Webinar - Business, human rights and the human right to water

On the Human Rights Day, the Platform for International Water Law of the Geneva Water Hub is pleased to invite you to the Webinar on “Business, Human Rights and the Right to Water”. The Webinar is organized in the framework of the 2021 edition of the Distance Learning Course on “International Water Law and the Law of Transboundary Aquifers” delivered by the Centre for Continuing and Distance Education of the University of Geneva.

Les objectifs de ce webinaire sont d'explorer la relation entre le droit à l'eau et les principes directeurs des Nations unies relatifs aux entreprises et aux droits de l'homme (UNGP) et d'analyser le rôle de ce droit dans le droit international de l'investissement.
Les principes directeurs des Nations unies sur les entreprises et les droits de l'homme sont un ensemble de lignes directrices destinées aux États et aux entreprises pour prévenir, traiter et réparer les violations des droits de l'homme commises dans le cadre d'activités commerciales. Le Conseil des droits de l'homme a approuvé les UNGP dans sa résolution 17/4 du 16 juin 2011. Elles reposent sur trois piliers : le devoir des États de protéger les droits de l'homme, la responsabilité des entreprises de respecter les droits de l'homme et l'accès à des voies de recours en cas de non-respect de ces droits.

The webinar will also focus on the human right to water in international investment law. Indeed, an increasing number of international investment arbitration disputes concerns the ability of States to terminate concession contracts or impose regulations into poorly performing foreign investors. It is interesting to see how human rights obligations interact with international investment agreements when States take regulatory measures to fulfil the right to water. There are two different types of investment cases that have emerged with an impact on water: first, cases that have arisen from privatizations in the water sector. They mainly concern problems connected with physical access to water and affordability. Second, cases concerning investments in other industries that have the potential to degrade the quality of drinking water or to have a negative impact on groundwater resources.

Programme

Chair : Dr. Mara Tignino – Reader and Lead Legal Specialist, Geneva Water Hub, University of Geneva.

• Prof. Angelica Bonfanti – Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Milano. "The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Human Right to Water."
• Prof. Roberta Greco – Adjunct Professor, LUMSA University, Rome. "The Human Right Water in International Investment Law."
• Questions & answers