Right to food – Human Rights Council tenth session – Press release (excerpts)

UNOG

THE UNITED NATIONS

OFFICE AT GENEVA

Human Rights Council

MORNING 10 March 2009

Concludes Interactive Dialogue on the Right to Food, Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation and Adequate Housing

The Human Rights Council this morning heard presentations of reports by Martin Scheinin, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism; Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and Santiago Corcuera, the Chairperson of the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances.

Also this morning, the Council concluded its interactive dialogue on the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter; the Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque; and the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Raquel Rolnik.

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Continuation of Interactive Dialogue on Right to Food, Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Adequate Housing

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TAHEREHNAZARI (Iran) …

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There was one situation which needed extraordinary attention of the mandate holders. For a period of two years, the Israeli regime had cut off vital services including water, electricity and gasoline and severely restricted the flow of goods into the Gaza Strip. This exacerbated the dire living conditions of the population in Gaza. The people in Gaza were suffering a severe condition in terms of having access to food and sanitation. The children and women were the most vulnerable groups in that situation. Iran asked the Special Rapporteurs if they planned to visit the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Iran also asked the Special Rapporteurs to explain their activities in order to highlight the situation of human rights in Gaza in terms of having access to food and water.