Equitable access to water and sanitation

Ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation for all is a legal obligation. On 28 July 2010, the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation was “recognized” as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and of all human rights. In October 2010, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 15/9 in which the Council affirmed “that the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living and inextricably related to the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, as well as the right to life and human dignity”. Although the two rights are interconnected, they are separate rights, as recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 70/169.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being

Clean Water and Sanitation

Reduced Inequalities