High Commissioner for Human Rights Addresses Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

CESCR
29th session
26 November 2002
Morning



Sergio Vieira de Mello, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this morning, saying the Committee's initiative to adopt a general comment on water would be a meaningful contribution to the World Water Forum to be held in March 2003.
The High Commissioner said that during his recent assignment in East Timor, he had seen from a Government prospective what poverty, malnutrition, lack of education and health services, and particularly lack of safe water meant. Mr. Vieira de Mello said a general comment on the right to water would be an integral component of the right to an adequate standard of living and indeed the right to life. The initiative would be a meaningful contribution to the World Water Forum and a useful tool for those working to ensure access to water for all.

Mr. Vieira de Mello said he was deeply aware of the importance of the rights the Committee focused on. On World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 16 and 17 October, he had underscored the link between the elimination of poverty and hunger and the realization of key economic, social and cultural rights. Nothing less would do, if one wished to have a world that valued human dignity, he said.

Mr. Vieira de Mello said the Secretary-General recently had issued a report on his reform initiatives for the United Nations, which contained an important component on human rights, the activities of the High Commissioner's Office, and the human-rights treaty-body system. The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) had conducted a management review of the Office, making recommendations, and Mr. Vieira de Mello had written to the Chairperson of the Committee concerning the Secretary-General's report on new streamlined reporting procedures and in particular on the possibility having a single national report on human rights. The Committee was requested to reflect on Secretary-General's proposals and submit any views they had on the matter.

Also this morning, the Committee briefly exchanged remarks in public session on the draft general comment on the right to water. The draft was introduced by one of the Committee members.

After adjourning its public meeting, the Committee continued deliberations in private session on the draft general comment. It is expected to adopt the comment this afternoon. The Committee will reconvene in public session at 3 p.m. Thursday, 28 November. The panel will close its three-week session on Friday, 29 November.



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