Value proposition

Securing the human rights to water and sanitation through law and policy reform

Established in 2010 and closed in 2020, WaterLex was an international non-governmental organization (NGO) and thinktank. Setup as a not-for-profit association under Swiss Law, it enjoyed among others UN ECOSOC and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) consultative status, as well UN Water and Global Water Partnership (GWP) Partner status.

WaterLex was convinced that securing access to safe drinking water to all required a management and governance of water as a resource, in an integrated, intersectoral and inclusive manner (i.e. with the active involvement of affected and vulnerable communities).

WaterLex mission was to secure the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation through law and policy reforms. WaterLex therefore worked with an alliance of interested parties to improve water-governance frameworks, by bringing them in line with country obligations under international human rights law.

The interested parties were primarily parliamentarians, but also individuals and groups working in government (incl. diplomatic missions and bilateral cooperation agencies), academia (professors of law, researchers), the judiciary (high/supreme courts judges, and members of NHRIs), the UN system (UN-Water family members), and civil society organisations working on water issues.

WaterLex had a permanent secretariat in Geneva with 15 staff members, a supervisory board of directors, and a large pool of members and expert advisors. For more information, visit the WaterLex Archive Website: www.waterlex.org

Water Governance, Governance and Legal Analysis, Multi-stakholder Facilitation, Human Rights-Based Approach, Sustainable Development Goals, Integrated Water Resources Management, and Human Rights to Water and Sanitation