Press Release

9 November 2006

UK recognises the right to water as Hilary Benn launches call for Global Action Plan to solve water crisis

The UK has decided to recognise the human right to water, International Development Secretary Hilary Benn has announced. Responding to the UN Human Development Report on water and sanitation published today, Mr Benn has called for a Global Action Plan on water and sanitation.

Mr Benn said:

“Today’s announcement adds Britain’s voice to the call for every human being to have access to sufficient, affordable and safe water supply.

“In many developing countries, water companies supply the rich with subsidised water but often don’t reach poor people at all. Recognising the right to water will help change this and allow all citizens to demand more of their governments.”

In a speech for the launch of the UN’s Human Development Report, Mr Benn added:

“With around 5,000 children dying every day because they drink dirty water, we must do more. We must act now to help the one billion people in developing countries who do not have safe water and the two and a half billion people who are without proper sanitation. There are too many international agencies working on water and sanitation, and not enough action; too many meetings and working groups and not enough pipes and taps. That’s why I’m arguing for major reform of the international system to bring about change.”

Mr Benn’s proposals for a Global Action Plan(544 kb) call for:

• More funding and more effective spending of it
• One annual global report setting out progress towards achieving the water and sanitation Millennium Development Goal targets.
• One high level annual global meeting to bring donors and developing countries together, monitor progress, spot the gaps and decide on action.

And for every developing country there should be:

• One national plan for every country
• that sets out current access to water, future plans and their funding needs.
• One group to coordinate the national plan
• Government, donors and civil society working together to identify obstacles and overcome them
• One lead UN body for water and sanitation at national level
• This would be the only UN agency through which the UK would put our money for water, and we’d encourage others to do the same.

Mr Benn added:

“The challenge ahead is massive. Today’s report rightly points out that we need to invest more money in clean water and sanitation, and that’s why the UK is doubling its support in Africa to £95 million a year by 2008 and then doubling it again to £200 million a year by 2011. We also need to make sure that those countries that currently get too little support for water and sanitation, the ‘donor orphans’, get more.”

“But more money alone is not enough; it needs to be spent more effectively. All of us need to play our part in getting water to the poorest, and to women and children who have to spend their time collecting water rather than working or going to school. By putting in place the right structures, funding and political support we can make it happen”

Mr Benn also said that all donors should work together to give predictable, long term funding. He called for:

The World Bank to focus more of its funding on slums to increase access for those who have no water services at all;

The African and Asian Development Banks to make sure their increased funds focus on getting water to the poorest;

EU countries to increase the level of their water funding through a reformed EU Water Facility backed by the European Development Fund.

Key Water Facts:

• Over one billion people lack safe water to drink
• 5000 children die every single day from dirty water and inadequate sanitation
• 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation
• At any one time half the population of developing countries is suffering from water related illness.

Notes to Editors:

1. Today’s announcement means that the UK government recognises the right of everyone to affordable access to sufficient affordable and safe water supplies. It is a recognised human right in itself, derived from the right to an adequate standard of living.

2. It is not a new human right but is enshrined in the international covenant of economic social and cultural rights. However the international community has only recently begun to refer to the right to water.

3. The UK encourages governments we work with to put together plans for providing affordable access to safe water for all, including the most vulnerable. At present a lot of funding and effort goes to improve the services of those that already have some access to water. Confirming a right to water means that those that have no access can demand from their governments that they be included in national plans and do receive affordable water services.

4. A more detailed explanation of the right to water(19 kb)