Manual on the right to water and sanitation

This publication, written in non-legal language, explains how human rights can be practically realised in the water and sanitation sector. It recognises that implementing the right to water and sanitation is not limited to legal recognition or allocations of funds. It provides a basis for practical reforms that can help make the water and sanitation sector operate in a manner that is more pro-poor, accountable and inclusive. It will assist governments to operationalise their legal obligations under the international human rights treaties they have ratified, and can be used as a tool to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Human rights standards can help orient policy-making towards serving the needs of those without access to water and sanitation and requires participatory, inclusive and accountable processes that can facilitate significant increases in access to water and sanitation.
The manual will be useful for practical implementation. It explains key components of the right to water and sanitation and their implications for governments. It describes a range of practical policy measures that could be adopted by governments, in particular those in low-income countries, to achieve the right to water and sanitation in the shortest possible time. It illustrates examples of policy measures that have been taken to achieve particular components of the right to water and sanitation. It provides a checklist by which governments can assess their achievements, and it describes the roles of other actors, in particular, individuals and communities in contributing to the achievement of the right to water and sanitation.