Summary

Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 33/10, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Léo Heller, undertook an official visit to Lesotho from 4 to 15 February 2019, at the invitation of the Government.

In the report, the Special Rapporteur examines the issue of access to water and sanitation services for the people of Lesotho, paying particular attention to the inequalities in different geographical regions of the country (lowlands and highlands). During his visit, the Special Rapporteur found that the lack of adequate water and sanitation services constituted an additional key layer of vulnerability in addition to existing vulnerabilities, such as poverty, unemployment, a high degree of inequality and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and orphaned children. Throughout the report, he illustrates his findings based on the normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation (availability, accessibility, quality, affordability and acceptability) and provides guidelines for the Government of Lesotho to take action to improve the situation. In conclusion, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the adoption of a comprehensive approach to implementing the human rights to water and sanitation will guide Lesotho to focus on the most vulnerable populations and to “leave no one behind”, in accordance with its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.