2018 — August newsletter
Dear friends and colleagues,
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
