Independent Expert Mission

Independent Expert's Mission to the United States in 2011

United States views on international law (based on the document “Digest of U.S. Practice in International Law”): Then-UN Independent Expert on the Issue of Human Rights Obligations Related to Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation Catarina de Albuquerque (her position's title changed on March 24, 2011 to “Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation”) conducted an official mission to the United States from February 22 to March 4, 2011. She presented her report of this mission to the United Nations Human Rights Council on August 2, 2011. U.N. Doc. A/HRC/18/33/Add.4. On September 15, 2011, U.S. delegate John Mariz delivered the U.S. statement at the interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur. That statement is available at (internet link) geneva.usmission.gov/2011/09/15/u-s-statement-at-the-hrc-dialogue-on-the-right-to-drinking-water-and-sanitation/ and is excerpted below.

Developments

We underscore the U.S. commitment to providing safe and clean drinking water and proper sanitation to the American people. The United States is understandably proud of the tremendous accomplishments it has made it the past decades to provide its citizens with clean water at an affordable price. As the special rapporteur notes in her report, 92 percent of the population was served by water systems which met mandatory health standards. In addition, the U.S. far exceeds World Bank guidelines on affordability, as combined water and sewage bills average only 0.5 percent of household income.

While we recognize the challenges presented by the report, we have conveyed to the rapporteur the U.S. concerns that the report often focuses on anecdotes that do not fairly depict the state of drinking water and sanitation in the United States. Moreover, the report makes some factual errors and does not cite sources for some statistics.

Details

The United States also acknowledges that some indigenous communities face significant challenges with respect to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. However, the United States is taking steps to address these challenges in conjunction with Tribal and State governments. For example, the United States has established a partnership across federal government agencies that brings together expertise and resources to address access issues, including funding of the construction of water and sanitation systems for indigenous communities. Furthermore, some of the issues raised regarding indigenous peoples are unrelated to their access to water and sanitation, and—to the extent they need to be addressed—would be more appropriately addressed by other special procedure mandate holders.

More about the Issue

The report does not take into full account the federal system of the United States, where a number of the issues raised may be most feasibly handled at the state or local level rather than through federal action. As the report notes, water in the United States is governed by a complex amalgam of federal and state statutes which make it hard to make generalizations; however, given the broad range of issues and situations in the U.S. country, it is impossible to have a one-size-fits-all solution.

Independent Expert's Mission to the United States

In relation to the international law practice and Independent Expert's Mission to the United States in this world legal Encyclopedia, please see the following section:

International Human Rights

About this subject:

Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and Related Issues

Under this topic, in the Encyclopedia, find out information on Water and Sanitation. Note: there is detailed information and resources, in relation with these topics during the year 2011, covered by the entry, in this law Encyclopedia, about Independent Expert's Mission to the United States

Resources

See Also

• International Human Rights
• Economic Rights
• Social Rights
• Cultural Rights
• Water
• Sanitation