Service regulation and the human rights to water and sanitation: report

Background

Pursuant to Human Rights Council Resolution 27/7 of 2014 and 33/10 of 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Léo Heller, was mandated to work on identifying challenges and obstacles to the full realization of these rights, as well as protection gaps, good practices and enabling factors.
On 23 and 24 May 2017, the Special Rapporteur convened an expert consultation on service regulation of water and sanitation in Rio de Janeiro (Programme).

Summary

The Special Rapporteur begins the report by outlining the human rights obligations of States, regulatory actors and service providers in the context of service regulation.

He provides an overview of the role of regulation in water and sanitation services, identifies different types of regulatory frameworks and discusses how they relate to the human rights standards. He discusses the core functions of regulatory actors.

Finally, he presents recommendations to States and regulatory actors regarding those issues.

Inputs received

As part of the consultation process, the Special Rapporteur invited interested stakeholders to contribute their views and perspectives in writing through this questionnaire.

• Government: English | Français | Español
• Non-Government: English | Français | Español

Member States

• Argentina
• Azerbaijan
• Bosnia and Herzegovina*
• Congo, Republic of
• Cuba
• El Salvador
• Estonia
• Georgia
• Germany (1, 2)
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Honduras (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
• Ireland*
• Kyrgyz republic
• Mauritania
• Mexico (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Monaco
• Oman
• Palestine
• Qatar
• Serbia
• Switzerland (1, 2)

* Late submissions

Non-State actors

• Action Against Hunger
• Amrta Institute
• AquaFed
• CAAW
• Colegio de Mexico (COLMEX), Centro de Estudios Demográficos, Urbanos y Ambientales
• Community Water Alliance
• CRIN
• ECLAC (1, 2)
• European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
• France Libertés, Coordination Eau Ile de France et Coalition Eau (1, 2)
• Global Water Solidarity
• ILO
• IWA
• M&T Global Energy
• Male Integrated Science
• Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment
• Plus de Vie
• Red port la Defensa de los Territorios and Observatorio Ciudadano (1, 2)
• Safai Kamachari Andolan
• Suez
• UNDP SIWI
• Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña y la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (1, 2)
• Université Fédérale de Rio
• US Human Rights Network
• Veolia
• Wateraid Zambia
• Waterforlife Parternship