UN Takes on the Most Important Human Rights Issue: Water

Posted by Tara Lohan, AlterNet at 12:53 PM on December 16, 2008.

On the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Human Rights, the UN took on one of the most pressing human rights issues of today: the right to water.

The amazing documentary, FLOW: For Love of Water was invited to screen at the UN by General Assembly President Father Miguel d'Escoto Brockman. Longtime water activist and now Senior Water Advisor to the President of the UN General Assembly Maude Barlow spoke along with FLOW producer Steven Starr.

Starr presented a petition with over 20,000 names collected from around the world that are calling for the right to clean and potable water for all -- Article 31 -- which states, "Everyone has the right to clean and accessible water, adequate for the health and well-being of the individual and family, and no one shall be deprived of such access or quality of water due to individual economic circumstance."

Water is a fundamental human right and not a privileged and growing international movement is afoot to have the right recognized. You can help take part by signing the petition at Article31.org. The letter is below.

Global Family,

In 1948, the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were ratified by all the nations of the world. These 30 articles guaranteed a broad sweep of human rights across many human endeavors, from Life to Liberty to Freedom of Thought.

Now, sixty years later, recognizing that over a billion people across the planet lack access to clean and potable water and that millions die each year as a result, it is imperative to add one more article to this historic declaration, the Right to Water.

We, the undersigned, respectfully call upon the United Nations to add a 31st article to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establishing access to clean and potable water as a fundamental human right.

We believe the world will be a better place when the Right To Water is acknowledged by all nations as a fundamental human right, and that this addition to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights represents a major step toward the goal of water for all.

Click here to sign

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Tagged as: water, maude barlow, right to water, flow

Tara Lohan is a managing editor at AlterNet.