Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
OHCHR, as the leading UN entity on human rights, is mandated to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights established in the Charter of the UN and in international human rights laws and treaties, including the human rights to water and sanitation.
The work of OHCHR includes monitoring and preventing violations of human rights to water and sanitation, developing thematic research and advocacy, and promoting a human rights-based approach to water and sanitation in cooperation with Member States, the UN system, national human rights institutions and civil society.
OHCHR, as the secretariat of the Human Rights Council and treaty bodies, provides secretariat support to the Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, which is an independent mandate established under the Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures mechanism, as well as to the work of relevant treaty bodies related to water and sanitation.
Human rights framework
Contribution to the global indicators discussions with inputs from the human rights indicators framework.
New thematic report on access to water and sanitation outside the household UN-Water From 9 to 13 September 2019, the 42nd session of the Human Rights Council will be held in Geneva. During the Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation will present a new thematic … Read more
3rd Human Rights Youth Challenge UN-Water Third Human Rights Youth Challenge focuses on Private Sector Participation in Water and Sanitation Sector. The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation is organizing the Third Human Rights Youth Challenge and invites youth … Read more
World Water Week in Stockholm 2019 UN-Water The 2019 edition of World Water Week takes place on 25-30 August in Stockholm, Sweden. During the week, UN-Water will convene various activities, sessions and events. UN-Water events and sessions Leaving No One Behind, the UN World Water Development Report … Read more
Menstrual hygiene and the human rights to water and sanitation UN-Water Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated annually on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management. Poor menstrual hygiene caused by a lack of education on the issue, persisting taboos and stigma, limited ac … Read more
Special Rapporteur follow-up of official country visits UN-Water The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Léo Heller, has conducted two official country visits per year to examine the situation of the realization of the human rights to safe drinking water … Read more
