The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva has adopted a resolution recognising the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, in what Pakistan has described as an important diplomatic development concerning transboundary water cooperation.
Pakistan played an active role in ensuring that a clear reference to transboundary water cooperation was retained in the final text of the resolution, according to officials.
The resolution was introduced by Germany and Spain. Pakistan worked to ensure that transboundary water cooperation remained part of the final text, while India sought to remove the reference.
The 47-member Human Rights Council adopted the resolution by consensus. For the first time, the resolution explicitly recognised that cooperation over transboundary water resources is directly linked to the fulfilment of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s First Secretary Adeel Khokhar outlined the country’s position on shared water resources. He said that where water resources are shared, responsibilities are shared as well, adding that cooperation over common waters among neighbouring countries should be viewed as a shared responsibility rather than a matter of favour or concession.
Adeel Khokhar further said no upstream country should use water as a tool of political pressure or influence. He stressed that shared water resources should instead be managed according to the principles of cooperation and mutual responsibility.
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