One moment, Mr. Chair. I'll just check my notes. I was briefed by colleagues who work in the human rights division before coming.
Mr. Chair, Canada recognizes the human right of everyone to safe drinking water and basic sanitation as essential to the right to an adequate standard of living, and therefore implicit under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
Canada interprets the right to safe drinking water and basic sanitation as the right to a sufficient quantity and safe quality of reasonably affordable and accessible water for personal and domestic uses.
Water and sanitation services should be physically and economically accessible on an equal and non-discriminatory basis.
Canada recognizes that a lack of water, sanitation and hygiene affects women disproportionately, as they often have the primary responsibility to collect and manage water resources.
Canada works through multilateral fora like the Group of Friends of Water at the UN and also through the G20 to advance this right.
Thank you.