• States have a responsibility to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including corporations;
• Companies have a responsibility to respect human rights;
• Victims of human rights abuses must be free to access effective remedies.

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In a world of growing inequality this floor is a necessary tool for eradicating poverty. It helps governments to build more inclusive national development plans, which put people at the center.

Please sign the petition in support of this initiative:

• Petition for Social Protection – English
• Piso de Protección Social – Espanol
• Assine a Carta – Portuges
• La Petition sur le Socle de Protection Sociale  - Francais

The Archbishop said, “This global climate crisis poses a great spiritual challenge to all Christians, people of all faiths, and all people of goodwill as it is the consequence of the destruction of God’s creation in which we have all participated in one way or another. It calls for a change of mindset, and a change of lifestyle to reduce our dependence on fossil-fuel energy like coal and oil. We call on all parishes, communities and organizations at local, regional and national levels, as well as individual Catholics:

• To reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions by using your own properties productively to grow trees that will absorb carbon dioxide;
• To grow vegetables and crops organically to reduce the use of chemical-based fertilizers;
• To share the food thus grown with the hungry and malnourished in your midst.”

Read the document (Download PDF)

On July 14th the General Assembly admitted the Republic of South Sudan as the 193rd member of the United Nations, welcoming the newly independent country to the community of nations. South Sudan’s independence from the rest of Sudan is the result of the January 2011 referendum held under the terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the decades-long civil war between the North and the South. Learn more…

World Population Nearly 7 Billion!

As the world population approaches seven billion, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed in July that ending global poverty and inequality is the key to unleashing the great human potential for prosperity and peaceful coexistence, while protecting the planet and safeguarding the natural resources that sustain humanity. “Later this year, a seven-billionth baby will be born into our world of complexity and contradiction,” Mr. Ban said in a message to mark World Population Day, observed annually on 11 July. Learn more…

UN Reports Progress Toward Poverty Alleviation

Some of the world’s poorest countries have made impressive gains in the fight against poverty, but the least developed countries still lag in efforts to improve living standards, the United Nations said in a report by DESA, showing significant overall progress towards achieving the global targets against extreme poverty.

Read the 2011 MDGs Report.

67 Million Children Deprived of Education

67 million school-aged children are deprived of education, mainly due to financial or social hardship, in many cases stemming from poverty or armed conflict. At the opening of the high-level segment of the ECOSOC Council’ Annual Ministerial Review on 4 July, Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro warned that “getting kids into school is only half the battle.”

More information…

Statement on Nuclear Weapons

Papal Nuncio to the UN, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt made a significant statement on the Church’s rejection of nuclear war and nuclear weaponry at the 3rd Session of the Prepatory Committee for the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Go to: www.holyseemission.org and click on press releases.

The materials were developed on the occasion of activities jointly organized by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), UN-Habitat, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) at Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum (20-22 June 2011). Click on the following links to access the documents:

• A Short Glossary on the human right to water and sanitation which defines frequently used terms.
• A Media Brief presenting the current situation and some examples illustrating how the human right to water and sanitation is being implemented in practice
• A Reader, which provides basic references for easy reading and some of the latest and most relevant United Nations publications on this issue
• Eight Short Facts on the human right to water and sanitation
• A UN Milestones document presenting the UN historical background and evolution of recognition of the human right to water and sanitation

In addition, a new thematic section on the human right to water and sanitation is now accessible from the Water Decade website

Photo by Living Water International

The Council of Canadians has released a new report titled Our Right to Water: A People’s Guide to Implementing the United Nations’ Recognition of the Right to Water and Sanitation. Chairperson Maude Barlow wrote the report, available from the Council of Canadians.

On July 28, 2010 the General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution recognizing the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. Two months later, the UN Human Rights Council recognized the human right to water and sanitation in a similar resolution, setting out exactly what this new right entails for governments. Because the Human Rights Council resolution is based on two existing treaties, it rendered binding the first right to water resolution passed by the General Assembly. In other words, as the UN acknowledges, “The right to water and sanitation is a human right, equal to all other human rights, which implies that it is justiciable and enforceable.”

“All governments are now bound by these historic UN resolutions. Whether or not they voted for the two resolutions, every member nation of the UN is now obligated to accept and recognize the human right to water and sanitation and come up with a plan of action based on the obligation to respect, the obligation to protect and the obligation to fulfil these new rights,” says Barlow.

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Shocking video footage of summary executions apparently committed during the Sri Lankan civil war has been examined by experts and appears to be convincing evidence of “serious international crimes,” according to Christof Heyns, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Since late last year, the United Nations has closely studied the video that allegedly showed acts committed during the civil war that ended in 2009. “I conclude on the basis of the extensive technical evidence we obtained from independent experts that what is depicted in the video indeed happened,” Mr. Heyns told the Human Rights Council in Geneva, adding that “I believe that a prima facie case of serious international crimes has been made.” He said an international panel should investigate the evidence.

The charge adds to pressure on the Sri Lankan government to submit to an international inquiry into allegations that thousands of civilians were killed at the end of its 25-year war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Sri Lankan authorities have rejected the video as falsified and has responded angrily to U.N. criticisms. They have also rejected a recent report calling for further investigation into the violent end to the conflict in which tens of thousands of people – including many civilians – are believed to have died. The United States has warned that the lack of a credible investigation and a genuine process of reconciliation could lead to an international war crimes investigation.

Learn more:

• Read the UN Report of the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts

The “Rapporteur’s Digest on Freedom of Religion or Belief” is a 108-page downloadable compilation of relevant excerpts from reports produced by Mr. Bielefeldt (Germany, IE since August 2010), Ms. Asma Jahangir (Pakistan, 2004-2010), Mr. Abdelfattah Amor (Tunisia, 1993-2004), and Mr. Angelo d’Almeida Ribeiro (Portugal, 1986-1993).

Read the “Rapporteur’s Digest on Freedom of Religion or Belief” (Download PDF)

Winnemem Wintu Chief and Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk-Franco discusses her village's sewer system with the U.N. Independent Expert Catarina de Albuquerque.

The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution this morning extending the mandate on the human right to safe water and sanitation for another three years, and changing the powers of the Independent Expert to that of a special rapporteur.

This is good news. The mandate will continue with Catarina de Albuquerque in the position of Special Rapporteur. In this position, she will have enhanced powers: in addition to assisting governments to define the scope and content of the rights, she can engage with governments about complaints from affected individuals, communities, and civil society organizations on issues related to and possible violations of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Furthermore, the resolution explicitly states the full list of criteria for the human rights to water and sanitation. These are listed below:

The Human Rights Council:

5. Encourages the Special Rapporteur, in fulfilling his or her mandate:

(a) To promote the full realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation by, inter alia, continuing to give particular emphasis to practical solutions with regard to its implementation, in particular in the context of country missions, and following the criteria of availability, quality, physical accessibility, affordability and acceptability;

(b) To pay particular attention to persons belonging to vulnerable and marginalized groups, including by respecting the principles of non-discrimination and gender equality;

(c) To work on identifying challenges and obstacles to the full realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as protection gaps thereto, and to continue to identify good practices and enabling factors in this regard;

(d) To monitor the way in which the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is being realized throughout the world;

(e) To continue the mutual dialogue with Governments and where appropriate, with local authorities, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, other relevant international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and other concerned stakeholders, such as indigenous peoples;

(f) To make recommendations for goals beyond the 2015 Millennium

Development Goals process with special regard to the full realization of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation; and also to continue to make more recommendations that could help the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular of Goal 7, as appropriate;

(g) To continue to work in close cooperation, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with other special procedures and subsidiary organs of the Council, relevant United Nations bodies, the treaty bodies and regional human rights mechanisms;

(h) To continue to report, on an annual basis, to the Council and to the General Assembly;

(i) To facilitate, including through the engagement with relevant stakeholders, the provision of technical assistance in the area of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation;

6. Encourages all Governments to respond favourably to requests by the Special Rapporteur for visits and information and to follow up effectively on recommendations of the mandate holder and to make available information on measures taken in this regard;

7. Stresses the important role of the international cooperation and technical assistance provided by States, specialized agencies of the United Nations system, international and development partners, as well as by donor agencies, in particular in the timely achievement of the relevant Millennium Development Goals, and urges development partners to adopt a human rights-based approach when designing and implementing development programmes in support of national initiatives and action plans related to the enjoyment of access to safe drinking water and sanitation;

8. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the Special Rapporteur with all resources and assistance necessary for the effective fulfilment of her mandate;

9. Decides to continue its consideration of this matter under the same agenda item and in accordance with its programme of work.

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