When I woke up this morning and read the Toronto Star I was deeply disappointed to learn that the Harper Conservative government had undermined international consensus at the United Nations Human Rights Council that access to water is a basic human right.
Water rights advocates around the world were devastated by Canada’s actions at successfully blocking the adoption of water as a basic right.
From the Toronto Star article: “From Oxford, Ashfaq Khalfan, co-ordinator of the U.K.-headquartered Right to Water Program, said he believes the resolution to make water a right would have passed without the resolute lobby efforts of the Canadian delegation.
Every 20 seconds a child dies due to water-borne diseases.
Canada used to have a reputation as a peacekeeper international – something we are undermining with the Afghan mission. We used to have a reputation for being a middle power promoting UN efforts and human rights. Now I am embarrassed about what we are doing internationally.
I am particularly proud that the Green Party of Canada is the only national party that has called for enshrining in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms the right of every Canadian to have access to clean, safe drinking water. I was proud to put forward this during the 2006 election campaign as leader of the party.
Louise Arbour, a former Supreme Court of Canada justice, stepped down last month as the UN High Commissioner for human rights. In her September 2007 report she said that she: “believes that it is now time to consider access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right. ..."
Well the Harper Conservative government thinks differently.
For the Toronto Star see http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/409003