Human Rights to Water and Sanitation in Times of Armed Conflict | HRC63 Side Event

This side event to the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council will examine the interplay between these legal frameworks, highlight specific challenges and documented cases, and identify concrete recommendations for the protection and restoration of water and sanitation services during and after armed conflict. This event is organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, alongside the Permanent Missions of Germany, Spain, Lebanon, Slovenia, and Bangladesh in Geneva, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.

About this Event

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are basic human rights and indispensable to life, health and people’s dignity and to the realization of other human rights. Water has increasingly been weaponized in modern conflicts, transforming from a life-sustaining resource into a tool of war and oppression. This weaponization includes the deliberate destruction of infrastructure and the diversion or contamination of water sources, to exert control, inflict suffering and displace populations.

While International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law provide clear obligations to respect and protect the rights to safe drinking water and sanitation and to guarantee access to these rights, enforcement remains a critical gap.

This side event will examine the interplay between these legal frameworks, highlight specific challenges and documented cases, and identify concrete recommendations for the protection and restoration of water and sanitation services during and after armed conflict.

Environment @ HRC63

The 63rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC63) will take place in Geneva from 7 September to 7 October 2026. Consult this regularly-updated page that highlighted the environmental-related activities of this session.

Speakers

H.E. Amb. Marcos GÓMEZ MARTÍNEZ

Permanent Representative of Spain to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva

H.E. Amb. Antje LEENDERTS

Permanent Representative of Germany to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva

H.E. Amb. Caroline ZIADEH

Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva

H.E. Amb. Nahida SOBHAN

Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva

Jana Urh LESJAK

Deputy Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva

Pedro ARROJO-AGUDO

UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

Ludovic HENNEBEL

Chair of the Working on Communications of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - CESCR

Mark ZEITOUN

Director General, Geneva Water Hub

Marcella FAVRETTO

Acting Chief of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Section, UN Human Rights

Participation

This event is taking place at Palais des Nations, Concordia 4 and online. In-person participation is open to those accredited to the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. For online participation, kindly access via the Webex link.

Join on Webex