The Human Right to Water

Water is indispensable for human life, yet more than 1 billion people do not have sufficient drinking water and 2.4 billion persons lack access to sanitation. The denial of access to water is an affront to human dignity. In 2002, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights adopted General Comment No. 15 on the Right to Water. While this standard sets out a legal framework for the right to water, it is vital that our understanding of the legal foundations of this right is deepened. Moreover, it is important to explore the regulatory and practical dimensions of the right at the national and international levels, particularly given the commitment of states to the UN Millennium Development Goals. In October 2005, the Government of Germany and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights hosted the International Conference on the Human Right to Water. Attended by some 130 experts from Germany and abroad, including academics, government officials as well as representatives of NGOs, international organisations and foundations, the panelists and participants explored these questions through presentations and debate. One of the panelists was this year's recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, commonly known as Alternative Nobel Prize. The aim of the publication is to foster the ongoing debate on the human right to water, a venture in which we invite all readers to participate. The first part of the book is largely devoted to exploring the legal dimensions of the right to water in international and national laws, the second part focuses on the role that the right to water could play in improving access to water and sanitation while the workshop reports give a flavour of the spirited debate on the plenary floor.