A/HRC/45/10/Add.3 supply from 5,189 in 2018 to 140,000 in 2030.20 The Special Rapporteur looks forward to positive outcomes from this policy. He cautions that the expansion of piped connections to the ger areas should remain affordable to the newly accessed populations, not only in terms of tariffs for use, but also when it comes to connection charges. His report on affordability details the various financing mechanisms that can be used to ensure the human rights of economically vulnerable populations through water and sanitation service provisions, through different tariffs and subsidies (A/HRC/30/39). PROGRESS ON-GOING: The Special Rapporteur reiterates his recommendation that the Government focuses on eliminating inequalities between the ger and apartment areas in terms of access to water and sanitation. In order to achieve this, he recommends that the Government first work to coordinate initiatives to improve or expand upon existing services, identifying the yet unserved areas and monitoring the access of persons living in the ger areas. The creation of a specific agency responsible for provision would facilitate this coordination (see Recommendation 7). He commends the Government on setting targets for connecting ger area households to piped connections, at the same time, he urges the Government to make plans to ensure the affordability of connection to and use of these services. 3. Recommendation on urban-rural inequalities RECOMMENDATION 12: Address urban-rural inequalities in access to water and sanitation services and give due priority to rural areas, with technical assistance and financial support to improve those services (A/HRC/39/55/Add.2, para. 82(g)). 42. The concentration of the population and the development around cities have shaped the disparity between the level of access to water and sanitation between cities and rural areas. During the visit in 2018, the Special Rapporteur observed that in urban areas residents enjoy relatively good access to improved water and sanitation, while access is lower among the poorest communities in rural areas and urban and peri-urban ger areas (A/HRC/39/55/Add. 2, para. 39). The 2019 WHO/UNICEF JMP reports – a report released after the visit - notes that between 2000 and 2017, the proportion of the population with access to at least basic sanitation services increased from 26 to 42 per cent in rural areas, and from 64 to 66 per cent in urban areas, suggesting that the gap between rural and urban areas reduced during that time.21 For water, rural coverage increased from 29 to 56 per cent, and urban coverage increased from 87 to 96 per cent. While the trajectory suggests that the gap is also reducing, this is less true for water services than for sanitation. 43. The need for addressing disparity and the gap between urban-rural areas have been noted by the Government. The “State Policy on housing and public utilities”, approved by the Government on 18 March 2020, states that the Government acknowledges the disparity between rural and urban access to sanitation, and aims to provide water and sanitation to 90 per cent of the total population of Mongolia by 2030. It does not set targets for rural populations.22 The Special Rapporteur highlights that specific targets and plans should be in place to improve access to water and sanitation in rural areas. 20 21 22 14 Government of Mongolia, Annex to Government Resolution No. 94 of 2020, Government Policy on Public Housing and Utilities, 2020. UNICEF/WHO JMP, “Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene I 2000-2017 2019, Special Focus on Inequalities”, 2019, 116. Government of Mongolia, Annex to Government Resolution No. 94 of 2020, Government Policy on Public Housing and Utilities, 2020.