The UN General Assembly recognizes access to water as a human right

THE WATER A HUMAN RIGHT • The UN General Assembly today adopted a Resolution Nº 64/292 'Access to Clean Water, Sanitation Human Right,' submitted by Bolivia which recognizes water as a basic human right and urge to ensure their enjoyment to the 884 million people who lacks the access to this essential element for life .

By EUGENE ROXAS

The UN General Assembly recognizes access to water as a human right. Art © THE ACHACACHI POST™

UNITED NATIONS, New York . — The UN General Assembly recognized the access to water as a human right. The Bolivian proposal was endorsed by 122 countries with 41 abstentions, but no country voted against.

Bolivia's ambassador to the UN, Pablo Solon said:

"We must send a clear message to the world that access to water and sanitation are a basic right and that we must do everything possible to make them a reality."

The diplomat recalled that the Resolution Nº 64/292 'Access to Clean Water, Sanitation Human Right,' also calls on all countries and international organizations to provide financial resources and transfer technology to provide universal "economic" access to drinking water and sanitation.

The U.S. delegation, which abstained in the vote, said his abstention was because the Bolivian proposal may affect the work on this same subject which was helding in Geneva within the UN Human Rights Council.

"This resolution is intended to be a shortcut and that is why the United States is abstaining."

Also abstained from supporting the resolution, the representatives of Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bosnia, Botswana, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ethiopia, Greece, Guyana, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan , Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Tanzania and Zambia.

Source: EFE / LOS TIEMPOS