2018 — March newsletter
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
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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.
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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
