A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO WATER

GOVERNANCE

METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED BY WATERLEX

Hélène BOUSSARD- Research Coordinator

UNECE Expert Meeting– 29th September 2012

WATERLEX MISSION

« Sustainable solutions based on human rights to improve

water governance »worldwide

Equity

«WATER GOVERNANCE»

«HUMAN RIGHTS- BASED APPROACH»

A human rights-based approach is a conceptual

framework for the process of human development

that is normatively based on international human

rights standards and operationally directed to

promoting and protecting human rights.

It seeks to analyse inequalities which lie

at the heart of development problems and

redress discriminatory practices

and unjust distributions of power that

impede development

progress.

EQUITY

Participation

Information

Accountability

Sustainability

Coordination

4As

SCOPE AND FOCUS

Institutions Norms Processes DECISION

Actors • Public Authorities

• Local Populations

• CSOs

• Companies

• Intergovernmental organization

• Development Banks

• Financing Institutions

Sectors • Water Supply and

Sanitation

• Water Resources

• International Water Courses

• Emergency

• DRR/Climate change

• Investments

Governance System • Situation Analysis

• Law & policy

• Codes & Standards

• Financing mechanisms

• Human Resources

• Monitoring

HUMAN RIGHTS

• INFORMATION

• PARTICIPATION

• ACCOUNTABILITY

• NON DISCRIMINATION

• SUSTAINABILITY

• + COORDINATION

WATERLEX LENS

INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK

STEP 0. INTERNATIONAL LAW

Background

HRTWS in International Law

• HR Treaties

• Humanitarian Conventions

• 2002- GC 15

• 2008- UN IE

• 2010 – UN Recognition of HRWS

Implementation Gap at National Level

No common framework at the international level

INTERNATIONAL

LEGAL

OBLIGATIONS

?

MDGs

WASH Indicators

Participation

Accountability

Sustainability

Access to Information

Availability

Accessibility

Affordability

Quality

Acceptability

Non Discrimination

Coordination

=> NEED FOR A COMMON FRAMEWORK

State

Private sector

NGOs National

Legislation Codes and

Standards

Project Cycle

Management

=> NEED FOR TOOLS FOR ALL

STAKEHOLDERS

STEP 1. NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Parl. • NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Pub.Aut. • POLICY AND NORMS

Private Act. • CODES AND STANDARDS

WaterLex Online Legal Database

Objectives:

1. Situation analysis of national legislation in compliance with international human rights law

2. Specification of human rights criteria

3. Harmonization of Laws, Policies & Standards

Example Result

HUMAN RIGHTS

CRITERIA

SPECIFIC CRITERIA

NATIONAL LEGISLATION

“Specific measures to redress de facto discrimination and address the needs of vulnerable/marginalized peoples”

(GC 15/UNSR HRSWS 2011) ….

METHODOLOGY

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3

Non Discrimination

Accountability

Sustainability

Access to Information

Availability

Accessibility

Affordability

Quality

Acceptability

Non Discrimination

Coordination

LEGAL AUTHORITY

EVIDENCE-BASED

STEP 2. Development Partners

Toolkit for Development Practitionners

Objectives: 1. Raising awareness about development partners’ human

rights obligations 2. Integrating human rights in the project cycle

management 3. Harmonization of current tools in WASH

Methodology

Example - Check List

HUMAN RIGHTS

CRITERIA CHECK LIST TOOLS

STEP 1. STEP 2. STEP 3.

NON DISCRIMINATION

Accountability

Sustainability

Access to Information

Availability

Accessibility

Affordability

Quality

Acceptability

Participation

Coordination

•Is data gathered by the National Statistics Institute/ Agency disaggregated according to grounds of discrimination as established in international human rights law, i.e. race, colour, sex, ethnicity, age, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or societal origin, property, birth, disability or other status?

INFORMATION/

DATA

MANAGEMENT

TOOLS

LEGAL AUTHORITY

EVIDENCE-BASED

EQUITY TARGETS INDICATORS

EQUITY SCORECARD

EQUITY TARGET INDICATORS

HUMAN RIGHTS

CRITERIA

SPECIFIC CRITERIA

NATIONAL LEGISLATION

HUMAN RIGHTS

CRITERIA CHECK LIST TOOLS

LEGAL DATABASE

EQUITY SCORECARD

TOOLKIT NGOs/ODAs

SYNERGY

- STRENGTHENING THE

GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

(Situation analysis, Target-setting,

financing, planning) monitoring)

- ADDRESSEES/ PUBLIC

AUTHORITIES

- HUMAN RIGHTS PRINCIPLES

- BUILDS ON CURRENT

INDICATORS/ HARMONIZATION

Place recognized to law

Terminology in compliance

with international law

Definitions (Targets/Indicators)

Means of verifications =>

Toolkit Information data

TRY OUR TOOLS !

www.waterlex.org