Photo: Muhammad Sabah / B’Tselem
Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza has lasted over half a century, and the dire humanitarian situation is at breaking point. On the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, it is crucial to highlight the denial of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to the Palestinian people, not only as a human-made political crisis, but also, as a human rights issue.
This time last year, End Water Poverty brought the misreporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) progress levels using incorrect datasets to the attention of the UN Secretary General. The progress report that was flagged by the coalition had used indicators from the Millennium Development Goals instead of the SDGs, thereby not tracking progress accurately.
After what has been a prolonged period of absence for some members of the “friends list” to the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, I would like to touch base with you and renew my commitment to maintaining meaningful contact. As much time has passed, there is naturally a lot that could be shared. I will attempt to be selective and keep to key subjects that could be of your particular interest.
1. Recognition of human rights to water and sanitation
It’s done! The United Nations General Assembly, as of yesterday 17 December 2015, passed and adopted the resolution on the human rights to water and sanitation. This resolution recognises the distinction between the human right to water and that of sanitation, which is a fundamentally important step in the recognition of the prioritisation of sanitation.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have recently launched their annual publication - 'The Least Developed Countries Report 2015' - which focuses on the theme of 'Transforming rural economies' this year. This report offers detailed socio-economic analysis of the complex issues that the world's most impoverished countries, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), face.