| Outcome of the international experts’ meeting on the Right to Water |
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The main purpose of the meeting (Paris, 7–8 July 2009) was to bring together international experts to discuss and develop recommendations on the right to water and access to sanitation, which are presented in a booklet. The human right to water is indispensable for leading a life in human dignity and for the realization of other human rights: in particular the right to life, to an adequate standard of living, housing, food, and health. Access to water and sanitation is a sine qua non for the fulfillment of these rights. Almost 900 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2.5 billion – 40% of the world’s population – have no access to improved sanitation. Failing to ensure access to water and sanitation has immense human costs, both in social and economic terms.
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