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<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>FWIW, here’s the right to water case I use in my Intl Law class:
<http://www.tjsl.edu/slomansonb/10.2_SoAfrica%20ICESCR%20case.pdf>. I can
add the Gen Ass. development below to my updates website. Thanks!!!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>I’m also in the process of gathering an e-list for Don, which
will include foreign profs whose schools I’ve visited. I’m certain they’ll all
be delighted that Don has set up this listserv,<br>
Bill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
intlawprofessors-bounces@mailman.anu.edu.au
[mailto:intlawprofessors-bounces@mailman.anu.edu.au] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Don
Anton<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, October 28, 2010 11:01 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> intlawprofessors@mailman.anu.edu.au<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [IntLawProfessors] GA Res. 64/292 - The Human Right to Water
and Sanitation<br>
<br>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Greetings colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For those following human rights and
the environment issues, I note that the General Assembly Resolution on "<span
class=apple-style-span><span style='color:black'>The Human Right to Water and
Sanitation" -- adopted 122-0-41 -- has recently become available on the UN
website: <a
href="http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/479/35/PDF/N0947935.pdf?OpenElement">http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/479/35/PDF/N0947935.pdf?OpenElement</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>The three operative paragraphs provide:</span></span><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The General Assembly,</span></em><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>. . .</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>1. </span></span><em><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Recognizes</span></em><span class=apple-style-span><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> the right to safe and
clean drinking water and sanitation as a</span></span><span style='font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>human right that is essential for the full
enjoyment of life and all human rights;</span></span><span style='font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>2. Calls upon States and international organizations to provide
financial</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>resources, capacity-building and technology
transfer, through international</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>assistance and cooperation, in particular to
developing countries, in order to scale up</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and
affordable drinking water and</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>sanitation for all;</span></span><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>3. Welcomes the decision by the Human Rights Council to request
that the</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>independent expert on human rights obligations
related to access to safe drinking</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>water and sanitation submit an annual report to
the General Assembly, and</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>encourages her to continue working on all aspects
of her mandate and, in</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>consultation with all relevant United Nations
agencies, funds and programmes, to</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>include in her report to the Assembly, at its
sixty-sixth session, the principal</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>challenges related to the realization of the human
right to safe and clean drinking</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>water and sanitation and their impact on the
achievement of the Millennium</span><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>Development Goals.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>108th plenary meeting</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>28 July 2010</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:18.0pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>The Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights followed
up on the GA Resolution in its own work at the end of September. The
OHCHR explained in its own press release on the subject: </span></span><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#333333'>
</span></span><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";
color:#333333'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.25in;
margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt;vertical-align:baseline'><span
style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#333333'> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.25in;
margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-origin: initial;
background-clip: initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>GENEVA (1 October 2010) – In a historic meeting of the Human
Rights Council, the UN affirmed yesterday by consensus that the right to water
and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living,
which is contained in several international human rights treaties. While
experts working with the UN human rights system have long acknowledged this, it
was the first time that the Human Rights Council has declared itself on the
issue.</span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#333333'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.25in;
margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-origin: initial;
background-clip: initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>According to the UN Independent Expert on human rights obligations
related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de
Albuquerque, “this means that for the UN, the right to water and sanitation, is
contained in existing human rights treaties and is therefore legally binding”.
She added that “this landmark decision has the potential to change the lives of
the billions of human beings who still lack access to water and sanitation.”</span><span
style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";color:#333333'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.25in;
margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt;vertical-align:baseline;background-origin: initial;
background-clip: initial'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>On 28 July 2010, the General Assembly took a first critical step
by recognising this fundamental right. However, that resolution did not specify
that the right entailed legally binding obligations. The Human Rights Council –
the main UN body competent in the area of human rights – in a resolution tabled
by the Governments of Germany and Spain, with support from dozens of countries,
has closed this gap by clarifying the foundation for recognition of the right
and the legal standards which apply.</span><span style='font-family:"Georgia","serif";
color:#333333'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>The Human Rights Council's Resolution and Access to Safe Drinking
Water and Sanitation, U.N. Doc A/HCR/15/L.14 (24 Sept 2010) is here</span></span><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><a
href="http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/G10/163/09/PDF/G1016309.pdf?OpenElement">http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/LTD/G10/163/09/PDF/G1016309.pdf?OpenElement</a>.
See in particular paras. 8 and 9. </span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>I am interested to learn if anyone has started thinking about
the application of the right to water in the context of arid states? I am
aware, of course, of General Comment 15 and the work UN Habitat has
done. I am also aware of the periodic literature and work
available on SSRN that is of general relevance, but is anyone (other than
what Erik Bluemel accomplished earlier and recent work by McCaffery and
Neville) investigating key challenges of and constraints on
fulfilling the right to water in arid states -- the problem of capacity aside
-- and the implications it raises for transboundary relations? I'd
be interested in discussing offline.</span></span><span style='font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
class=apple-style-span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'>Kind regards,</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black'><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>Don</span></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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