The second part of the first chapter of the handbook is now available for comment: www.righttowater.info/chapter-1-2/

This section addresses THE NORMATIVE CONTENT OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS TO WATER AND SANITATION

What are the criteria that need to be satisfied for the human right to be a realised?

The normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation comprises the elements of availability, accessibility, acceptability, affordability and quality , which are outlined in this first section. The implications of the normative content for law, regulations and policy are discussed in this second section


The other sections will be posted on the site as follows:

When: The online consultation will start in mid-January and will run until the end of March. The planned timetable is as follows:

17 January 2014 / Chapter 1.1. Incorporating the rights to water and sanitation into legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks

27 January 2014 / Chapter 1.2. Incorporating the rights to water and sanitation into legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks

6 February 2014 / Chapter 2. Incorporating the rights to water and sanitation into financing and budgeting processes

15 February 2014 / Chapter 3. Accountability and the rights to water and sanitation: Access to justice

24 February 2014 / Chapter 4. Equality and non-discrimination and the rights to water and sanitation

10 March 2014 / Chapter 5. Participation and the rights to water and sanitation

17 March 2014 / Chapter 6. Access to information and the rights to water and sanitation

24 March 2014 / Chapter 7. Accountability and the rights to water and sanitation: Monitoring service provision

Once posted the sections will remain on the site so you can continue to comment on all the sections until the end of March

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, is developing a Handbook to provide practical guidance to States and other stakeholders on how the rights to water and sanitation can be incorporated into law, policy, budgets, and service provision. Please click here to access the online consultation of the draft Handbook.

www.righttowater.info/handbook-introduction/

I'm sure, many of you are aware of the current discussions on right to water and sanitation (see below), initiated by Catarina de Albuquerque, the UN Special Rapporteur.

Those interested can join the discussion.

F H Mughal
========

To Equity and Inclusion
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Oct 25 at 7:49 PM

My name is Catarina de Albuquerque, I am the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and I will be leading the e-discussion focusing on my Handbook for realizing the rights to water and sanitation.

On Monday 28th October at 9am GMT we shall launch the first online discussion in this group. This discussion will last three weeks, closing on the 15th November at 17:00 GMT. At the end of each week, you will receive a short summary of the main discussion points. The discussion and weekly synthesis documents will inform the finalization of my Handbook, which will be launched in September 2014 at the United Nations.

You will receive the questions and replies directly in your outlook Inbox. To respond to the questions and to participate in the discussion, please send a “reply” on the last posting you received. This will lead to what is called “threading” in web-collaboration: the entire discussion will be included in the lower part of all new posts, making for easy follow-up. Note that when you reply to a message, EVERYONE in the group will receive your response. That is what we aim at in this e-discussion. However, if you feel that you want to reply only to one person (for example, author of the post), scroll down to the end of the original message and click “reply to sender. The message will be sent only to the author of the post. Attached to an email we sent out by end of this week you will find an e-discussion Netiquette document, which will give you some tips for good and productive e-mail discussions.

This discussion will take place mainly in English, but considering the diversity of the network, French and Spanish speakers will have the option of sharing their thoughts and comments in their own languages (we will be posting the initial questions in all three languages). These insights will be incorporated in the summaries and shared with the rest.

In case of questions, comments and additional support, please do not hesitate to contacting us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
REMEMBER that: We will be sending the questions on Monday 28th October at 9:00 GMT and you can start the thread immediately after!
Please illustrate your responses with your stories, your experience, your case studies!
Looking forward hearing from you all, I send you my warmest regards,

Catarina

---

28 Oct 2013

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To Equity and Inclusion
Today at 1:33 PM

week 1: targeting disadvantaged individuals and groups


In the first week of this e-discussion we would like to learn about how civil society and governments work together to ensure that the most disadvantaged and marginalised individuals and groups access water and sanitation – at a national and a local level. In other words, for you or your organisation (please tell us the type of organisation you work for):

• Which individuals and groups do you consider to be the most disadvantaged or vulnerable?


• How have you identified people who are likely to be disadvantaged individuals and groups with respect to access to water, sanitation and hygiene?


• What have you done to ensure that the needs of individuals and groups who are likely to be disadvantaged are met?

Kerstin Danert
Dr. Kerstin Danert
Director RWSN Secretariat
RWSN - Rural Water Supply Network
Website: www.rural-water-supply.net/en/
Join the Network: dgroups.org/RWSN
hosted by Skat Foundation
Vadianstrasse 42, CH-9000 St.Gallen, Switzerland
phone: +41 71 228 54 54
fax: +41 71 228 54 55
web: www.skat.ch
skype: dkerstin
Skat_Swiss Resource Centre and Consultancies for Development

Dear Mughal,

According to WHA resolution 64.24 Drinking-Water, Sanitation and Health (2011) Member states need:

* to continue efforts towards achievement of water- and sanitation related MDGs;
* to take action for progressive realization of the human right to water and sanitation;
* to provide adequate water, sanitation and hand washing facilities in schools and other public buildings

According to WHA 54.19 Schistosomiasis and soil-transmited helminth infections Member states:

* to promote access to safe water, sanitation and health education through intersectoral collaboration
* to mobilize resources in order to sustain activities for control of STH infections

UN system, bilateral agencies, partners NGOs:
* To intensify support for sanitation and safe water programmes

In the European Region, there are some Regional policy processes going on:

4th and 5th Ministerial Conferences on Environment and Health:
* Children's Health and Environment Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE), 2004
* Parma Declaration on Environment and Health, and Commitment to act, 2010

European Environment and Health Process

WHO/UNECE Protocol on Water and Health

Best regards Claudia

Dear All (including SuSanA Sectt:),

Please share with me any UN or WHA resolution; or any other binding document of international agency, which gives, or lays importance for providing safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in SCHOOLS.

WASH in schools in Pakistan in simply hopeless, as is in the villages and in towns. It is difficult to sensitize decision-makers and government officials here, unless the discussion is backed by some some authoritative document(s). That is why I need the information.


Thanks,

F H Mughal

Promoting practical guidance for the implementation of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation

IWA Task Force on Implementing the Human Right to Safe Drinking-Water and Sanitation

www.iwahq.org/1yq/communities/task-force...sanitation-hrws.html

WA has created a task force which is currently working to provide practical guidelines that will help decision makers and practitioners to effectively implement the human right to water and sanitation. The IWA Task Force aims at producing a Practitioner's Handbook for the implementation of the HRWS which will:

• Clarify the requirements of the HRWS for governments and utilities and convey these in the language of water and sanitation sector professionals.

• Include a set of general principles for implementation of the HRWS that complement existing international documents.

• Provide information to utilities and service providers on the meaning of these requirements for their respective activities and clarify common misconceptions.

• Provide guidance for practical implementation to tackle problematic issues, including tools and solutions based on real examples.

CALL FOR INPUTS AND FEEDBACK

This is a call for case study material and documentation from SuSanA members specifically in the list of countries below who may want to share their experience in implementing the human right to water and sanitation in their country :

* Bangladesh
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Cambodia
* Chile
* Germany
* Japan
* Kenya
* Kiribati (an island nation in the central tropical Pacific Ocean)
* Namibia
* Nicaragua
* Portugal
* Romania
* Spain
* Sri Lanka
* Thailand
* Tuvalu (a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean)
* United States of America
* Uruguay

These have been identified through an initial scoping activity and as countries where the Right is acknowledged by Governmental authorities and there is some apparent activity that has been initiated in respect to the implementation of the Right. However, if you are aware of particularly relevant and interesting experiences from other countries, we would be happy to hear from you.

We envisage that the SuSanA community are most interested in sanitation related experiences related to the implementation of the human right to sanitation and the "solutions" from the 6th World Water Forum provide a good starting point. But as the Handbook will cover both water supply and sanitation, we would be interested to hear from you in relation to experiences related to the provision of water supply as well as sanitation.

Read see how to contribute in the attached file.

Hi Jon,

Not sure if you are aware of this, but something with similar aims is currently in development under the lead of Waterlex. The work is (in part I think) funded by the Swiss development cooperation (SDC).

www.waterlex.org/waterlex-toolkit/

Regards,
Florian

Task Force on Implementing the Human Right to Safe Drinking-Water and Sanitation
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

IWA has recently created a task force which is currently working to provide practical guidelines that will help decision makers and practitioners to effectively implement the human right to water and sanitation.

Background

---

With the recognition by the United Nations General Assembly of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS) there is an increasing need to clarify its practical dimensions. This is especially valid for IWA members, local decision makers and other sector professionals who may have difficulties and doubts about how to overcome some of the specific problems that arise when putting into practice the legal requirements of the HRWS.

Aims of the IWA Task Force

---

The IWA Task Force aims at producing a Practitioner's Handbook for the implementation of the HRWS which will:

• Clarify the requirements of the HRWS for governments and utilities and convey these in the language of water and sanitation sector professionals.

• Include a set of general principles for implementation of the HRWS that complement existing international documents.

• Provide information to utilities and service providers on the meaning of these requirements for their respective activities and clarify common misconceptions.

• Provide guidance for practical implementation to tackle problematic issues, including tools and solutions based on real examples.

Activities of the Task Force

---

Over 24 months (January 2013 – December 2014) the IWA Task Force will work with its members and a range of other stakeholders to develop the handbook.

IWA members and partners organisations are invited to contribute for this process by reviewing the document and by providing specific case studies and practices that have been used in different contexts, which will be used to illustrate the guide and help comprehension of the implementation of the HRWS.

Next steps

---

A first draft of the document will be presented at a workshop that will take place at the IWA Development Congress in in Nairobi in October 2013. This will be the first of a series of activities promoted by IWA aiming to ensure that IWA members and partner organisations are involved in the process of the preparation of the guidance.

The IWA task force would be happy to receive your contributions. Please contact Jonathan Parkinson at the IWA Secretariat (e-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for further information.

www.iwahq.org/1yq/communities/task-force...sanitation-hrws.html

Dear all,

I'm looking for some UN resolutions, World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions, or other international instruments that label sanitation as an human right. I have been not quite successful in my search.

Will it be possible for you to help me out, please? Thanks

Regards,

F H Mughal

+++++++++++++++++++

Note by moderator (EvM): Have you looked in the SuSanA library? There are a few documents there. See for example here:
www.susana.org/lang-en/library?view=ccbktypeitem&type=2&id=1331

and here:
www.susana.org/library?search=human+right
(this search brings up 10 documents)

I have added your post to the end of an existing thread on human rights which was already here in the forum (note there is a search button above in that black bar; with this search button you can search the entire SuSanA platform or just the forum (= "advanced search")).

European Citizens' Initiative:
Water and sanitation are a human right! Water is a public good, not a commodity!


Website of this citizens’ initiative:
www.right2water.eu/

We need 1 million signatures (on-line) by September 2013 to make it happen!
signature.right2water.eu/oct-web-public/?lang=en


Subject matter:
We invite the European Commission to propose legislation implementing the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all

Main objectives:
The EU legislation should require governments to ensure and to provide all citizens with sufficient and clean drinking water and sanitation. We urge that: 1. The EU institutions and Member States be obliged to ensure that all inhabitants enjoy the right to water and sanitation. 2. Water supply and management of water resources not be subject to ‘internal market rules’ and that water services are excluded from liberalisation. 3. The EU increases its efforts to achieve universal access to water and sanitation.

Information on this proposed initiative is available in the following languages:
български čeština Dansk Deutsch eesti Ελληνικά English español Français Gaeilge italiano Latviešu lietuvių magyar Malti Nederlands polski português română slovenčina slovenščina suomi svenska

European Commission registration number:
ECI(2012)000003

Date of registration:
10/05/2012

Web address of this proposed initiative on the European Commission register:
ec.europa.eu/citizens-initiative/public/...tails/2012/000003/en

Names of organisers:
Bsirske Frank, Goudriaan Jan Willem, Nordström Annelie, Perret Anne-Marie, Kokalov Ivan, Pavanelli Rosa Maria, Prentis Dave

Names of contact persons:
Goudriaan Jan Willem, Perret Anne-Marie

E-mail addresses of contact persons:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To support a European Citizens' Initiative, you must be an EU citizen.

Best Regards,

Detlef SCHWAGER

I found this interesting and would like to share:

www.righttowater.info/

See here for a short report of the consultation of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Water and Sanitation on 1 February 2012:

www.wecf.eu/english/articles/2012/02/sti...water_sanitation.php