UN Set to Finally Recognize Fundamental Human Right to Water

Ottawa, July 8, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - The United Nations General
Assembly is considering an historic draft resolution recognizing the
human right to "safe and clean drinking water and sanitation"
initiated by the Bolivian government. Other member states have been
consulted on the resolution and the final text is expected to be
presented to the President of the General Assembly, for tabling by
the end of July.

In a letter sent today to all UN Ambassadors and permanent
missions, global water advocate and Blue Planet Project founder Maude
Barlow urges a decisive and swift passage of the resolution. The
letter is available online at: http://www.blueplanetproject.net.

"This would be one of the most important things the UN has done
since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," says Barlow, who
chairs the boards of the Council of Canadians and Washington-based
Food and Water Watch. In 2008/2009, Barlow served as Senior Advisor
on Water to the 63rd President of the UN General Assembly.

"It's time politics caught up with reality," says Barlow, noting
that nearly two billion people live in water-stressed areas of the
world and three billion have no running water within a kilometre of
their homes. "It's time states finally recognize water as essential
to life and a fundamental human right."

Barlow and Blue Planet Project Organizer, Anil Naidoo, recently
briefed the G77 and China on the right to water and along with an
international team of water activists met with representatives of 25
countries last week to advance the issue. Naidoo will be in New York
next week meeting with UN member states to build additional support
for the right to water resolution.

"International and local community groups fighting for water
justice have long been calling for leadership from the UN in clearly
recognizing that water and sanitation are human rights," says Naidoo.
"As this moves forward we are demanding that the language of the
resolution remain strong and leave no doubt that water and sanitation
are human rights."

"When the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights was written,
no one could foresee a day when water would be a contested area. But
in 2010, it is not an exaggeration to say that the lack of access to
clean water is the greatest human rights violation in the world,"
adds Barlow in the letter.

For More Information:
Anil Naidoo, Blue Planet Project Organizer, +1-613-882-4405,
anaidoo@canadians.org
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, +1-613-795-8685,
dpenner@canadians.org

ots Originaltext: Council of Canadians
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: For More Information: Anil Naidoo, Blue Planet Project
Organizer,+1-613-882-4405, anaidoo@canadians.org Dylan Penner, Media
Officer, Councilof Canadians, +1-613-795-8685, dpenner@canadians.org