-up analysis of official country visits that I have carried out. The Annex of my report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/39/55) briefly explains the methodology and scope of the follow-up analysis project.

Up-to-date information on this follow-up analysis can now be found on this webpage, which currently shows the status of the analysis on Botswana, Portugal and Tajikistan. This includes the reports published following the initial visits, questionnaires sent to the States and to civil society for input on the implementation of recommendations, and responses provided by the States. The progress of the analysis on the country visits to El Salvador and Mexico will be available soon.

6. Communications and press releases

The following communications and press releases were made public in the past few months:

Brazil (18 May 2018) — Regarding the negative impacts of budget cuts, structural adjustment and austerity measures implemented since 2014, on several human rights, including the human rights to water and sanitation, and in particular the negative impacts linked to the Constitutional Amendment No 95, also known as “Expenditure Ceiling”, in force for over 16 months. A response has been received from the Government on 1 August 2018.

In connection with this, a press release was released on 3 August 2018 by several UN human rights experts, including myself: “Brazil must put human rights before austerity, warn UN experts as child mortality rises”.

In this video, I explain why Brazil must put human rights before austerity:

Brazil (13 June 2018) — Regarding Project of Law (PL) 6.299/2002, which amends the law on pesticides and would significantly weaken the criteria for approving the experimental and commercial use of pesticides, posing threats to a number of human rights, including the human rights to water and sanitation.

France (24 July 2018) — Third party submission (in French only) to the Administrative Court of Lille in relation to the access to water and sanitation by migrants and refugees in Calais and surrounding areas in the northern coast of France.

Follow the mandate!

The website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains the number one place to discover the mandate’s past and upcoming activities.

Medium.com is also being used by the mandate as a mobile-friendly platform to share select media, such as the variety of leaflets created by the mandate. Most of the material placed on Medium is available in English, French and Spanish!

The mandate is also present on major social media platforms Twitter, Facebook (@SRWatSan), and Instagram (@UNSRwatsan) where it actively engages with the global community on issues related to the human rights to water and sanitation.

Kindest regards,

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

2018 — August newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

I am happy to share the second newsletter of 2018 and to inform you of my recent and upcoming activities. The main points are summarized as follows:

1. Official visit to Mongolia

2. Expert consultations on annual reports

3. Social media consultation on accountability

4. Communications and press releases

1. Official visit to Mongolia

I undertook an official visit to Mongolia at the invitation of the Government from 9 to 20 April 2018 to assess the country’s situation regarding the realization of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. During my visit, I visited and interacted with communities in Ulaanbaatar City, Dundgovi aimag and Umnugovi aimag (provinces), examining access to drinking water and sanitation services for Mongolians living in urban and rural areas, including the nomadic population. In particular, I observed various layers of inequalities in access to these services that are a matter of great concern from a human rights perspective.

I am very grateful to all civil society organisations for their support before and during the official visit, the individuals and families who took time out to meet with me and share their experiences, and to the general public who followed my visit.

My full statement on the official visit to Mongolia, including all updates on social media during the visit, can be read in English or in Mongolian and the shorter press release can be read here. I will present my mission report to Mongolia at the 39th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2018.

2. Expert consultations on annual reports

For this year’s two thematic reports, I am focusing on two themes:

· The principle of accountability in the context of the human rights to water and sanitation for the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in October 2018 (Click here more info); and

· The human rights to water and sanitation of forcibly displaced persons for the 39th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2018 (Click here for more info)

From 14 to 17 May 2018, I organized two consultations in Geneva for the two thematic reports (see the concept note on accountability and the concept note on forcibly displaced persons) and invited groups of experts to give input on the subjects addressed in the aforementioned reports. The experts — from Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Asia, and with experience in service provision, humanitarian aid and advocacy, international law and human rights — discussed key elements for each of the reports and provided valuable perspectives on the realisation of the human rights to water and sanitation in these contexts. I would like to thank the experts for their time and efforts devoted to these consultations.

3. Social media consultation on accountability

Throughout the month of June, I am consulting the general public and other stakeholders to share their input on accountability and the human rights to water and sanitation through a consultation hosted on my social media networks. I encourage everyone to submit further input and follow the consultation through the hashtag #WASHaccountability (water, sanitation and hygiene accountability) and contribute on Facebook or Twitter.

4. Communications and press releases

The following communications were made public following the publication of the Communications report of Special Procedures at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council.

Venezuela (11 Dec 2017) — Regarding the systematic deterioration of living conditions and the increase of poverty and extreme poverty, in particular regarding the human rights to adequate housing, food and health. The Government replied on 11 January 2018.

Haiti (12 Jan 2018) — Regarding the human rights situation and conditions of detention in the civil prison of Port-au-Prince. The Government confirmed reception of this official letter on 31 January 2018.

Libya (23 Jan 2018) — Regarding the negative impact on living conditions of the population in the City of Derna, including their access to safe drinking water, sanitation, food as well as medical services and supplies, following the siege of the city since 2014. No reply was received from the government by 30 April 2018.

France (23 April 2018) — Regarding the fast-track adoption of Bill 714 “for controlled immigration and an effective right of asylum”, which was to be examined by the National Assembly as of April 16, 2018. Certain measures included in the draft law would make access to asylum and effective remedy more difficult and contain provisions for suspension or refusal of material conditions of reception, with possible repercussions on the access of migrants to water supply and sanitation services.

Brazil (13 June 2018) — Regarding Project of Law (PL), 6.299/2002 which amends Law №7.802 of 11 July 1989, which deals with the research, experimentation, production, packaging and labeling, transportation, storage, commercialization, commercial advertisement, use, import, export, final destination of wastes as well as packaging, registration, classification, control, inspection and inspection of pesticides. The referred amendments would significantly weaken the criteria for approving the experimental and commercial use of pesticides, posing threats to a number of human rights. Concerns exist for the human right to water as the increased use of pesticides can directly affect the safety and quality of water.

In addition, I led or took part in the following press releases in recent months:

· UN experts condemn deadly police response to protest against copper smelting plant in India, call for probe (31 May 2018)

· France urged by UN experts to take effective measures to bring water and sanitation services to migrants (4 April 2018)

Kindest regards,

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

Follow the mandate!

The website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains the number one place to discover the mandate’s past and upcoming activities.

Medium.com is also being used by the mandate as a mobile-friendly platform to share select media, such as the variety of leaflets created by the mandate. Most of the material placed on Medium is available in English, French and Spanish!

The mandate is also present on major social media platforms Instagram (@UNSRwatsan), Twitter and Facebook (@SRWatSan), where it actively engages with the global community on issues related to the human rights to water and sanitation.

2018 — June newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear friends,

This my latest newsletter on my recent and upcoming activities, summarized below in the following five points.

1. Questionnaire for thematic reports

2. Official visit to Mongolia

3. Agenda during the World Water Forum and Alternative World Water Forum

4. Ask me anything for World Water Day

5. Announcing project to follow-up on official country visits

6. Communications and press releases

***

1. Questionnaire for thematic reports

For 2018, I am preparing two thematic reports and inviting all interested stakeholders to share their input.

For the seventy-third session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2018, my report will address the principle of accountability in the context of the human rights to water and sanitation. I continue to invite all stakeholders with relevant input on this subject to share their input via the questionnaire below .

Questionnaire to States English | French | Spanish

Questionnaire to non-State actors English | French | Spanish

For the thirty-ninth session United Nations Human Rights Council in 2018, my report will address the human rights to water and sanitation of forcibly displaced persons in need of humanitarian assistance. I am still accepting input from all stakeholders who would like to provide contributions on this subject via the questionnaire below.

Questionnaire to States: English | French | Spanish

Questionnaire to non-State actors: English | French | Spanish

2. Official visit to Mongolia

I will be undertaking an official visit to Mongolia to assess the country’s situation regarding the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation from 9 to 20 April 2018. The initially planned period to share information has already passed, but I am still accepting relevant input on the human rights to water and sanitation in Mongolia. To do so, consult these instructions.

3. Agenda during the World Water Forum and Alternative World Water Forum

I participated in the 8th World Water Forum in Brasília from March 18 to 23, 2018, as well as in the Alternative World Water Forum, an event held in parallel by civil society stakeholders in Brasília during the same period. To see my participation in the week’s activities in detail, please consult my Activities page on my OHCHR website.

4. Ask me anything for World Water Day

On the occasion of this year’s World Water Day (22 March), I launched an online initiative for individuals and groups to ask me anything on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. Below are links to my video responses published on World Water Day.

5. Announcing project to follow-up on official country visits

As a Special Rapporteur, I conduct two official country visits per year to examine the situation of access to water and sanitation and provide support in accelerating the implementation of the human rights to water and sanitation. After each visit, I present a report of the visit to the UN Human Rights Council which contains findings and various country-specific recommendations. In order to support a coordinated approach at the country level to ensure follow-up to my recommendations, I have decided to conduct a follow-up analysis of the official country visits that I have undertaken. I will soon hold an online public consultation to engage and consult relevant stakeholders.

6. Communications and press releases

The following communications were made public following the publication of the Communications report of Special Procedures at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council.

Yemen (15 June 2017) — Concerning the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation of the population of the Republic of Yemen, in particular, in relation to the outbreak of cholera observed in Yemen since October 2016.

Guatemala (10 July 2017) — Regarding displacement, threats of eviction and destruction of housing in the entire community of Laguna Larga (municipality of San Andrés Petén), and approximately 107 families that are now in a situation of humanitarian emergency at the Mexican border in an improvised camp close to the community El Desengaño. The Government replied on 11 August 2017 (see linked documents: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

Myanmar (23 Aug 2017) — Regarding the deteriorating food security situation in the north of Rakhine State where the majority of the population compose of the Rohingya Muslims. The Government replied on 11 January 2018.

France (12 Oct 2017) –Regarding the situation of access to safe drinking water and sanitation for migrants and asylum seekers in the Hauts-de-France region, particularly the cities of Calais, Grande-Synthe, Tatinghem, Angres and Dieppe. The Government replied on 21 November 2017.

· A press release was issued on 16 Oct. 2017 by myself, Mr. Felipe Gonzalez Morales, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, and Ms. Leilani Farha, Special Rapporteur on the adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context

Ukraine (9 Nov 2017) — Regarding the recent shelling of facilities containing toxic chemicals and the potential disruption of water treatment and supply infrastructure during military hostilities in the region of Donetsk. No reply was received from the Government by 31 January 2018.

· A press release was issued on 10 Nov. 2017 by myself and Mr. Baskut Tuncak, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes

Papua New Guinea (10 Nov 2017) — Regarding the situation of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island in connection with the closure of the Manus Regional Processing Centre. No reply was received from the Government by 31 January 2018.

Australia (10 Nov 2017) — Regarding the situation of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island in connection to the closure of the Manus Regional Processing Centre. The Government replied on 11 December 2017.

Mexico (22 Nov 2017) — Allegations of lacking consultation with the Yaqui Indigenous Peoples regarding the Independencia aqueduct of Gasoducto Aguaprieta, and the impact of this on the Yaqui peoples’ rights related to their land, territories and resources. No reply was received from the Government by 31 January 2018.

***

In addition, I led or took part in the following press releases in recent months:

· UN human rights experts urge Turkey not to extend state of emergency (17 January 2018)

· Latin America and Caribbean urgently need strong, legally binding treaty on environmental rights, say UN experts (27 November 2017)

· For World Toilet Day, “Sanitation is a Human Right” (19 November 2017)

Follow the mandate!

The website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains the number one place to discover the mandate’s past and upcoming activities. There you can discover the role of the mandate; all thematic reports submitted by the mandate to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council; a review of all country visits; press releases where the mandate has used its voice to speak out against concerning human rights situations around the world; and a wide variety of informational tools and shareable media, available in multiple languages, aimed at educating, spreading awareness, and growing the stock of human rights defenders worldwide.

Medium.com is also being used by the mandate as a mobile-friendly platform to share select media, such as the variety of leaflets created by the mandate. Most of the material placed on Medium is available in English, French and Spanish!

The mandate is also present on major social media platforms Twitter and Facebook (@SRWatSan), where it actively engages with the global community on issues related to the human rights to water and sanitation.

Hoping to see many of you soon at the 8th World Water Forum, and to the rest a happy World Water Day to all in celebration of the human rights to water and sanitation.

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

2018 — March newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear friends,

It is a pleasure to be writing to you once more on my recent and upcoming activities before the year comes to a close.

I would like to highlight the following topics in this newsletter:

· World Toilet Day

· Country visit to India (October-November)

· Call for input — visit to Mongolia

· Open letter to UN-Habitat, GWOPA members and donors

· UN General Assembly — report on development cooperation

· Human Rights Council — report on service regulation and country missions

· Open letter to WHO/UNICEF

· The mandate in the news

World Toilet Day

World Toilet Day took place on 19 November, mere days after the end of my recent visit to India. As UN-Water recently highlighted in connection with World Toilet Day, “perfect sanitation” was one of the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi. In my own public statement that I published for the occasion, I emphasize that sanitation is a human right still not enjoyed by too many individuals. With only 12 years left until the deadline of the world Sustainable Development Goals, we have to put human rights on the agenda if wish to accomplish SDG 6.2 to provide access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation.

Country visit to India

My official visit to India, which I undertook at the invitation of the Government from 27 October to 10 November 2017, was highly interesting. Throughout that period, I visited and interacted with communities in Delhi, Sarai Kale Khan (homeless shelter and flyover), Lal Bagh (non-notified slum), Mansarovar Park, Savda Ghevra resettlement site, Mundka Ward; in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: Daulatpur village, Naubasta Kala village (Chinhat ward), Sarthara village, Vinaykpuram (slum) and small Jugauli (notified); in Kolkata, West Bengal, Tangra Dhapa and North Tangra; and in Imphal, Manipur, Nungbrang and Leirongthel Villages (downstream villages located near the Thoubal Multipurpose Project.

I am very grateful to the support of all civil society organisations for their support before and during the official visit, as well as the individuals and families who took time out to meet with me and share their experiences.

My full statement is available here and the shorter press release can be read here.

Call for input — visit to Mongolia

My next country visit will be to Mongolia from 9 to 20 April 2018.

Find the official call for input here to receive instructions on how to submit relevant information!

UN General Assembly — report on development cooperation & complementary materials

My second report (A/72/127) on development cooperation and the realisation of the human rights to water and sanitation is available online. I presented the report at the 72nd session of the General Assembly on 23 October 2017. You can consult my full statement to the General Assembly and watch the live recording of the statement on the provided links.

The preparation of this thematic report included six in-depth case studies on the funders: France, Japan, UNICEF, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group. However, the extent of the research is not fully reflected in the report due to the maximum permitted length Thus, in the interest of providing further insight into the results of those case studies, I have prepared a brief on each of the funders which has been reviewed by the respective funders and incorporates their comments. Access the briefs here on my webpage.

Human Rights Council — reports on service regulation and country missions

On 11 and 12 September 2017, I presented my report on service regulation and the human rights to water and sanitation (A/HRC/36/45) at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council, as well as reports on my country visits to Portugal (5–13 December 2016) and Mexico (2–12 May 2017). You can consult my full statement to Human Rights Council and watch the live recording of the statement on the provided links (part 1 & 2).

Continuing the series of leaflets on key issues for the human rights to water and sanitation, the newest leaflet explores the main messages of my recent report on service regulation. It is available for print distribution in English, French and Spanish (PDF) and in mobile-friendly format at my page on Medium.com (English, French, Spanish).

During the Human Rights Council in Geneva, I organized and participated in several activities:

Consultations

· 12 Sep. Brainstorming roundtable on the human rights to water and sanitation in humanitarian assistance (discussion questions)

· 12 Sep. Dialogue with civil society, OHCHR Palais Wilson (invitation)

· 13 Sep. Brainstorming roundtable on accountability and the human rights to water and sanitation (discussion questions)

Side events

· Side-event on “The Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation”, organized by the Permanent Missions of the Holy See, Malta and the Caritas in Veritate Foundation (press release, publication on ‘Water and Human Rights’)

In the same period, I also participated in events in Italy and Spain:

· 15 Sep. World Water Development Report 2019, Inception Meeting (Perugia, Italy)

· 18 Sep. International Conference on Sustainable Development Goals: Actors and Implementation, Parallel Session 6: SDG6 — Clean Water and Sanitation (programme) (Barcelona, Spain)

· 18 Sep. Foro de la Economía del Agua (programme) (Barcelona, Spain)

· 18 Sep. Dialogue with civil society (more info) (Barcelona, Spain)

To highlight one of those events (“Foro de la Economía del Agua”, Barcelona, 18 Sep. 2017), in this video I respond to a question on the concerns that can exist for different service provision models — public or private — in the water and sanitation sector (in Spanish).

Open letter to UN-Habitat, GWOPA members and donors

On 8 November 2017, I published an open letter to the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Members of the Global Water Operators’ Partnership Alliance (GWOPA) International Steering Committee and donors. In the letter, I call on all relevant actors involved in GWOPA to make utmost efforts to maintain the Alliance and to preserve its inspiring spirit. This call came after I received information on ongoing debates to restructure GWOPA in ways that could, among other things, put the continuity of the administrative and financial support currently granted to the initiative at risk. It is essential for GWOPA to maintain its independence and its main principles (i.e. not-for-profit peer support, focus on fragile providers, and open and transparent alliance) which have contributed to advance the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation.

Open letter to WHO/UNICEF

On 28 July 2017, I published an open letter to the WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for WASH, in relation to its publication, titled “Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG baselines”. JMP is the main institution responsible for monitoring the water- and sanitation-related goals of the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals, and the 2017 Progress Report was the first monitoring report in the SDG era. While it significantly contributes towards providing an overall blueprint of the WASH sector, certain human rights concerns stood out which I chose to evoke in the open letter.

WHO-UNICEF responded on 1 August 2017.

The mandate in the news

In the past few months, urgent attention has been required to call on States to protect the human rights to water and sanitation. Some notable cases in which I was involved are listed below:

· Ukraine — On 10 November 2017, the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of hazardous substances and wastes, Baskut Tuncak, and myself addressed new risks of chemical disaster and water safety that are arising after an escalation of conflict near water supply facilities in the east of the country. The rights of almost 1.1 million people’s access to safe drinking water and sanitation on both sides of the contact line are at risk of being affected if hostilities continue to hit water treatment facilities in Eastern Ukraine.

· Puerto Rico — On 30 October, more than a month after Hurricane Maria rocked several areas in the Caribbean, I joined several UN human rights experts in urging the United States government to provide an effective emergency response to the island. After a natural disaster, and with winter approaching, we emphasized the obligation of all levels of government to protect the residents of the approximately 90 thousand homes that were destroyed, which includes ensuring them access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

· France — On 16 October 2018, I was joined by several Special Rapporteurs in urging the Government of France to devise long-term measures to provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation for migrants in Calais and other areas along the northern French coast. According to reports, approximately 700 migrants in Calais and the greater area of Calais temporarily rely on only 10 portable lavatories and water from 10 taps.

· Yemen — On 16 June 2017, the Special Rapporteur on the human right to health, Dainius Pūras, and myself urged Yemen and the international community to solve Yemen’s water crisis to halt the spiralling cholera outbreak in the country. As of July 1, the World Health Organisation reported that the death toll had surpassed 1,500. I continue to urge all stakeholders to strengthen the initiatives to build and repair infrastructure and to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Earlier this year, we contacted the Government of Yemen to seek clarification about the situation. In April 2017, UN experts urged an end to the conflict and blockade, warning that the deliberate starvation of civilians may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Follow the mandate!

The website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains the number one place to discover the mandate’s past and upcoming activities. There you can discover the role of the mandate; all thematic reports submitted by the mandate to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council; a review of all country visits (now 21 total!); press releases where the mandate has used its voice to speak out against concerning human rights situations around the world; and a wide variety of informational tools and shareable media, available in multiple languages, aimed at educating, spreading awareness, and growing the stock of human rights defenders worldwide.

Medium.com is also being used by the mandate as a mobile-friendly platform to share select media, such as the variety of leaflets created by the mandate. Most of the material placed on Medium is available in English, French and Spanish!

The mandate is also present on major social media platforms Twitter and Facebook (@SRWatSan), where it actively engages with the global community on issues related to the human rights to water & sanitation.

Best wishes to all, hoping that human rights stay on everyone’s agendas throughout the rest of the year.

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water & sanitation

2017 — November newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear friends,

As 2017 presses on and we pass the half-way mark, I am happy to be back informing you of my activities over the past few months and what can be expected for the rest of the year. The following are the main topics I will be discussing, for your ease of navigation.

· My contribution to World Water Day

· Mission to Mexico (May 2017)

· Expert consultation: reports for the UN Human Rights Council & General Assembly

· The mandate in the news

· World Water Week

· Mission to India (Nov 2017)

· World Water Forum 2018

· New reports for 2018

· How to follow the mandate/subscribe to the newsletter

My contribution to World Water Day

Since 1993, World Water Day is celebrated on March 22. On this year’s World Water Day, I released a statement on the importance of development cooperation for the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation. I also launched a series of videos on the human rights to water and sanitation. They were recorded in English, Spanish and Portuguese (all subtitled in English) and are available on the YouTube channel of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Watch and share!

· Describing the scope of my mandate as UN Special Rapporteur

· On the human right to water

· On the human right to sanitation

· Discussing human rights and the SDGs

Mission to Mexico

From 2 to 12 May, I conducted an official visit to Mexico at the invitation of the country’s government. One intense day after another, meeting with a diversity of actors and travelling to several locations throughout Mexico, I was able to make an assessment of people’s access to water supply and sanitation services in the country.

I spoke with representatives of the Federal Government, State and Municipal authorities, members of civil society organizations working on water, sanitation and human rights, as well as numerous residents. I visited marginalized communities within Mexico City and also travelled to the State of Mexico, Veracruz and Chiapas, where I was able to witness the conditions of unequal access that afflict indigenous and rural populations, as well as people that live in informal settlements.

Although the human rights to water and sanitation were explicitly recognized in Mexico’s federal constitution in 2012, repeated attempts to pass new legislation for the water and sanitation sector have proven unsuccessful. This is important as it means service providers and state institutions are still holding themselves to standards that do not necessarily reflect the standards and principles of the human rights to water and sanitation.

At the same time, in many parts of the country, such as a community that I visited in Chiapas, essential infrastructure such as wastewater treatment plants have been abandoned and left in disrepair. Absence of adequate water and sanitation services is a very concerning issue in Mexico, especially for indigenous peoples and dispersed rural or peri-urban populations.

A short statement on my observations in Mexico is available English and Spanish.

And a slightly longer read is also available English and Spanish.

Expert consultation: reports for the UN Human Rights Council & General Assembly

On 22–24 May, two consultations were organized in Rio de Janeiro with small groups of experts to receive input on the subjects addressed in the upcoming reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly. The reports focus on the human rights to water and sanitation in connection with service regulation and development cooperation, respectively.

The sixteen experts — from Africa, Europe, North America and South America with experience in service regulation, public utility management, development cooperation and human rights — discussed key elements for each of the reports and provided valuable perspectives based on their experiences in the water and sanitation sector.

Both reports were finalized in the months following and I will present each of them at the next meeting of the respective bodies: the 36th meeting of the Human Rights Council (September 2017) and the 72nd meeting of the General Assembly (October 2017).

The mandate in the news

On several occasions this year, urgent attention has been required to protect the human rights to water and sanitation. Some notable cases in which I was involved are listed below:

1. Gaza (12 July 2017) — I joined several UN human rights experts in calling on the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to alleviate the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Longstanding power shortages have had serious impacts on the human rights of Gaza’s two million residents, affecting hospital conditions, exacerbating water shortages, and provoking greater dumping of untreated sewage into the Mediterranean Sea. Those residents’ suffering represents “a complete failure of all parties to uphold their fundamental human rights obligations, including the inalienable right to life.” Read the UN experts’ full statement here.

2. Yemen (16 June 2017) — The Special Rapporteur on the human right to health, Dainius Pūras, and myself urged Yemen and the international community to solve Yemen’s water crisis to halt the spiralling cholera outbreak in the country. Grappling with an ongoing conflict that has led to the deterioration of water and sanitation infrastructure in Yemen, as of 16 June, upwards of 135,000 people were feared to have contracted the water-borne disease and more than 950 people had died of it. As of July 1, the World Health Organisation reported that the death toll had surpassed 1,500. Welcoming the efforts being made to mitigate the outbreak, it is critically important to address the underlying problem of unsafe water supplies, which has a negative impact on the enjoyment of the right to health by the population, in particular children and those in most vulnerable situations. I continue to urge all stakeholders to strengthen the initiatives to build and repair infrastructure and to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Earlier this year, Special Rapporteur Dainius Pūras and I contacted the Government of Yemen to seek clarification about this situation. Furthermore, in April 2017, UN experts urged an end to the conflict and blockade, warning that the deliberate starvation of civilians may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.

3. Nigeria — (27 February 2017) — I released a press statement raising serious concerns about the Lagos Environmental Bill, which proposed to effectively make it a crime to fetch water from natural sources (e.g. rivers and lakes). I also made contact with the government to inquire about the bill and its provisions. Shockingly, the bill proposal came only months after I contacted the government to request information regarding the megacity’s worrying conditions of access to water and sanitation for its more than 20 million residents, and mere weeks after I urged authorities in Lagos to ensure that the State budget would improve funding for water and sanitation services. Fortunately, the final legislation that was passed by the State House of Assembly in May 2017 excluded several harmful provisions. For example, fetching water from natural sources was not made a punishable offence, which would have affected many residents who obtain water that way in the absence of formal services. This case was particularly helpful to show the weight that Special Rapporteurs, together with an active civil society, can have on influencing governments to fulfil their human rights obligations. However, the Nigerian government has still not replied to the official communications that were sent to them to request further information.

4. Myanmar (9 January 2017) — Special Rapporteurs including myself contacted the government of Myanmar to draw attention to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country’s northern Rakhine State. The Rohingya population living in that region (estimated at 800,000) have been particularly affected by the action of security forces undertaking “clearance operations” after Border Guard Police posts suffered attacks in October 2016. As those people’s freedom of movement was increasingly restricted, their access to basic services including water and sanitation was also severely curtailed, creating impacts on hygiene and health. The government has not yet responded to our request for information.

5. Colombia (22 December 2016) — I joined several Special Rapporteurs in calling on the Colombian government to address the long-standing conditions affecting the rights of the indigenous Wayúu population in the northern department La Guajira. The Wayúu, living mostly in rural and peri-urban areas, are composed of at least 300,000 people, making them the most populous indigenous community in Colombia. Between 2014 and 2015, a study of Wayúu children in La Guajira discovered that 897 boys and girls under 5 suffered acute malnutrition. Since 2014, sources of water traditionally used by Wayúu have dried up and left the population without safe access to water for personal and domestic use. In addition, the water available in La Guajira for use by the Wayúu population, especially in rural areas of La Guajira, has been verified as presenting high risk in water quality tests.

· On 27 February 2017, the Colombian government responded describing the measures that have been taken to address these human rights concerns.

World Water Week

In the last week of August 2017, Stockholm is hosting World Water Week with the theme “water and waste — reduce and reuse”.

On 25–26 August, I will be attending the UN Water meeting. On 27 August, I will be participating in two events:

1. As keynote speaker in the day’s second session, speaking on “Participation as key to gender equality in rights to water and sanitation” in the seminar “Understanding the gender dimension of water and waste”. For more details: http://programme.worldwaterweek.org/event/7454

2. As participant in a dynamic exchange of practical experiences on the implementation of the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation and SDG6 monitoring. This event will gather development partners, including regional bodies (IDB, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights), civil society (ONGAWA, WaterLex), agencies (AECID, COSUDE) and governments. For more details: http://programme.worldwaterweek.org/event/7123

Mission to India

To fulfil the requirements of my mandate as Special Rapporteur as determined by the UN Human Rights Council, I will undertake an official visit to India from 30 October to 10 November 2017. Civil society, human rights activists and other interested parties are encouraged to submit input. Please find complete details on how to submit information here.

World Water Forum 2018

In March 2018, the World Water Forum will be taking place in Brasília. The Forum is a decades-old, triannual event that brings together relevant decision makers with respect to water-related issues to raise awareness on the water sector. However, on many occasions the event has been subject to critique by civil society groups who often claim that a plurality of interests is not represented at the Forum. In that line, groups from Brazil and around the world have started organizing an Alternative World Water Forum that will take place in Brasilia in the same period.

To date, human rights have largely not been on the agenda of the World Water Forum. The Alternative World Water Forum, on the other hand, has explicitly expressed a priority focus on water as a human right. In March 2018, it will be important to see if both events finally demonstrate visions of water that dialogue with human rights. It would be opportune for the World Water Forum to adopt such a focus as it will be the first to take place in the SDGs era. I will be sure to keep you abreast of further developments as the date approaches.

New reports in 2018

I have officially chosen the subjects of focus for next year’s reports to the UN Human Rights Council and General Assembly. The report for the General Assembly will address the human rights to water and sanitation in situations of humanitarian crisis, including for refugees and migrants. The report for the Human Rights Council will address accountability and the human rights to water and sanitation. Additionally, I will be organizing a follow-up report on the country missions that have been performed by the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation.

How to follow the mandate?

The website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains the number one place to discover the mandate’s past and upcoming activities. There you can discover the role of the mandate; all thematic reports submitted by the mandate to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council; a review of all country visits (now 20 total!); press releases where the mandate has used its voice to speak out against concerning human rights situations around the world; and a wide variety of informational tools and shareable media, available in multiple languages, aimed at educating, spreading awareness, and growing the stock of human rights defenders worldwide.

Medium.com is also being used by the mandate as a mobile-friendly platform to share select media, such as the variety of leaflets created by the mandate. Most of the material placed on Medium is available in English, French and Spanish!

The mandate is also present on major social media platforms Twitter and Facebook (@SRWatSan), where it actively engages with the global community on issues related to the human rights to water & sanitation.

Best wishes to all, hoping that human rights stay on everyone’s agendas throughout the rest of the year.

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water & sanitation

2017 — July newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear friends and colleagues,

I write to draw your attention to new developments in my mandate on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

The main topics on today’s newsletter, for your ease of navigation, are the following:

• Call for input — country visit to Mexico 2017
• Questionnaire for report to the UN Human Right Council on service regulation
• Update on preparation of report to the UN General Assembly on development cooperation
• Communications on alleged human rights violations
• Activities of the mandate
• Subscription to the newsletter

Call for input — country visit to Mexico 2017

As defined in my mandate as Special Rapporteur, two country assessments must be performed each year. My next mission will be to Mexico from 2 to 11 May.

For such assessments, an important part of the research process is to consult human rights defenders and civil society — including academics, technical experts and activists — for relevant information that should be taken into consideration. Such information ideally consists in issues of concern for the human rights to water and sanitation, potential areas to visit (States, towns or communities, etc.) or relevant organizations and individuals to meet during the visit. If you have information, or may know of an individual/group/organization that does, please share this message and send your submission to srwatsan@ohchr.org

Finally, confirmation has been received from the government of India for an additional country mission in November 2017.

Questionnaire for report to the UN Human Rights Council on service regulation

Work is underway on this report, which has the aim of providing recommendations on how regulation of water and sanitation services can contribute to the realization of human rights. Notably, it will explore different regulatory mechanisms and their capacity to respect human rights principles and the key normative content of the rights to water and sanitation.

To ensure the report has benefited from a diversity of experiences and expertise, I have elaborated a short questionnaire (one for States and another for non-State actors) treating various aspects of regulation for this sector. I hope to receive responses from State governments, relevant actors in the water and sanitation sector, and diverse civil society members. Please share this message with relevant individuals, groups or organizations via the following link.

Update on preparation of report to the UN General Assembly on development cooperation

This report on development cooperation will complement the report that I submitted to the UN General Assembly in 2016. The research phase is still very much active, and I have been consulting a group of hand-picked experts with expertise in human rights, the provision of water and sanitation services, and international development cooperation. Furthermore, I have had highly enlightening dialogues with personnel from the main funding bodies that have been chosen as case studies in this report (the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, the French Development Agency, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the European Commission, and UNICEF) and have visited one project of each funder in selected developing countries. I look forward to articulating this intensive research into a useful report, and sharing my conclusions and recommendations with the UN General Assembly and all relevant stakeholders in the near future.

Communications on alleged human rights violations

In accordance with the mandate stipulated by the UN Human Rights Council on Special Procedures, a Special Rapporteur may send communications to States and other entities (e.g. multinational corporations) to address alleged human rights violations and other situations of concern to human rights.

With the recent publication of the latest Special Procedures communications report at the 34th Human Rights Council meeting, a number of cases have entered the public domain. The following cases included concerns for the human rights to water & sanitation. See the website for full details.

1. Bangladesh (21 June 2016) — concerning arsenic contamination in groundwater and the resulting, widespread adverse effects to human health.

· No response received from government to date.

2. Brazil (30 June 2016) — concerning the process of establishing a settlement between the companies responsible for the collapse of the Fundão Dam (Samarco Mining S.A., BHP Billiton Brazil Ltda, Vale S.A) and the relevant Brazilian authorities

· Reply received from government 30 August 2016.

3. Nigeria (4 July 2016)

· No response received from government to date.

On February 27, I released a new press statement on concerns for a new bill that could have adverse effects on the rights to water & sanitation in Lagos (Nigeria). This comes after a previous press statement, released on December 22, 2016, on the unacceptable conditions faced by millions of the megacity’s residents. My calls to the national government to address this situation have still not yet received a response.

4. Venezuela (16 September 2016) — concerning the cruel and inhumane treatment of women and children in a women’s penitentiary

· Reply received 14 December 2016.

5. USA (21 September 2016) — concerning the process of the construction of the North Dakota pipeline.

· No response received to date.

6. Mexico (7 October 2016) — concerning contamination of drinking and irrigation water originating from the Sonora River.

· Reply received 7 December 2016.

7. Other (Grupo México) (7 October 2016) — same as preceding case.

· Reply received 7 December 2016.

8. Argentina (31 October 2016) — concerning the inhumane treatment and torture of several prisoners in penitentiaries.

· Reply received 24 January 2017.

9. Canada (4 November 2016) — concerning adverse and discriminatory conditions of access to water for First Nations peoples.

· No response received to date.

10. USA (11 November 2016) — concerning the excessive use of force in the context of protests against the North Dakota pipeline.

· Reply received from the US government 9 December 2016.

11. Saudi Arabia (17 November 2016) — concerning conflict with Yemen.

· The reply of the Saudi Arabian government was received on 27 December 2016 and is currently being translated.

Replies received to past cases

1. USA (Flint — 2 March 2016)

· Reply received 7 Nov 2016

*New* Register of all communications on the rights to water & sanitation

In the interest of transparency and facilitating access to information, a complete register of communications including the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation (past and present) was compiled on the OHCHR website. Classified by the State/party involved, date and summary of the alleged human rights concerns, the register allows access to all original documents sent out by the Special Rapporteur and all responses (when existing) from States or other stakeholders.

Do you want to submit information regarding a situation of concern for the human rights to water and sanitation? Consult the instructions on the following website to submit your information. If you require guidance, please contact me at srwatsan@ohchr.org

Activities of the mandate

My official website with the OHCHR has received a small make-over, including the addition of an Activities page. This page provides an updated register of the diverse activities that the mandate is involved in and, when available, shares materials that are prepared for such events (e.g. presentations, concept notes).

For example, on 9–10 February 2017 in Geneva (Switzerland), I participated in a roundtable event organized by Unicef in collaboration with WaterLex, “Monitoring the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation in the Context of SDG 6”. Download the PowerPoint presentation prepared for this event on the website!

Subscription to the newsletter

If you wish to receive this newsletter, please write to srwatsan@ohchr.org with the subject, “Subscription”.

Don’t forget to follow @SRWatSan on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news on the human rights to water and sanitation!

Hoping that you have had an excellent start to the year and that the human rights to water and sanitation will continue to be a priority on all of our agendas.

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water & sanitation

2017 — March newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

After a long initial period of acclimatizing to the role of being Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, I would like to renew my commitment to maintaining transparent contact on my activities. As much time has passed, there is naturally a lot that could be shared. I will attempt to be selective and keep to key subjects that could be of your particular interest.

1. Recognition of separate human rights to water & sanitation

2. Annual Reports

3. Recent events

4. Communications & press releases

5. Shareable media

Firstly, the attentive among you may have recognized the change in my title (previously considered, in the singular tense, as the human right to water & sanitation). The UN General Assembly recognized the human rights to water and sanitation in 2015 (resolution A/RES/70/169). In 2016, the UN Human Rights Council also recognized the distinct rights in a new resolution, meaning that my title has also changed accordingly to reflect the separate rights. This is news to celebrate as I, like others, believe in the legal foundation and benefit of recognizing water and sanitation as two distinct but integrated rights.

2. Annual Reports

Secondly, I have published several reports in connection with the mandate this year. For the Human Rights Council, I have elaborated a report discussing gender equality in the human rights to water and sanitation. I presented this report to the Council in September 2016 and was happy to see that it was broadly well received.

For the General Assembly, I completed the first of a two-part report (the second part is still in development and will be published in 2017) on development cooperation in the realization of the human rights to water and sanitation. I present this report in October 2016 at the General Assembly in New York.

I have performed one country mission so far this year. From 11–18 May 2016, I assessed the situation on the human rights to water and sanitation in El Salvador. The full report for that trip is available online, as well as the reports for the two trips that I performed last year to Botswana and Tajikistan. I am also booked to carry out a new mission to Portugal in December 2016 along with Special Rapporteur Leilani Farha (Right to housing) — on Twitter @adequatehousing

3. Recent events

Moving on to relevant events, I recently participated in a webinar organized by the Rural Water Supply Network in which I discussed, “Participation: The key to gender equality in the human rights to water and sanitation?”. It was a great interactive opportunity for WASH experts and the broader public to become familiar with aspects of my report on gender equality. I was accompanied by two other speakers in two one-hour sessions, one in English and another in Spanish. Videos of both sessions will soon be available on RWSN’s video channel.

4. Communications & press releases

This year I have taken a position on many cases of potential human rights violations, often with or in support of other Special Rapporteurs. Below is a brief summary of cases in which I have either made direct contact with a State regarding potential human rights violations or have issued a press release addressing situations of concern.

Communications to States (complete triannual reports are available here; where there is no link to a response, one has not been provided)

· 9 May 2016 — Spain — Alleged violations of the human rights to housing, water and sanitation, health, education and food of members of the Romani community. According to the information received, since 2005, approximately 435 people live in precarious and insalubrious conditions in an informal settlement known as “El Gallinero” in Madrid.

o See the government’s response here.

· 5 April 2016 — Flint (United States) — Alleged violations of the human rights of residents of Flint, Michigan, in the context of lead contamination of its water, including the rights to adequate housing, water and sanitation, and non-discrimination.

· 2 March 2016 — Flint (United States) — Alleged high levels of lead found in water consumed by residents of Flint, Michigan; and allegations that Flint is not an isolated incident but that disproportionate health risks are faced by communities and/or people of lower socio-economic standing due to toxics, pollution and other hazardous substances and wastes in the United States of America.

o See the government’s response here.

· 12 December 2015 — India — Alleged blockage at the Nepal-India border of vessels carrying essential goods resulting in a lack of basic supplies and services, including food, fuel, water and sanitation, and medical supplies and services available to the people of Nepal.

o See the government’s response here.

· 7 December 2015 — Brazil — Letters (separate) to Samarco Mining S.A, Vale S.A & BHP Billiton Ltd on alleged detrimental human rights impacts caused by the collapse of an ore tailing waste dam in Bento Rodrigues, a district of Mariana municipality in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, belonging to Samarco Mining S.A., a joint venture between Vale S.A. and BHP Billiton Brazil Ltd.

o See attached the responses from Samarco, Vale and BHP Billiton.

· 25 November 2015 — Guatemala — Alleged violations of several human rights of at least 12,000 people living in 14 communities in the department of El Petén, Guatemala, due to contamination of the La Pasión River. Also, allegations of restrictions on the work of human rights defenders denouncing this situation.

o See the government’s response here.

· 24 November 2015 — Brazil — Alleged detrimental human rights impact caused by the collapse of an ore tailing waste dam in Bento Rodrigues, a sub-district of Mariana municipality in Minas Gerais state belonging to Samarco Mining S.A., a joint venture between Vale S.A. and BHP Billiton Brazil Ltda.

· 23 October 2015 — Haiti/United Nations — Letter sent in follow-up to the allegation letter transmitted to the United Nations Secretary General on 25 September 2014 concerning the cholera outbreak in Haiti in 2010. The letter expresses concern about the inability of the victims of the cholera outbreak to vindicate their rights and to obtain access to a remedy for the harms suffered to date.

o See response from the UN here.

· 25 September 2015 — Cork (Ireland) — Alleged increase of homelessness and lack of access of those who are homeless to emergency shelters and to safe drinking water and sanitation in the city of Cork.

o See the government’s response here.

· 14 August 2015 — Mexico — Alleged impacts on the human rights of approximately 5 indigenous communities of the Yaqui peoples, located along the Yaqui River, caused by the Independencia Aqueduct.

· 20 July 2015 — Argentina — Alleged violation of the human rights to water, sanitation and food. According to the information received, the residents of western La Pampa still lack an adequate access to water.

o See the government’s response here.

· 14 July 2015 — Brazil — Alleged imminent eviction of approximately 20,000 persons residing in three urban informal settlements in the State of Minas Gerais.

· 24 July 2015 — Brazil — Allegations concerning the inadequate response to the contamination and poisoning of the environment and citizens in Piquiá de Baixo, Açailândia, Maranhão State, Amazon Region, in follow-up to the Government’s response to the previous communication of 5 November 2014.

· 29 July 2015 — Syria — Alleged disconnection of piped water supply in the city of Aleppo, Syria, for almost a month, resulting in a lack of adequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation at homes, hospitals and health facilities.

Press releases

(merely a selection — all press releases can be accessed here)

· 23 September 2016 — North Dakota (United States) — “Indigenous peoples must be consulted prior to oil pipeline construction”

· 19 August 2016 — UN experts urge Turkey to adhere to its human rights obligations even in time of declared emergency

· 17 August 2016 — Ten years on, the survivors of illegal toxic waste dumping in Côte d’Ivoire remain in the dark

· 20 July 2016 — Argentina: UN experts request a definitive solution for those affected by the Atuel River conflict

· 7 May 2016 — Brazilian mine disaster — UN experts call for a timely resolution after the settlement suspension

· 6 June 2016 — Ireland: UN experts raise alarm over growing number of homeless people in Cork with no access to water

· 18 May 2016 — El Salvador: UN expert calls on government to protect the most disadvantaged regarding access to water and sanitation

· 3 May 2016 — Flint (United States): “Not just about water, but human rights” — UN experts remind ahead of President Obama’s visit

· 11 March 2016 — Zika virus: “Improved water and sanitation services are the best answer” — UN experts note

· 18 December 2016 — Right to sanitation, a distinct human right — Over 2.5 billion people lack access to sanitation

5. Shareable media

I have started the production of a series of leaflets covering diverse subjects related to the human rights to water and sanitation. The intention of these foldable leaflets is to make them adequate for wide distribution. For this reason I am making efforts to make them available in a variety of languages.

The first in this series, available in PDF format in English, French & Spanish, (or here on Medium.com)covers the subject of eliminating inequalities in access to water and sanitation as a part of the SDGs. More leaflets are being prepared on the themes of some of my reports (e.g. gender equality, levels and types of water & sanitation services).

I am very interested in knowing if you have suggestions for other themes or types of shareable material!

In closing, let me remind you that my main page on the OHCHR website is regularly kept up to date with my current and activities. I also encourage you to follow my Facebook page and Twitter account (@SRWatSan).

My sincerest regards,

Léo Heller

2016 — October Newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Dear friends,

As we welcome the new year, I would like to take the opportunity to inform you of my activities over the final months of 2016 and some perspectives for the coming year. The main topics on today’s newsletter, for your ease of navigation, are the following:

• Spreading awareness on this year’s reports
• New leaflet
• Mission to Portugal
• Year-end highlights
• The mandate in the news
• What to expect in 2017
• How to follow the mandate?

Spreading awareness on this year’s reports

As many of you already know, earlier this year I submitted two new reports to the United Nations.

On 25 October, I formally presented report A/71/302, on development cooperation in the realisation of the human rights to water & sanitation, to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Find my full statement to the UNGA here.

I also presented report A/HRC/33/39 on gender equality in the human rights to water & sanitation earlier this year to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

I have been raising awareness on the themes covered in both of these reports over the last few months:

• On the occasion of World Toilet Day (15 November), which focused on toilets and jobs this year, I spoke with UN Water and highlighted the important connections between gender equality and the human rights to water & sanitation. In particular, I responded to such questions as what a lack of adequate toilets in the workplace can mean for women.
• In Belo Horizonte (Brazil) on 21 November, I spoke in an event organized by the State of Minas Gerais Department of Human Rights, Social Participation and Citizenship to launch my report on gender equality. The Department also collaborated in translating the report to Portuguese, thereby increasing the accessibility of the report for the millions of speakers of this language around the world.
• On 22 November, I participated in a seminar coordinated via the Spanish Cooperation Agency (Cooperación Española) and the FPSC Organization to discuss the case of Palestine as it relates to gender equality and the human rights to water and sanitation. A summary of this seminar is available (in Spanish) here.

• In Madrid (Spain) on 14 December, I participated in a full day of activities organized by the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) and the NGO Ongawa. In what was a very dynamic set-up, I performed presentations on both of the above-mentioned reports, discussed the human rights to water & sanitation as components of the 2030 SDG Development Agenda, and had an informal Q&A session with citizen groups. A written summary of the conference was prepared by the AECID here (in Spanish). A video interview (12m — in Spanish) was also given to iAgua in which I discuss a variety of the above-mentioned topics and other crucial issues for the human rights to water & sanitation.

New Leaflet!

The latest leaflet covers the themes discussed in my report on gender equality. Ideal for spreading awareness among all types of individuals and groups interested in water and sanitation governance, the leaflet is available in a user-friendly foldable format in English, French and Spanish.

Find a mobile-friendly version here in English, French and Spanish.

Mission to Portugal

From December 5–13, I was in Portugal performing my second country mission of 2016. The mission was carried out jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Leilani Farha, which is an innovative initiative for the United Nations Special Procedures. It was an opportunity for us to assess to what extent the human rights related to our respective mandates are being realized by the Portuguese State through the lens of indivisibility, interdependence and interrelationship between rights. The effects on the rights of the economic crisis and related austerity measures implemented in the country were issues of special concern in the mission.

During the trip I travelled throughout the country and met with national and local authorities, service providers, the national regulator, diverse civil society organizations, community members and residents.

My preliminary assessment of the country’s situation regarding the human rights to water & sanitation identified significant overall progress in recent years, but it also uncovered some concerning realities, particularly for certain minorities (e.g. Roma) in the country. But this assessment is not over just yet. Leilani Farha and myself have, in the interim, published some of our preliminary findings.

A short read on these is available here (English/Portuguese),

A slightly longer read here (English/Portuguese),

Or you can listen to a short interview with Rádio ONU (5m — in Portuguese) in which I covered the general findings of this mission.

Year-end highlights

• In resolution A/HRC/RES/33/10, the UN Human Rights Council recently renewed my mandate as Special Rapporteur for 3 more years (December 2017-December 2020) and reaffirmed the human rights to water & sanitation as distinct but integrated rights.
• Slovenia became the first European country to recognise the human right to water in its constitution. A new article in the country’s constitution now states that “everyone has the right to drinkable water”. Moreover, it specifies that, “[w]ater resources represent a public good that is managed by the state”, and, “are not a market commodity.”

The mandate in the news

Unfortunately, the end of 2016 was marked by the reminder of tragic past events and the appearance of a few new ones.

Lagos — Nigeria

On December 22, I released a press statement on the deplorable situation of the rights to water & sanitation in Lagos (Nigeria). Government reports indicate alarmingly high deficits in the sector, representing clearly unacceptable conditions for millions of the megacity’s residents. I have called on the national government to address this situation, but have not yet received a response. I hope that my call will be heard by the society and lawmakers in Lagos who will shortly be voting in the 2017 budget.

North Dakota Pipeline — USA

On November 15, several United Nations Special Rapporteurs endorsed a statement released by Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, with respect to the case of an oil pipeline construction in North Dakota (USA). Previously this year, I joined other Special Rapporteurs in decrying the several human rights concerns linked to this project, including serious worries for the protection of indigenous peoples’ right to water.

Mariana — Brazil

November 5th marked the 1-year anniversary since the collapse of the Fundão tailing dam in Mariana (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil), which unleashed a catastrophic wave of mining waste that devastated more than 700km of a major river and impacted on millions of residents. Taking score of the actions taken by the Brazilian government and the responsible companies for what has been deemed the country’s worst socio-environmental disaster, several UN Special Rapporteurs stated that they were “simply insufficient to deal with the massive extent of the environmental and human costs of [the] collapse”. Read the full press release here.

What to expect in 2017

1. Follow-up report to the UN General Assembly on development cooperation

As I have announced previously, I will address the subject of development cooperation in the realisation of the human rights to water & sanitation once more in a new report to the United Nations General Assembly, to be submitted mid-2017.

Over the course of the past few months, I selected a number of funders to be analysed as case studies for the report and invited them to be part of the research. Thus far, I am happy to have received affirmative confirmation from Japan, Germany, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the European Commission. Similarly, I am now working on selecting partner States to be assessed as case studies in the report.

I am very excited about the methodology that has been prepared for this report. An in-depth analysis of key funders and partner States will allow for a thorough assessment of the human rights to water & sanitation in development cooperation and will give consistency to the findings.

2. Report to the UN Human Rights Council on regulation

Regulation as a component to realising the human rights to water & sanitation will be the subject of my next report that will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in mid-2017. To briefly outline the aims of the report, it will clarify how States can deploy regulatory mechanisms that help to ensure their water supply and sanitation services — of all scales and descriptions — are being provided in ways that respect international human rights obligations and contribute to progressively realising these human rights. I look forward to engaging with States, regulators, and sector experts in the coming months to gather information on this subject from a variety of world regions and situations.

How to follow the mandate?

The website of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains the number one place to discover the mandate’s past and upcoming activities. There you can discover the role of the mandate (which has existed for nearly 8 years now!); all thematic reports submitted by the mandate to the UN General Assembly and Human Rights Council; a review of all country visits (now 19 total!); press releases where the mandate has used its voice to speak out against concerning human rights situations around the world; and a wide variety of informational tools and shareable media, available in multiple languages, aimed at educating, spreading awareness, and growing the stock of human rights defenders worldwide.

Medium.com is also being used by the mandate as a mobile-friendly platform to share select media, such as the variety of leaflets created by the mandate. Most of the material placed on Medium is available in English, French and Spanish!

The mandate is also present on major social media platforms Twitter and Facebook (@SRWatSan), where it actively engages with the global community on issues related to the human rights to water & sanitation.

Hoping that you have had an excellent holiday season and that a great new year awaits us all with more human rights worldwide.

Léo Heller

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water & sanitation

2017 — January Newsletter was originally published in Newsletters on human rights to water sanitation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.