Check against delivery

Thank you, Chair.

I have the great honour to introduce today, on behalf of Spain and my own country Germany, the draft resolution “The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation”.

By way of an oral revision I would like to add the following paragraph as operative paragraph 9 to document L.56/Rev.1

Calls upon Member States, in order to effectively respond to and achieve  sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery from health crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and their consequences, to urgently, inter alia, enhance efforts to realize the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as ensure access to hand-washing and hygiene, and, by 2030, implement integrated water resources management, at all levels, including through collaborative approaches in order to ensure a sustainable supply of water for life, agriculture and food production and other ecosystem services and other benefits.

First of all, we wish to sincerely thank all delegations for their tireless engagement and constructive inputs they brought to the negotiations of this year’s resolution.

The strong interest in the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation among UN member states is reflective of the importance you all attach to water and sanitation as linked to the right to life and human dignity. Germany and Spain would like to express our deep gratitude to all of you.

In the past two years, a pandemic has struck, which is threatening the way we live and increasing inequalities worldwide. It has shown that we urgently need to step up access to adequate water and sanitation services – not least to prevent the emergence and spread of infectious diseases in the first place.

Also, the effects of climate change and the intensity of natural disasters all over the world have recalled the need to accelerate action on mitigation and reduce vulnerability to climate change, including through water and sanitation systems.

We reaffirm all these aspects in the draft resolution we seek to adopt today. Germany and Spain are convinced that the text is instrumental in strengthening the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation for all, including for women and girls and people in vulnerable situations. We thank all delegations for their tireless support and hope for a consensual adoption.

Thank you, Mr Chair.