Selected International Legal Instruments Related to Water and Sanitation

Even though there had been previous international meetings where water-related issues had been discussed -most notably the 1977 Mar del Plata UN Conference on Water- the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development heralded a new stage in the growing global concern over freshwater scarcity. Throughout the text of Agenda 21 - released among the final documents of said event discussing the consequences on human well-being of environmental degradation in general - the concept of 'sustainable development' was tackled from a variety of angles. Chapter 18 dealt specifically with water issues. It correctly underlined the complications that arise when addressing a subject matter with as many dimensions as water, calling for integrated water resources planning and management, and raising awareness towards the many aspects - such as economic, social, environmental and sanitary - that a comprehensive plan for domestic water administration should take care of.

International gatherings having water as a focal point have ever since followed the trend set at the Rio Conference, acknowledging the multiple layers of the issue and gradually developing through their work the concept of 'integrated water resources management'. The World Water Forums, which have taken place since 1997 under the auspices of the UN and World Water Council, are a perfect example of the holistic approach that the debate on water requires, linking it to welfare, development and the environment, among other domains. The final documents of these fora are evidence of the global concern over water scarcity, a topic that has dominated the international agenda for the last decade. The challenge is to see the proposals for change included in them be translated to domestic policies and legislation and to the practice of international organizations and institutions.

The sum of instruments included in the selection below establish a framework of State obligations and of individual rights that the international community is called to honour and fulfil, respectively.

For international instruments concerning the human right to water, please follow this link