The United Nations General Assembly stated in a landmark resolution adopted on July 28, 2010, “The right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.”
“Five years ago today, the United Nations Member States explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation at the General Assembly. And that means that as a human right, all people, without discrimination, must have access to safe drinking water and sanitation, which is affordable, acceptable, available and safe.” Said the UN Special Reporter on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Léo Heller.
There is still a long way to go to make this right a reality. The U.N.’s proposed Sustainable Development Goals will provide an opportunity to reach this reality in the coming 15 years through the strong commitment of all countries, Heller said.
In May, The President of the Greek Parliament, Zoi Konstantopoulou, solemnly pledged her support to the implementation of the Human Right to Water as a just societal demand.
This came just one year after the people of Thessaloniki, Greece, organized to protest the plans of the previous Greek government to privatize water.
Konstantopoulou wants Greece to become the first country to recognize the right. The President of the Parliament declared she is open to the demands of social movements and supports the Right to Water movement.
Konstantopoulou’s landmark declaration shows the European Commission that it was wrong not to introduce legislation to recognize this right after nearly 1.9 million signatures were collected.
Greece has sent a message of hope to millions of citizens in Europe that have fought and are fighting against liberalization and privatization of water/ Water is a common good.
Read more on the Right to Water campaign.