HRC - Social Forum 2022: EU Statement

Mr co-chairperson,

Thank you for organizing this year's Social Forum focusing on water for human rights and sustainable development. Exchange of views on good practices, lessons learned and challenges in the implementation of the International Decade for Action on "Water for Sustainable Development" is crucial to deliver a successful UN 2023 Water Conference in March next year.

The European Union's support to safe, climate resilient, available, acceptable, accessible and affordable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene is extensive and global, both on financial and structural terms. Over the last decade, the EU invested through its development cooperation more than €2.5B on water and sanitation in 62 countries. We have developed guidelines on Economic, Social and Cultural rights on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, creating a reference framework and working tool for our EU delegations around the world.

We agree that our work is far from done, as water scarcity still affects a quarter of the world's population, and almost half of the global population lack safe sanitation devices. Lack of access to safe water and sanitation disproportionately affects women and girls as well as persons with disabilities and older persons. Rights to water and sanitation need a stronger and louder voice that can keep up our global ambition. For that reason, we are proposing the appointment of an UN Special Envoy on Water.

As history is repeatedly teaching us, water scarcity and environmental degradation lead to conflicts. We need to be prepared for the future, which will inevitably bring increased global warming and harm done to water resources. The EU has formulated a response to future challenges in Council Conclusions on Water in the EU's External Action, which are a cornerstone for our common water diplomacy. We are building our actions on the triple nexus: humanitarian aid, development and water for peace. We also put a special emphasis on the interconnectedness between gender equality and women's and girl's enjoyment of all human rights on one hand and the rights to water and sanitation on the other. Women should be part of all decision making bodies on an equal footing with men, ensuring that their basic needs and needs of persons in situations of vulnerability are being met.

Water is essential for healthy lives and livelihoods. It is one of the bases for our right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which has been recognized in the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. As we approach the water conference in March, we need to increase our efforts to implement SDG6. The EU is committed to put water even higher in the political and developmental agenda and to embed it firmly into the human rights framework, including through the Water Action Agenda, to be presented at next year’s Conference.

Finally, the EU wishes to express its dismay over the dire situation of people in Ukraine lacking adequate access to safe water and other necessary supplies, due to indiscriminate attacks against civilian infrastructure, that may amount to war crimes. We condemn the latest escalation by Russia of its aggression against Ukraine in the strongest possible terms.

Thank you.