A/HRC/42/47/Add.1
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
8 July 2019
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Forty-second session
9–27 September 2019
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Visit to Lesotho
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking
water and sanitation*
Summary
Pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 33/10, the Special Rapporteur on the
human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Léo Heller, undertook an official visit to
Lesotho from 4 to 15 February 2019, at the invitation of the Government.
In the report, the Special Rapporteur examines the issue of access to water and
sanitation services for the people of Lesotho, paying particular attention to the inequalities
in different geographical regions of the country (lowlands and highlands). During his visit,
the Special Rapporteur found that the lack of adequate water and sanitation services
constituted an additional key layer of vulnerability in addition to existing vulnerabilities,
such as poverty, unemployment, a high degree of inequality and the prevalence of
HIV/AIDS and orphaned children. Throughout the report, he illustrates his findings based
on the normative content of the human rights to water and sanitation (availability,
accessibility, quality, affordability and acceptability) and provides guidelines for the
Government of Lesotho to take action to improve the situation. In conclusion, the Special
Rapporteur emphasizes that the adoption of a comprehensive approach to implementing the
human rights to water and sanitation will guide Lesotho to focus on the most vulnerable
populations and to “leave no one behind”, in accordance with its commitment to the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development.
* The summary of the report is being circulated in all official languages. The report itself, which is
annexed to the summary, is being circulated in the language of submission only.
GE.19-11505(E)
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