A/HRC/42/47/Add.2 harmonize the regulation of water and sanitation services in the country, through bodies that are independent of service providers. C. Policy framework 22. Since 1966, Malaysia has pursued development through national planning. The Eleventh Malaysia Plan 2016–2020, based on the principle of “anchoring growth on people”, resonates with the underlying principle of the Sustainable Development Goals, namely “leaving no one behind”. Another way of “leaving no one behind” is to have “everyone on board” and to be able to keep track of how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved for “everyone in all contexts”, especially for those who do not exist in national surveys. Malaysia has committed to achieving Goal 6 (ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), particularly by aligning its Eleventh Malaysia Plan with the Sustainable Development Goals. 23. To make its commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals tangible and to achieve universal access to water and sanitation for all, Malaysia needs to aim for a higher rate of progress for disadvantaged and marginalized groups. The Special Rapporteur stresses that, while meeting targets 6.1 and 6.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals is a pathway to realize the human rights to water and sanitation, it is only a proxy for the human rights to water and sanitation. Ultimately, Malaysia must strive to meet its human rights obligations and exercise regional leadership in this field and, in order to do so, all policies should focus on accelerating the elimination of inequalities in access to water and sanitation services. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the National Human Rights Action Plan of 2018, which identifies priority areas, such as improving people’s economic opportunities and livelihoods through eradicating poverty and reducing gaps. The Action Plan is a positive step by the Government to ensure that everyone’s need for basic services, such as water, electricity, telecommunications and energy, is fully met. As the next positive step, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the implementation of the Action Plan must be ensured. III. Leaving no one behind 24. Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of water resources, that is to say some 971 billion cubic metres of rainfall each year. The Special Rapporteur visited the country during the monsoon season and saw several tanks to collect rainwater in both urban and rural areas. In terms of access to adequate water and sanitation services, the Special Rapporteur observes that Malaysia is a high performer and that the accessibility of water and sanitation services is truly impressive. According to the 2015 report of the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene – the first monitoring report after the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – 92 per cent of the population of Malaysia had access to safely managed water services and 82 per cent to safely managed sanitation services. Similarly, the Joint Monitoring Programme estimates near universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services in schools. The Special Rapporteur commends the Government and the population of Malaysia for these achievements, which are the result of a historic commitment to the provision of public services. However, when this picture is observed from a human rights perspective, it is a great concern that some groups still do not enjoy their human rights to water and sanitation as they collect water from surface sources that are often compromised in terms of quality, and use inadequate sanitation services. 25. The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that one of his responsibilities is to report back to the Human Rights Council the voice of affected individuals and groups and to speak on their behalf. Conscious of that responsibility, he would like to highlight some of the interactions that he had and stories that he heard during his visit, particularly from those that are unserved or underserved and, consequently, left behind. While these stories are not statistically representative, the Special Rapporteur emphasizes that a human rights-based approach prioritizes and focuses on those who are socially and economically marginalized and who may otherwise be rendered invisible. 6