The Added Value of the UNECE Protocol on Water and Health for the Implementation of the Right to Drinking Water and Sanitation

The contribution examines the key provisions of the Protocol on Water and Health in the light of the main tenets of the human rights approach to access to water and sanitation. Primary attention will be given to the provisions of the Protocol concerning the implementation of the right to drinking water and sanitation, in order to assess whether the Protocol represents in concrete terms an added value for the implementation of the right under discussion at the domestic level. To this end, the legal contours and relevance will be considered of the obligations of international cooperation, coordination and mutual assistance for the purpose of enhancing the implementation of the right to water and sanitation. Finally, the Protocol will be also discussed within the framework of the concept of due diligence obligations with a view to addressing the practical aspects of the implementation and enforcement of the obligations in point.