UN expert: At time of crisis, we must guarantee water and sanitation for all

The third Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, was appointed in September 2020 and took over the mandate on 1 November. 

“I take up my duties in the midst of a double global crisis – climate change and COVID-19. If we want to surmount these crises, we must empower marginalized people and groups, make sure we protect women and girls and of course, protect people who stand up for human rights."

"To shut the door on the spread of this virus, we must guarantee universal access to water and sanitation services,” said the Special Rapporteur in a press release issue on 2 November.

• Read the full press release here. 
• The Special Rapporteur set out his priorities in introductory videos in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.