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News / 25 February 2009

Political Café Water and Sanitation: an Impression

During the Political Café on the integration of the right to water and sanitation (RTWS) in European development policies, organised by Both ENDS on the 17th of December 2008, Southern NGO representatives from Umzabalaso We Jubilee (South Africa) and FANCA (Costa Rica) exposed the importance of a rights-based approach in the water and sanitation sector in the South.

 

Amnesty International represented by Hilke Molenaar pointed out that fundamental human rights should not be seen as optional extras and that the EU and its member states as donors have legal obligations in this domain, to which they should be held accountable.

Peter de Vries, from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that the RTWS is largely targeted at a technical level. By cooperating with the Human rights and EU departments at the Ministry the discussion on the RTWS can become more embedded in political processes.

Both ENDS looks back on a fruitful debate in spite of a low attendance. Both ENDS will continue to work with partners to lobby at the EU and UN levels to ensure adequate recognition and implementation of the RTWS in development policies.

For a full report of the debate, please click here.

 

Click on the screen below to get a short impression of the Political Café.

 

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