By: Claudia Barney, Staff Reporter

The Human Rights Council (HCR), an intergovernmental body tasked with the protection of all human rights, began their discussions on the topic of the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, and are making quick progress to accomplish their goals. Last night the Representatives of Kazakhstan, Honduras, Senegal and Vietnam drafted a Resolution regarding sanitation and water security that emphasizes eliminating the disparity between access to water in urban and rural areas while being conscious of efficiency and climate. 

Among other things, Draft Resolution AA calls for the implementation of community-led total sanitation programs that include education of the importance of hygiene and sanitation development. It calls upon organizations such as Doctors Without Borders to inspect the severity and impact of poor hygienic practices. 

Though some in the international community disagree that access to safe drinking water and sanitation should be considered a human human right, the Representatives working on Draft Resolution AA have not had to argue this issue. Representative Jillian McKinley of Vietnam said that this topic is particularly pertinent to Vietnam largely because the majority of their efforts in water security are focused on highly populated areas and tend to leave the more rural areas, where much of the population works, causing inefficiency in agriculture.

I look forward to seeing what other progress this council can make in the coming days.

_{The views and opinions expressed in this article were part of simulation of the United Nations held from 18 to 21 November 2023 and do not reflect the views and opinions of the American Model United Nations Conference, American Model United Nations International, LLC. or the governing bodies of the states mentioned in the article.}