Summary

The Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation submits the present report in accordance with Human Rights Council resolutions 16/2 and 21/2. She focuses on common violations of the human rights to water and sanitation, as identifying violations of those rights is critical to ensure their realization, to prevent further violations and to ensure that concerted action is taken to remedy them. The report is based on a comprehensive understanding of the human rights violations which occur when States fail to meet any human rights obligation. All components of human rights are justiciable, and any violation must be subject to effective remedies.

The Special Rapporteur develops a typology of violations, examining breaches of the obligations to respect, to protect, to fulfil, to refrain from discrimination, to ensure substantive equality and to ensure active, free and meaningful participation, as well as extraterritorial obligations. The report then briefly discusses the importance of access to justice for these violations before ending with conclusions and recommendations.