United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is a international organization that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
6th Human Rights Youth Challenge
For the 6th Human Rights Youth Challenge, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation invites young people (aged between 18 to 24) to produce a video (2-5 minutes) or another form of digital content, in English, French or Spanish, on “water as a tool for peace and cooperation". […]
UN expert: Water crisis is worsening, urgent response needed
A UN human rights expert called for a robust and rapid global response to the world’s worsening water crisis, saying that climate change had become a “risk multiplier” – exacerbating pollution, scarcity and disasters. “The world faces a water crisis and it is getting worse,” David Boyd, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the […]
UN expert: At time of crisis, we must guarantee water and sanitation for all
The third Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, was appointed in September 2020 and took over the mandate on 1 November. In a world where more than two billion people are deprived of access to water and sanitation, the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the vital importance of guaranteeing […]
UN: COVID-19 will not be stopped without providing safe water to people living in vulnerability
As washing hands with soap and clean water is vital in the fight against COVID-19, governments worldwide must provide continuous access to sufficient water to their populations living in the most vulnerable conditions, UN experts* said. “The global struggle against the pandemic has little chance to succeed if personal hygiene, the main measure to prevent […]
Israel’s exploitation of Palestinian resources is human rights violation, says UN expert
Israel’s exploitation of natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for its own use is in direct violation of its legal responsibilities as an occupying power, says UN Special Rapporteur Michael Lynk. “For nearly five million Palestinians living under occupation, the degradation of their water supply, the exploitation of their natural resources and the defacing […]
Lesotho: Fulfilling human rights to water and sanitation are critical for human development
A UN human rights expert has urged the Government of Lesotho to place water, sanitation and hygiene high on its national development agenda, and to use the human rights to water and sanitation as a framework to advance the development of the country's Basotho people. “Several gaps in access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene strongly […]