Right to Water and Sanitation

The right to water entitles every person to access a sufficient amount of clean and affordable water for personal and domestic use. The right to sanitation is access to, and use of, excreta and wastewater facilities and services that ensure privacy and dignity. Enforcing both the right to water and sanitation is an important condition in protecting the quality of drinking water. Both rights are contained in Art. 11 and 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as well as numerous other important international legal documents. States parties have an obligation to respect, protect and fulfil the right to water and sanitation. The right to water and sanitation provides clear sest of principles and goals to guide policy development and implementation through translation into national legislation.