GENEVA: Pakistan has secured a diplomatic success at the United Nations Human Rights Council after a resolution on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation was adopted without a vote.
Germany and Spain presented the resolution during the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council. Pakistan actively worked to retain a reference to cooperation over transboundary water resources in the final text.
According to reports, India had sought to remove the reference to cross-border water cooperation, arguing that the issue did not fall within the scope of a human rights resolution. However, the reference remained in the adopted text.
Pakistan’s First Secretary Adeel Mumtaz Khokhar highlighted Islamabad’s position during the session. He said countries sharing water resources also share responsibilities and should manage them through cooperation.
Khokhar warned that upstream countries should not use shared water as a means of political pressure or influence. He also described India’s actions concerning the Indus Waters Treaty as a form of water weaponisation.
Two proposed amendments to the resolution were rejected, each receiving 10 votes in favour, 17 against and nine abstentions. The main resolution, identified as A/HRC/63/L.34, was subsequently adopted without a vote.
The development comes amid continuing disagreements between Pakistan and India over the Indus Waters Treaty and the management of shared water resources.
Pakistan welcomed the inclusion of transboundary water cooperation, saying it reinforces the importance of international cooperation and responsible management of shared rivers.
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