Freshwater Action Network-Mexico
Nathalie Seguin Tovar
Coordinator for the Freshwater Action Network-Mexico
Appointed for dialogue between delegations and Mayors Groups.
Stocktaking meeting for the Post 2015 Development agenda negotiations.
United Nations, New york
21st of January 2015
I would like to thank both co facilitators for the work you have done.
I am Mexican, and I am speaking today on behalf of the Freshwater Action Network, a network of civil society organizations from global south advocating for sustainable water management and the recognition and implementation of the human right to water and sanitation. Freshwater Action Network ensures at the global level to bring messages on challenges and needs from local people’s reality. And strengthen advocacy messages of Civil Society Coalitions such as Butterfly effect, End Water Poverty, Beyond 2015 and Action 2015.
We fully support good intentions that were shared by delegations these days but we must learn from the MDG experience, and explicitly incorporate Human rights language in SDGs and target technical review such as “affordable, acceptable, available, and quality sanitation and water, with special attention to women and girls and other groups in vulnerable situations”.
We need clear definitions to have common understanding of concepts that we want to achieve and measure, such as “sanitation”, “access to information”, “sustainable”, “transparency”, “participation”, “clean or modern energy”, to avoid undesirable results or leaving room for a broad interpretation that may include fracking and other harmful energy sources that put in risk water, health and environment.
To illustrate I bring an example on Water and Sanitation in Mexico where we have clearly witnessed in Mexico that the MDG indicators based on coverage were both achieved, but actually water did not reach the people. The budget was allocated and the infrastructure eventually built but there was no water running in the pipes and sanitation reported was usually not working or was not safe.
Also from local experiences, in many countries extractives industries such as mining and fracking are systematically violating human rights, 16 human rights in Mexico thanks to the new energy reform. They are threatening people’s and ecosystems lives because the amount of water they use and the pollution they create.
Any energy solution must respect human rights, with a goal of protecting the environment. Solutions must not increase greenhouse emissions, deplete watersheds, pollute water, or have a negative impact on health and food supply.
Finally, we call for the practice of the precautionary principle with regards to hydrocarbons extractions through fracking; and the establishment of a hierarchy of use of water in the SDG’s targets. To reach the objective of being people-centered, and sustainable, the goals must prioritize—for present and future generations—the human right to water for health, ecosystems, food, and culture over other demands on water resources.
Human rights are at the core of the United Nations Organization, If Human rights are not explicitly recognized in the post2015 agenda, goals and targets, who else is going to advocate for Human Rights?
Thank you.
Coordinator for the Freshwater Action Network-Mexico
Appointed for dialogue between delegations and Mayors Groups.
Stocktaking meeting for the Post 2015 Development agenda negotiations.
United Nations, New york
21st of January 2015
I would like to thank both co facilitators for the work you have done.
I am Mexican, and I am speaking today on behalf of the Freshwater Action Network, a network of civil society organizations from global south advocating for sustainable water management and the recognition and implementation of the human right to water and sanitation. Freshwater Action Network ensures at the global level to bring messages on challenges and needs from local people’s reality. And strengthen advocacy messages of Civil Society Coalitions such as Butterfly effect, End Water Poverty, Beyond 2015 and Action 2015.
We fully support good intentions that were shared by delegations these days but we must learn from the MDG experience, and explicitly incorporate Human rights language in SDGs and target technical review such as “affordable, acceptable, available, and quality sanitation and water, with special attention to women and girls and other groups in vulnerable situations”.
We need clear definitions to have common understanding of concepts that we want to achieve and measure, such as “sanitation”, “access to information”, “sustainable”, “transparency”, “participation”, “clean or modern energy”, to avoid undesirable results or leaving room for a broad interpretation that may include fracking and other harmful energy sources that put in risk water, health and environment.
To illustrate I bring an example on Water and Sanitation in Mexico where we have clearly witnessed in Mexico that the MDG indicators based on coverage were both achieved, but actually water did not reach the people. The budget was allocated and the infrastructure eventually built but there was no water running in the pipes and sanitation reported was usually not working or was not safe.
Also from local experiences, in many countries extractives industries such as mining and fracking are systematically violating human rights, 16 human rights in Mexico thanks to the new energy reform. They are threatening people’s and ecosystems lives because the amount of water they use and the pollution they create.
Any energy solution must respect human rights, with a goal of protecting the environment. Solutions must not increase greenhouse emissions, deplete watersheds, pollute water, or have a negative impact on health and food supply.
Finally, we call for the practice of the precautionary principle with regards to hydrocarbons extractions through fracking; and the establishment of a hierarchy of use of water in the SDG’s targets. To reach the objective of being people-centered, and sustainable, the goals must prioritize—for present and future generations—the human right to water for health, ecosystems, food, and culture over other demands on water resources.
Human rights are at the core of the United Nations Organization, If Human rights are not explicitly recognized in the post2015 agenda, goals and targets, who else is going to advocate for Human Rights?
Thank you.