Clean water, proper sanitation human rights: United Nations

Canada and the United States were among 41 countries to abstain from supporting a United Nations resolution declaring access to clean water and proper sanitation be recognized as a human right.
The resolution was supported by 124 countries in a July 28 vote.
“Every three seconds, a child dies from drinking water – one, two, three – now I am on to the fourth,” said Pablo Salon, Bolivia’s climate change representative to the UN.
The last time the resolution came before the UN in 2008, both Canada and the U.S. voted against it.
Worldwide, one billion people lack access to safe drinking water and double that amount have no sanitation.
In Canada, First Nations have been battling poor water conditions for years. There are currently 114 First Nations in Canada with drinking water advisories and 49 have water systems classified as high risk leaving tens of thousands of people in possible danger.
The Assembly of First Nations welcomed the UN’s resolution.
“This is welcome news for First Nations people and communities who are struggling to access safe drinking water and sanitation,” said National Chief Shawn Atleo. “This resolution establishes new international standards and, in affirming that clean water and sanitation are a basic human right, compels Canada to work with First Nations to ensure our people enjoy the same quality of water and sanitation as the rest of Canada.”
If the issues facing First Nations were being felt by other communities, it wouldn’t be tolerated, Atleo said.
“This is about nothing less than the health and safety of First Nations children,” the national chief said. “It is time to act to address longstanding inequity in infrastructure and training to enhance and support safe drinking water systems. The current approach of Canada to focus on regulation will not address these inequities and this is why we calling for a joint effort to address underlying problems as the real solution.”