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Papers by Catarina de Albuquerque
Routledge eBooks, May 15, 2017
she has been UN Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to ... more she has been UN Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The author wishes to thank Bruce Porter and Simon Walker for comments and suggestions made on an earlier version of this text. She also wishes to take this opportunity to thank Simon Walker and Ulrik Halsteen-the two Secretaries of the Working Group-for their constant, professional and committed support, which went far beyond their obligations as staff members of the OHCHR and without which the negotiations would not have gone as "smoothly" and pleasantly as they did.
Distr. générale 3 août 2011 Français Original : anglais 11-44365X (F) *1144365* Soixante-sixième ... more Distr. générale 3 août 2011 Français Original : anglais 11-44365X (F) *1144365* Soixante-sixième session Points 13 et 69 b) de l'ordre du jour provisoire* Application et suivi intégrés et coordonnés des textes issus des grandes conférences et réunions au sommet organisées par les Nations Unies dans les domaines économique et social et dans les domaines connexes Promotion et protection des droits de l'homme : Questions relatives aux droits de l'homme, y compris les divers moyens de mieux assurer l'exercice effectif des droits de l'homme et des libertés fondamentales Rapport de la Rapporteuse spéciale sur le droit à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement Rapport du Secrétaire général La Rapporteuse spéciale sur le droit à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement, Catarina de Albuquerque, soumet le présent rapport à l'Assemblée générale en application de sa résolution 64/292, et conformément aux résolutions 15/9 et 16/2 du Conseil des droits de l'homme. Elle y examine les principales questions qui se posent autour des ressources disponibles pour la réalisation du droit à l'eau et à l'assainissement. La section II du rapport propose un rapide état des lieux de la situation des ressources pour ces secteurs. Puis elle examine plusieurs sources de financement majeures au sein des secteurs pour suggérer diverses manières de les élargir et de les améliorer grâce à un alignement sur les principes relatifs aux droits de l'homme, et résume les avantages considérables liés à l'investissement dans le droit à l'eau et à l'assainissement. La section III s'intéresse au défi associé que représente le ciblage efficace des ressources. Elle donne des exemples concrets de la manière dont les parties prenantes peuvent mieux utiliser les ressources limitées en tenant compte des principes relatifs aux droits de l'homme. Enfin, la section IV évoque d'autres obstacles à l'obtention d'un financement suffisant, telles que la fragmentation institutionnelle et le manque de transparence.
Janus 2003: A convulsão internacional, 2003
The United Nations Special Procedures System
The Special Procedures are often referred to as the ‘crown jewels’ of the UN human rights system.... more The Special Procedures are often referred to as the ‘crown jewels’ of the UN human rights system. Yet, judging from the regular budgetary resources allocated to the Special Procedures system, the UN seems to consider its crown jewels to be of largely symbolic rather than material value. Providing an insiders’ perspective and drawing on the experience of the mandate of the first Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation from 2008 to 2014, the chapter will address three aspects that are deeply interwoven and influence each other: firstly, the decision to pursue a very active agenda for the mandate, secondly, the role of the Special Procedures, their independence and the need for cooperation with other actors, and thirdly, the question of funding. The mandate was comparatively well-funded, which provided it with unique opportunities but also gave rise to distinct challenges. The chapter starts by briefly explaining the evolving mandate from ‘Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation’ (as it was named in 2008) to Special Rapporteur (as it was renamed in 2011) after the explicit recognition of the human right to water and sanitation. It details the approach the Special Rapporteur took to her mandate and its achievements, outlining the shift from advocacy for the explicit recognition of the right to water and sanitation to a much stronger focus on implementation of this newly recognised human right, inter alia through close engagement with sector professionals and production of materials aimed at guiding the practical implementation of the human rights to water and sanitation. The chapter continues by discussing the independence of Special Procedures and their unique position in the human rights system, but also highlights the need to cooperate with a range of other actors, including States, UN organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions and many other stakeholders. Such cooperation allows the mandate-holders to amplify their work and its impact.In addition to cooperation, (external) funding is necessary to pursue an agenda as active as the one of the water and sanitation mandate. While the mandate was comparatively well-funded, the nature of funding, the priorities of donors, the fact that the mandate-holder herself is unpaid, and the potential lack of transparency raise challenges for the independence of the mandate-holder and similarly placed Special Procedures. Their independence is often considered their key asset. However on the one hand, the system itself pushes mandate-holders to raise funds (which might risk their independence) and on the other hand, mandate-holders must avoid the danger of independence turning into isolation and disconnect, which would put them in an ivory tower. These dilemmas result in a delicate balancing act between securing funding for carrying out impactful work and not risking the mandate’s independence.
Wisconsin International Law Journal, 2014
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) harnessed the power of numbers to focus the world'... more The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) harnessed the power of numbers to focus the world's attention on some of the most pressing development challenges. Numbers are perceived to be professional, rational, credible, and neutral. The MDGs embody both the promise and the peril of development approaches that view measurable outcomes as the most certain path to progress for all. They focus on quantifiable progress in access to basic social services and goods, using only well-known indicators, metrics, and established data sets for monitoring. Further, they focus on aggregate progress, failing-except in relation to a specific gender equality goal-to capture the dimension of equality and non-discrimination. However, recent decades have shown that overall progress often does not reach those who experience
JANUS 2009: Aliança de civilizações: um caminho possível ?, 2007
The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies, 2020
In this conversation, Catarina de Albuquerque, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights t... more In this conversation, Catarina de Albuquerque, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, and her former advisor, Virginia Roaf, discuss how menstrual health and menstruation have become critical to understanding the contribution that the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector can make to ensuring gender equality. They look back at country missions and the many conversations with women and girls that led to a closer examination of how stigma around menstruation limits access to education, work, and a life in dignity. WASH provides a strong entry point for addressing taboos relating to menstruation, but the authors identify that one must get past this often technical understanding to address deeply entrenched gender stereotypes.
Human Rights Quarterly, 2010
:At the 2009 Treaty Event held at UN Headquarters in New York, twentynine states signed the Optio... more :At the 2009 Treaty Event held at UN Headquarters in New York, twentynine states signed the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This new treaty had been adopted by consensus of the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 2008, after decades of discussions and a surprisingly short nine months of intergovernmental negotiations over
JANUS 2007: Religiões e política mundial, 2007
Routledge eBooks, May 15, 2017
she has been UN Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to ... more she has been UN Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The author wishes to thank Bruce Porter and Simon Walker for comments and suggestions made on an earlier version of this text. She also wishes to take this opportunity to thank Simon Walker and Ulrik Halsteen-the two Secretaries of the Working Group-for their constant, professional and committed support, which went far beyond their obligations as staff members of the OHCHR and without which the negotiations would not have gone as "smoothly" and pleasantly as they did.
Distr. générale 3 août 2011 Français Original : anglais 11-44365X (F) *1144365* Soixante-sixième ... more Distr. générale 3 août 2011 Français Original : anglais 11-44365X (F) *1144365* Soixante-sixième session Points 13 et 69 b) de l'ordre du jour provisoire* Application et suivi intégrés et coordonnés des textes issus des grandes conférences et réunions au sommet organisées par les Nations Unies dans les domaines économique et social et dans les domaines connexes Promotion et protection des droits de l'homme : Questions relatives aux droits de l'homme, y compris les divers moyens de mieux assurer l'exercice effectif des droits de l'homme et des libertés fondamentales Rapport de la Rapporteuse spéciale sur le droit à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement Rapport du Secrétaire général La Rapporteuse spéciale sur le droit à l'eau potable et à l'assainissement, Catarina de Albuquerque, soumet le présent rapport à l'Assemblée générale en application de sa résolution 64/292, et conformément aux résolutions 15/9 et 16/2 du Conseil des droits de l'homme. Elle y examine les principales questions qui se posent autour des ressources disponibles pour la réalisation du droit à l'eau et à l'assainissement. La section II du rapport propose un rapide état des lieux de la situation des ressources pour ces secteurs. Puis elle examine plusieurs sources de financement majeures au sein des secteurs pour suggérer diverses manières de les élargir et de les améliorer grâce à un alignement sur les principes relatifs aux droits de l'homme, et résume les avantages considérables liés à l'investissement dans le droit à l'eau et à l'assainissement. La section III s'intéresse au défi associé que représente le ciblage efficace des ressources. Elle donne des exemples concrets de la manière dont les parties prenantes peuvent mieux utiliser les ressources limitées en tenant compte des principes relatifs aux droits de l'homme. Enfin, la section IV évoque d'autres obstacles à l'obtention d'un financement suffisant, telles que la fragmentation institutionnelle et le manque de transparence.
Janus 2003: A convulsão internacional, 2003
The United Nations Special Procedures System
The Special Procedures are often referred to as the ‘crown jewels’ of the UN human rights system.... more The Special Procedures are often referred to as the ‘crown jewels’ of the UN human rights system. Yet, judging from the regular budgetary resources allocated to the Special Procedures system, the UN seems to consider its crown jewels to be of largely symbolic rather than material value. Providing an insiders’ perspective and drawing on the experience of the mandate of the first Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Water and Sanitation from 2008 to 2014, the chapter will address three aspects that are deeply interwoven and influence each other: firstly, the decision to pursue a very active agenda for the mandate, secondly, the role of the Special Procedures, their independence and the need for cooperation with other actors, and thirdly, the question of funding. The mandate was comparatively well-funded, which provided it with unique opportunities but also gave rise to distinct challenges. The chapter starts by briefly explaining the evolving mandate from ‘Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation’ (as it was named in 2008) to Special Rapporteur (as it was renamed in 2011) after the explicit recognition of the human right to water and sanitation. It details the approach the Special Rapporteur took to her mandate and its achievements, outlining the shift from advocacy for the explicit recognition of the right to water and sanitation to a much stronger focus on implementation of this newly recognised human right, inter alia through close engagement with sector professionals and production of materials aimed at guiding the practical implementation of the human rights to water and sanitation. The chapter continues by discussing the independence of Special Procedures and their unique position in the human rights system, but also highlights the need to cooperate with a range of other actors, including States, UN organisations, civil society organisations, academic institutions and many other stakeholders. Such cooperation allows the mandate-holders to amplify their work and its impact.In addition to cooperation, (external) funding is necessary to pursue an agenda as active as the one of the water and sanitation mandate. While the mandate was comparatively well-funded, the nature of funding, the priorities of donors, the fact that the mandate-holder herself is unpaid, and the potential lack of transparency raise challenges for the independence of the mandate-holder and similarly placed Special Procedures. Their independence is often considered their key asset. However on the one hand, the system itself pushes mandate-holders to raise funds (which might risk their independence) and on the other hand, mandate-holders must avoid the danger of independence turning into isolation and disconnect, which would put them in an ivory tower. These dilemmas result in a delicate balancing act between securing funding for carrying out impactful work and not risking the mandate’s independence.
Wisconsin International Law Journal, 2014
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) harnessed the power of numbers to focus the world'... more The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) harnessed the power of numbers to focus the world's attention on some of the most pressing development challenges. Numbers are perceived to be professional, rational, credible, and neutral. The MDGs embody both the promise and the peril of development approaches that view measurable outcomes as the most certain path to progress for all. They focus on quantifiable progress in access to basic social services and goods, using only well-known indicators, metrics, and established data sets for monitoring. Further, they focus on aggregate progress, failing-except in relation to a specific gender equality goal-to capture the dimension of equality and non-discrimination. However, recent decades have shown that overall progress often does not reach those who experience
JANUS 2009: Aliança de civilizações: um caminho possível ?, 2007
The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies, 2020
In this conversation, Catarina de Albuquerque, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights t... more In this conversation, Catarina de Albuquerque, former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, and her former advisor, Virginia Roaf, discuss how menstrual health and menstruation have become critical to understanding the contribution that the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector can make to ensuring gender equality. They look back at country missions and the many conversations with women and girls that led to a closer examination of how stigma around menstruation limits access to education, work, and a life in dignity. WASH provides a strong entry point for addressing taboos relating to menstruation, but the authors identify that one must get past this often technical understanding to address deeply entrenched gender stereotypes.
Human Rights Quarterly, 2010
:At the 2009 Treaty Event held at UN Headquarters in New York, twentynine states signed the Optio... more :At the 2009 Treaty Event held at UN Headquarters in New York, twentynine states signed the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. This new treaty had been adopted by consensus of the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 2008, after decades of discussions and a surprisingly short nine months of intergovernmental negotiations over
JANUS 2007: Religiões e política mundial, 2007