the human right to water and sanitation in emergency situations

- Part 2 - Definition of the right to water and sanitation in emergency situations
6.7. Responsibilities of actors other than States
Actors other than States parties also have obligations and responsibilities. General Comment 15 urges UN
agencies and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) to cooperate and
make their competence and expertise available to Member States to assist them to put the right to water
into practice. Moreover, General Comment 15 evokes the key role incumbent on nGos and international
institutions in times of emergency and the priority that must be given to the poorest communities
(See Box 10). GC 15 appeals to NGOs and international organizations to place their technical expertise at
the service of States convinced that a very visible presence in the field that is also reflected in their policy
strategies could have a positive impact on the emergence of an effective right to water, as GC 15 would
seem to indicate in several instances.
General Comment 15 summarizes the obligations of actors other than States parties as follows:
- Cooperate effectively with States parties in all matters related to the implementation of the right to
water;
- Incorporate human rights law and principles into both policy and action; for example, the right to
water should be integrated into lending policies, structural adjustment programmes and development
projects;
- Give priority to the most vulnerable or marginalized population groups in the provision of aid and the
distribution and management of water and water facilities.
BoX 10 - Paragraph 60 of GC 15 - Assistance to populations in emergency situations
United Nations agencies and other international organizations concerned with water, such as
WHO, FAO, UNICEF, UNEP, UN-Habitat, ILO, UNDP, the International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD), as well as international organizations concerned with trade and commerce such
as the World Trade Organization (WTO), should cooperate effectively with States parties, building
on their respective expertise in all matters related to the implementation of the human right to
water at the national level. International financial institutions, notably the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank, should take the human right to water into account in their lending
policies, credit agreements, structural adjustment programmes and other development projects
in order to promote the enjoyment of the human right to water (see General Comment 2, 1990).
When examining the reports of States parties and their ability to meet the obligations to realize
the human right to water the Committee will consider the effects of the assistance provided by all
other actors. The incorporation of human rights laws and principles into their programmes and
policies by international organizations will greatly facilitate implementation of the human right to
water The role of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the
International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), WHO and UNICEF, as well as NGOs and other associations, is of particular
importance in relation to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance in times of emergency. Priority
in the provision of aid, distribution and management of water and water facilities should be given
to the most vulnerable or marginalized groups of the population.
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