Continued efforts to secure safe drinking water, sanitation in ASEAN

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) today held its first coordination meeting on the thematic study on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in the region.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry (Wisma Putra) said the meeting which was held with the support of the ministry and the  Irrigation and Drainage Department was a follow-up to AICHR Regional Consultation on the Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation in ASEAN, held from Oct 25 to 27 last year in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

“This thematic study is a continuous effort by Malaysia in strengthening the process of integration and development of the ASEAN community in promoting and protecting human rights to secure safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in the region,” the ministry said in a statement issued in conjunction with the meeting here.

According to the statement, the thematic study will cover the legal framework related to water and sanitation in the ASEAN countries aimed at providing comprehensive reports with analysis of the strengths and areas for improvement in respect to water governance in the region.

According to Wisma Putra, the study will also provide basic information to support ASEAN member states to achieve the six Sustainable Development Goals and other interrelated goals in the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.

The study will be conducted by researchers from 10 ASEAN member countries and five human rights experts involved in the previous AICHR regional consultation.

-- BERNAMA