New York – In honor of Earth Day, the Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR), an international human right organization, is calling for increased US role, domestically and internationally, in protecting the right to water. Water is the most basic and essential substance for human existence. The human right to water is guaranteed through numerous international conventions and treaties. CESR believes that Earth Day provides an ideal opportunity to address how this life-sustaining and limited resource may be better protected.
Roger Normand, Executive Director of CESR, stated, “The majority of deaths in developing countries, over 75%, are still due to water related disease. Lack of access to clean water is one of the most serious and widespread human rights violations in the world.” It is impossible to dispute the importance of water to population health and the economy, yet less than 1% of the Earth’s total water is available fresh water. As population, industrialization, and pollution have grown, the worldwide renewable water supply per person has fallen by over 50%. Furthermore, the increasing trend towards privatization of water systems threatens access by the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.
The United States, as a world leader and a primary consumer of water, has a critical role to play. The year 2002, as proclaimed by the United States Congress and numerous state governors, is the Year of Clean Water. October will mark the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act. Numerous events, on the local, state, national, and international levels, are being planned and will provide a chance to turn dialogue into positive action. Recently, legislation addressing the need for further investment in our nations water supply was introduced in the Senate (S. 1961). Although the bill has some positive provisions, language that supports privatization must be removed. Finally, in the international arena, the United States must use its considerable power with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to discourage the worldwide privatization of water. It’s a matter of community involvement in water policy and one of public health.
“A human rights based approach to water just makes sense. Having a legal framework in place that guarantees the right to water and requires documentation and accountability for violations is half the battle. It is a battle. It’s a battle we can’t afford to lose,” stated Normand. International legal documents guaranteeing the right to water include: The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (agreed to by 145 countries); The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (agreed to by 168 countries); The Convention on the Rights of the Child (agreed to by 191 countries); and, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an instrument of customary international law.
Normand concluded, “We must address the global water crisis now. It’s not just time that’s running out, it’s water. Water is a finite resource that is extremely vulnerable to contamination and exploitation. No mother should ever have to watch her child die because of geopolitical disagreements over water rights or because of a lack of clean water. This year, our political leaders have a chance to turn rhetoric into reality. Our very future depends on it.”