Human-Rights Based Approach in Water Supply and Sanitation

BiH meeting Several Joint Programmes have supported awareness-raising campaigns regarding citizens' rights to services, tied to their obligations to pay for them. Thus, through its work in the area of Democratic Economic Governance, the MDG-F focused on rights, obligations and inequalities.

To share the important work of the Joint Programmes on Human Rights Based Approaches, the DEG-KM facilitated the exchange of experiences at its workshops, organised presentations at international conferences and documented innovative strategies, with a specific attention to some programmes' work to improve user-provider relationships.

What is a Human Rights-Based Approach?

The Human Rights-Based Approach aims to ensure that all development activities further the realisation of human rights, which involves strengthening the capacities of right-holders and duty bearers. In the area of water services, the rights-holders are the citizens that use water and the duty-bearers the states, represented by their governments.

Mutual understanding of rights and obligations

With support from the Joint Programme, the Water Regulatory Authority of Albania initiated a consultative process to enhance the fairness and legality of the relationship between water consumers and water utilities. Through negotiations between Consumer Protection Associations and producer organisations; a model service contract for water supply and sewerage was developed.

In the Philippines, a Human Rights-Based Local Water Governance Toolbox has been produced to strengthen the capacities of Local Government Units, water service providers and communities to address water development gaps, using a governance and human rights lens.

The programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina helped municipalities apply a Human Rights- Based Approach to social protection assessments, action planning, as well as monitoring and evaluation. The Ecuadorian programme has supported the integration of a Human Rights- Based perspective through-out the policy cycle in the government’s guide to how to develop sector policies.

This programme is a partnership with Cooperacion Española, MDG-F

Lessons learnt

The Human Rights to Water and Sanitation give moral weight to ensuring of sufficient, safe, acceptable, accessible, and affordable services for each and every citizen.
The fostering of a mutual understanding of rights and obligations between providers and users is one way of furthering the realisation of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation.
Whereas the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation do not entitle citizens to free services, the issues of affordability and sustainability of services are not easily resolved.
Monetary contributions from users can be highly contentious but is often needed to ensure regular service delivery, particularly for “modern” water and sanitation systems.
Many Joint Programmes emphasise that “You pay for services – not for water!” as a way to motivate payments to sustain services.