The Human Right to Sanitation

Professor Inga Winkler published "The Human Right to Sanitation" in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law (Volume 37 Issue 4).

 

The article examines how sanitation has long been, and continues to be, a neglected issue in the context of human rights. It traces the steps that led to the political recognition of the human right to sanitation, and discusses the legal status of the right to sanitation: Is sanitation a “new” human right? Or has it rather been an implicit component of existing human rights guarantees that has only recently started receiving increased attention? The article acknowledges that sanitation is largely a matter of individual responsibility, but argues that states have a significant role to play in creating an environment that enables individuals to practice adequate sanitation as well as in ensuring public health.

 

Inga Winkler joined ISHR this fall as a full-time Lecturer in the Discipline of Human Rights in the Department of Political Science. Prior to joining ISHR, Inga was the Legal Adviser to the first UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation.

 

Click here to read her full bio or visit the ISHR Faculty page.