Realizing the Right to Safe Water and Sanitation

Date:

Thu, 03/03/2011 - 10:00 AM

Location:

2118 Rayburn House Office Building

Hearing Notice

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on the right to safe water and sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, 884 million people in the world --roughly 1/8 of the global population-- do not have access to safe water. Moreover, 2.6 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation, and 1.4 million children die every year as a result of water-borne diseases.

This hearing will explore the impact of recent UN resolutions declaring the right to safe drinking water and sanitation a universal human right. We will also examine the role of U.S. foreign policy with respect to water issues and prospects for achieving the Millennium Development Goals; the implementation of the Water for the Poor Law; and global challenges facing vulnerable people around the world regarding access to safe water and sanitation.

If you have any questions, please contact Ari Levin (Rep. McGovern) or Elizabeth Hoffman (Rep. Wolf) at 202-225-8097.

Hosted by:

James P. McGovern
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Frank R. Wolf
Member of Congress
Co-Chair, TLHRC

Witnesses

Panel I

Dr. Aaron Salzberg, Special Coordinator for Water Resources, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

Catarina de Albuquerque, UN Human Rights Council Independent Expert on the Issue of Human Rights Obligations Related to Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
Written testimony

Panel III

Rev. William Schulz, President and CEO, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
Written testimony
Rev. John McCullough, Executive Director and CEO, Church World Service
Written testimony
Dr. Katherine Bliss, Director, Project on Global Water Policy, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Written testimony
John Oldfield, Managing Director, WASH Advocacy Initiative
Written testimony

Bios

Meeting Documents

Transcript

Accessibility

The Commission seeks to make its events, meetings and hearings accessible to persons with disabilities.

If you are in need of special accommodations, please call (202) 225-3599 at least four business days in advance.

Questions with regard to special accommodations in general (including availability of Commission materials in alternative formats and assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, etc.) may be directed to the Commission.