Ms. Catarina de Albuquerque, Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, is visiting Thailand from 30 January - 8 February 2013 upon the invitation of the Royal Thai Government to receive information on the situation of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and the good practices and challenges of Thailand on the matter. During her visit, the Special Rapporteur will meet with representatives of key government authorities responsible for the promotion and protection of the right to safe drinking water and sanitation in Thailand as well as civil society organizations both in Bangkok and nearby provinces. She will also travel to Chiang Mai to meet with local authorities and visit a project of the Royal Project Foundation.

Special Rapporteurs are a mechanism under the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) with the mandate to monitor, advise, examine and publicly report on human rights situations worldwide. Thailand made a voluntary pledge on 5 October 2011 during the presentation of its first report under the Universal Periodic Review, which is a peer review of the human rights situations of countries worldwide, that it will issue a standing invitation to all the special procedures of the HRC to visit the country. The Special Rapporteur’s visit also signifies the close cooperation between the United Nations and Thailand, as a member of the HRC for the term 2010 – 2013 and a candidate for the term 2015 – 2017.

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