UN'S TOP HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF UNDERSCORES IMPORTANCE OF ADEQUATE WATER
New York, Nov 26 2002 2:00PM

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today hailed the
decision by a key expert panel to adopt a position paper on the right to water.

Addressing the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Sergio
Vieira de Mello said the initiative to develop a general comment on water
would be a meaningful contribution to the World Water Forum to be held next
March.

A comment by the Committee, he said, would be an integral component of the
right to an adequate standard of living and indeed the right to life.

The Committee later adopted the comment, which stresses that water is a
limited natural resource and a public commodity fundamental to life and
health. General Comment No. 15 also notes that over 1 billion people lack
access to basic water supply, while several billion lack access to adequate
sanitation, a primary cause of water contamination and diseases linked to
water. The continuing contamination, depletion and unequal distribution of
water resources are exacerbating existing poverty, the comment states.

The comment also emphasizes that States parties to the International
Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights have the duty to
progressively realize, without discrimination, the right to water. The
human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, affordable,
physically accessible, safe and acceptable water for personal and domestic
uses, the text notes.

The 18-member Committee monitors compliance with the Covenant, which has
145 States parties.

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