Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

On 19 October, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, Mr. Léo, presented the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation to the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly on the principle of accountability.

The Special Rapporteur used a three-dimensional framework to describe and explain the concept of accountability in the water and sanitation sector aligned with human rights. In the report, the Special Rapporteur provides clarification of the three dimensions of accountability in the water and sanitation sector: roles, responsibility and performance standards; providing explanations and justification; and enforcement mechanisms for compliance.

The principle of accountability is a core and a cross-cutting human rights principle. With the essential aim of balancing power to protect the most marginalized and those living in vulnerable situations, this principle can be used as a mechanism to hold States and actors other than States accountable for actions, inaction and decisions that affect the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation.

The report is available in all UN languages here.