Ávarp í umræðu um aðgengi að vatni og hreinlætisaðstöðu

Harald Aspelund, fastafulltrúi Íslands, lagði áherslu á mikilvægi þess að allir hafi aðgang að drykkjarvatni í ávarpi sem hann flutti í dag í gagnvirkri umræðu í mannréttindaráðinu sem fram fór með þátttöku sérstaks skýrslugjafa um aðgengi að vatni og hreinlætisaðstöðu og sérstaks skýrslugjafa um förgun hættulegra eiturefna.

Clustered interactive dialogue with the special rapporteur on water and sanitation and special rapporteur on hazardous wastes

9 September 2019

Statement by Iceland

Thank you, Mr. President,

Iceland thanks both Special Rapporteurs for their comprehensive reports.

We also want to welcome their additional efforts by submitting a summary of their reports as it will hopefully contribute to focus our discussion.

Allow us to particularly highlight the summary produced by the SR on water and sanitation. Not only is a summary like this helpful for this dialogue but it brings the issues and recommendations forward in a way which should be accessible for all stakeholders. It will make the work of the Council more applicable in the form of easily accessible conclusions and recommendations.

Iceland is of the firm belief that having access to safe drinking water and sanitation is central to living a life in dignity and the report highlights an often-forgotten aspect of that right, making this summary even more pertinent.

Mr. President,

Turning to the report on hazardous waste, we welcome the outlining of the 15 principles to help States, businesses and other key actors to protect workers from toxic occupational exposures and to provide remedies for violations of their rights. We look forward to examining them in further detail.

We particularly welcome the consultations undertaken by the rapporteur and efforts to align these principles with ILO standards to ensure coherence and effectiveness in our work to address the impact of toxic waste. 

We would like to ask the special rapporteur, how he plans to continue to engage with ILO and other agencies to further the recognition of these principles?

Thank you.