A/HRC/45/11 the country and the extent to which those models are in compliance with the human rights standards and principles. 28. The submissions received indicate that in several States water and sanitation services are provided through a mix of solutions, depending on the specific context and characteristics of the communities served, for example, connection to piped networks in densely populated areas, and shared or on-site facilities in dispersed populations. Some States referenced the human rights framework for water, sanitation and hygiene services as a way to identify appropriate types of services and management models. For example, in Costa Rica, the national policy on drinking water for 2017–2030 recognizes the need of providing users with an optimal service, in terms of quality, quantity, continuity, reliability, equality, universality of access, efficiency and sustainability, with a human rights-based approach, regardless of the type of service and management model used.35 In the country’s 2015 policy on the organization and strengthening of community management of drinking water and sanitation services, which sets guidelines for the organization and strengthening of community-run service providers, the full enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation is one of the three cross-cutting principles, together with sustainability and women’s participation in community management. The Government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia noted that data should reflect not only the type of access, but the level of the services that people access. For instance, indicators are used to measure progress in terms of accessibility (do people have access to water and sanitation services that are close to their households and safe?) and acceptability (are water and sanitation services appropriate to the needs and cultural characteristics of the people using them?), as well as other overarching human rights principles, such as non-discrimination and participation.36 29. Other examples highlight where the management model for service provision has been adopted taking into consideration the specific context of the country. In Colombia, community-managed services have emerged as the most appropriate way to supply rural communities. The Red Nacional de Acueductos Comunitarios de Colombia reports that there are more than 12,000 community organizations in the country delivering water services through an approach based on principles such as democratization, decentralization and social and environmental justice.37 30. Guidelines exist to help assess what the most appropriate management model would be for a specific setting. While limited to piped water provision, a guideline developed by WaterAid is aimed at assisting decision makers in selecting the best management model for piped water in rural and small-town contexts. The guide assesses the best management typology depending on the specific context, in particular the commercial viability, technical complexity and local capacity, sector legislation and regulation. Faecal sludge management and excreta-flow diagrams are tools that have been used by WaterAid in different countries for the analysis of urban on-site sanitation systems and the selection of the most appropriate management model.38 B. Affordability Special Rapporteur’s report on affordability39 1. 31. Affordability, as a human rights criterion, requires that the use of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and services are accessible at a price that is affordable to all. Since 2010, much work has been done in terms of measuring the affordability of water and sanitation services. Several researchers have proposed methods for assessing affordability, including by defining a minimum basket of services and by analysing the share of a household’s expenditures for fulfilling basic needs.40 Among the gaps in studies that existed 35 36 37 38 39 40 10 Submission from Costa Rica. Submission from the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Submission from the Red Nacional de Acueductos Comunitarios de Colombia. Submission from WaterAid. A/HRC/30/39. Luis Andres and others, “Measuring the affordability of water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services: a new approach”, Water Economics and Policy (2020); Ahmad Komarulzaman, Eelke de Jong and Jeroen Smits, “Hidden water affordability problems revealed in developing countries”, Journal of