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From: Tsegai Emmanuel (emmanuelt40@gmail.com)
Date: Wed Jul 28 2010 - 18:44:12 EDT
Published on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 by Postmedia News
UN Declares Water, Sanitation as Human Rights
by Bradley Bouzane
Access to clean water and sanitation was declared a human right Wednesday
after a vote aimed at helping the world's neediest, passed unanimously at
the United Nations.
Although the motion passed with 124 countries voting in favour of the
resolution drafted by Bolivia, Canada was among the 41 nations to abstain on
the issue.
In June, Bolivia's draft resolution indicated that global water rights would
"entitle everyone to available, safe, acceptable, accessible and affordable
water and sanitation."
Maude Barlow, chairwoman of Food and Water Watch — a Washington-based group
— who previously sat as a senior adviser to the United Nations General
Assembly on the water issue, said Wednesday's vote was groundbreaking.
"We're absolutely thrilled," said Barlow, who also serves as national
chairwoman of the Council of Canadians. "This is a historic day and I think
every now and then, the human species advances somewhat in our evolution and
today was one of them."
June's draft resolution declared that countries unable to provide water to
their residents should be assisted through "international co-operation and
assistance," essentially calling for rich countries to give foreign aid to
any government that says it doesn't have the means to meet its citizens'
water rights.
According to the UN, more than one billion people lack access to safe
drinking water and 2.6 billion are without basic sanitation.
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