The Blue Planet Project
July 28, 2015
Dear Co-facilitators Ambassador Donoghue and Ambassador Kamau,
On this Fifth Anniversary of the General Assembly resolution 64/292 on the human right to water
and sanitation, we applaud the naming of the right to water in the Revised Outcome Document
and support Member States’ calls to strengthen the human rights reference in Paragraph 8. We
also wish to remind you of the call issued by 621 organizations, representing millions of people
around the world, for the human right to water and sanitation to be explicitly named within the
Declaration of the Post-2015 outcome document.
We were pleased to see the number of Member States who have echoed this call during the
Intergovernmental Negotiation sessions yesterday and today:
- The Arab Group
- Switzerland
- Palau
- Bolivia
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
It is noteworthy that the naming of this human right warranted no opposition from the blocs of
Member States.
We were concerned that yesterday one delegation challenged this language, based on what we
believe was a misunderstanding of the legal basis for the human right to water and sanitation.
This human right was officially recognized by the UN General Assembly on July 28, 2010 through
resolution 64/292: http://www.un.org/es/comun/docs/?symbol=A/RES/64/292&lang=E
It has subsequently been further defined through several Human Rights Council resolutions:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/WaterAndSanitation/SRWater/Pages/Resolut…
Consensus on the human right to water and sanitation was also established within The Future
We Want: Outcome document adopted at Rio+20 and the UNGA resolution 68/157 of 2013:
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/68/157
What we are recommending:
Declaration, Our Vision
8. In these Goals and targets, we are setting out a supremely ambitious and transformational
vision. Poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions is the overarching priority and central
imperative of the Agenda. We envisage a world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want, where
all life can thrive. We envisage a world free of fear and violence. A world with equitable and
universal access to quality education at all levels and to health care and social protection, where
physical, mental and social well-being are assured. A world where the [human] right to have
access to safe and affordable drinking water [and sanitation] is universally realized; where
food is safe, affordable and nutritious; where there is adequate and accessible sanitation and
hygiene. A world where human habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable and there is universal
access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
We thank you for recognizing the critical importance of this issue.
Sincerely,
Women’s Major Group
Indigenous Peoples Major Group
Major Group for Children and Youth
Workers and Trade Unions Major Group
The Blue Planet Project
NGO Mining Working Group
Sisters of Mercy (NGO), Mercy International Association: Global Action
Water Aid
IBON International
Diverse Voices and Action for Equality, Fiji
Pacific Partnerships on Gender, Climate Change and Sustainable Development
International-Lawyers.Org
Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council
Centre for Economic and Social Rights
Temple of Understanding
International Presentation Association
Franciscans International
Sisters of Charity Federation
Medical Mission Sisters
Loretto Community
Feminist Task Force
Congregation of the Mission
Amnesty International
UNANIMA International
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Public Services International
Dear Co-facilitators Ambassador Donoghue and Ambassador Kamau,
On this Fifth Anniversary of the General Assembly resolution 64/292 on the human right to water
and sanitation, we applaud the naming of the right to water in the Revised Outcome Document
and support Member States’ calls to strengthen the human rights reference in Paragraph 8. We
also wish to remind you of the call issued by 621 organizations, representing millions of people
around the world, for the human right to water and sanitation to be explicitly named within the
Declaration of the Post-2015 outcome document.
We were pleased to see the number of Member States who have echoed this call during the
Intergovernmental Negotiation sessions yesterday and today:
- The Arab Group
- Switzerland
- Palau
- Bolivia
- Mexico
- Costa Rica
- Georgia
- Kazakhstan
It is noteworthy that the naming of this human right warranted no opposition from the blocs of
Member States.
We were concerned that yesterday one delegation challenged this language, based on what we
believe was a misunderstanding of the legal basis for the human right to water and sanitation.
This human right was officially recognized by the UN General Assembly on July 28, 2010 through
resolution 64/292: http://www.un.org/es/comun/docs/?symbol=A/RES/64/292&lang=E
It has subsequently been further defined through several Human Rights Council resolutions:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/WaterAndSanitation/SRWater/Pages/Resolut…
Consensus on the human right to water and sanitation was also established within The Future
We Want: Outcome document adopted at Rio+20 and the UNGA resolution 68/157 of 2013:
http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/68/157
What we are recommending:
Declaration, Our Vision
8. In these Goals and targets, we are setting out a supremely ambitious and transformational
vision. Poverty eradication in all its forms and dimensions is the overarching priority and central
imperative of the Agenda. We envisage a world free of poverty, hunger, disease and want, where
all life can thrive. We envisage a world free of fear and violence. A world with equitable and
universal access to quality education at all levels and to health care and social protection, where
physical, mental and social well-being are assured. A world where the [human] right to have
access to safe and affordable drinking water [and sanitation] is universally realized; where
food is safe, affordable and nutritious; where there is adequate and accessible sanitation and
hygiene. A world where human habitats are safe, resilient and sustainable and there is universal
access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
We thank you for recognizing the critical importance of this issue.
Sincerely,
Women’s Major Group
Indigenous Peoples Major Group
Major Group for Children and Youth
Workers and Trade Unions Major Group
The Blue Planet Project
NGO Mining Working Group
Sisters of Mercy (NGO), Mercy International Association: Global Action
Water Aid
IBON International
Diverse Voices and Action for Equality, Fiji
Pacific Partnerships on Gender, Climate Change and Sustainable Development
International-Lawyers.Org
Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council
Centre for Economic and Social Rights
Temple of Understanding
International Presentation Association
Franciscans International
Sisters of Charity Federation
Medical Mission Sisters
Loretto Community
Feminist Task Force
Congregation of the Mission
Amnesty International
UNANIMA International
Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Public Services International
Stakeholders