The human right to water and sanitation: is the obligation deliverable?

Abstract

The concept of the human right to water can be traced to the Mar del Plata water conference that took place in Argentina in 1977. A quarter of a century later, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) gave a major boost to the concept by recognizing it in a separate comment. This was further strengthened by two resolutions by the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council – both adding the right to sanitation. This article discusses the evolution of the right and the challenges facing its implementation, and addresses the question of whether this obligation is indeed deliverable.