The Emergence of Water as a 'Human Right' on the World Stage: Challenges and Opportunities: Fid-Bau Portal

The Emergence of Water as a 'Human Right' on the World Stage: Challenges and Opportunities

Khadka, Arjun Kumar

Since the end of the Cold War, the world has moved towards democratization, globalization, liberalization and privatization in an enthusiastic and complex fashion. Such an environment could be beneficial for the promotion and protection of human rights at regional, national and international levels. In practice, human rights are basic things, such as the right to food, the right to a home and the right to freedom. However, a right to water is not mentioned as a human right in the various international declarations, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In this regard, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which was established to oversee the implementation of the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, presented a document at the UN 29th Session, in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2002. The committee re-interpreted Articles 11 and 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and concluded that 'water' can be considered to be a 'human right'. After that conclusion, water is legally emerging as a human right in many countries. However, there are significant challenges and opportunities for implementing the idea that water is a human right.