EU Statement - HRC60 - Interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
60th session
Interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation
15 September 2025
EU statement
Mr President,
The European Union thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report, which emphasizes the compelling need for the energy and water transitions to be founded upon respect for human rights.
The increasingly devastating effects of climate change often lead to energy and drinking water supply disruptions, exacerbate water-related inequalities, particularly gender inequality, and disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. In this global context, a comprehensive and integrated approach to the management of water resources across sectors is necessary.
Given the urgency to address these challenges, the European Union has developed the 2025 Water Resilience Strategy, which aims precisely at restoring the water cycle, building a water-smart economy, and ensuring access to clean and affordable water for all. All of it by improving governance, enhancing public and private investments, boosting innovation and digitalisation, and guaranteeing crisis preparedness.
Moreover, and on the path towards the upcoming 2026 UN Water Conference, the European Union has reinforced its commitments to the Water Action Agenda, prioritizing access to safe drinking water and sanitation as human rights. Only through concrete measures that ensure water access and security, global resilience to water stress, the reduction of water pollution, and the protection of aquatic ecosystems, will we be closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. As the UN Agenda 2030 is a strongly integrated one, the water, energy, food and ecosystems (WEFE) nexus approach is needed for cross-sectoral progress on various sectoral goals at all levels.
Special Rapporteur, your report emphasizes the risks posed by the water and energy demand of huge data centres, which emerge due to the rise of emerging technologies, notably artificial intelligence. Do you also see opportunities of beneficial use of these technologies in the water-energy nexus?
Thank you.