DEC/2/104 Human rights and access to water

Human Rights Council

Decision 2/104. Human rights and access to water

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Noting general comment No. 15 (2002) of the Committee on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights on the right to water,

Taking note of the draft guidelines for the realization of the right to drinking water and sanitation contained in the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2005/25),

Recalling the relevant provisions of declarations, resolutions and programmes of action adopted by major United Nations conferences, summits and special sessions and their follow-up meetings, in particular the Mar del Plata Action Plan of 1977, Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development of 1992, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development of 1994, the International Decade for Action “Water for Life” 2005-2015, General Assembly resolution 54/175 of 17 December 1999 on the right to development and the Millennium Development Goals,

Decides to request the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, taking into account the views of States and other stakeholders, to conduct, within existing resources, a detailed study on the scope and content of the relevant human rights obligations related to equitable access to safe drinking water and sanitation under international human rights instruments, which includes relevant conclusions and recommendations thereon, to be submitted prior to the sixth session of the Council.

Adopted without a vote

31st meeting

27 November 2006

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