Should Water be Considered a Human Right?

Recent efforts by members of the United Nations Human Rights Council to recognize water as a right were blocked last Friday, after a three week session failed to result in agreement. The Toronto Star reports that Canada’s opposition was crucial to the outcome. The water-rich nation’s position incurred criticism from other representatives on the Council as well as water rights organizations. Critics of the Canadian decision are calling it an international embarrassment, while others believe that the agreement could have been a threat to Canadian sovereignty over its own natural resources.

This doesn't seem much

Submitted by on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 10:28am.

This doesn't seem much different than the old debates about economic rights versus human rights. Oddly enough, developed countries were not that excited about enshrining economic rights.

So it isn't like Canada is being uniquely cold-hearted.

That said it could be great if we can work out some deals here.

This brings up several

Submitted by on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 3:54pm.

This brings up several questions:
1. What does it mean for something to be a 'right'?
If water is a 'right' should it be possible to buy or sell it?
2. If water is a 'right' and Canada has it in abundance, but Ethiopia experiences a shortage, is it Canada's responsibility to provide Ethiopia with the sufficient water to meet it's people's need?
3. How does one enforce a global human 'right'? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights--probably the most well known 'rights' document, is by the UN's own admission more of a guide than a legally binding document.
4. What do we gain (as individuals, or as a race) by declaring something a right without a shared concept of what that means, or a mechanism by which people can redress it's abuse?