PBI-Colombia, CREDHOS and National Network of Artisanal Fisherman in conversation with UN Special Rapporteur on Water

On October 16, PBI-Colombia tweeted:

“@ONU_es [United Nations] @SRWatSan [Special Rapporteur on Water and Sanitation] P. Arrojo highlights in dialogue with @PBIColombia, @Credhos_Paz and the National Network of Artisanal Fishermen @peibus01 the importance of water and fishing for people’s health: ‘We have to make peace with our rivers’ @PlataformaDesc [Colombian Platform for Human Rights, Democracy and Development], @EmbAlemaniaCOL [German Embassy in Colombia] @EmbajadaEspCol [Embassy of Spain in Colombia].”

On June 30 this year, CREDHOS, FEDEPESAN, PBI-Colombia and PBI-Canada visited the San Silvestre wetland ecosystem in Barrancabermeja and witnessed the impacts of the Ecopetrol refinery and large-scale agribusiness (buffalos and palm) on the water, wildlife and livelihoods of artisanal fishers.

Journalist Lise Josefsen Hermann and photographer Edu Leon were also on that observation visit. Their report can be read in El Pais at Amenazas y destierro: el precio a pagar por defender el agua en Colombia..

Arrojo’s visit to Colombia

The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation is on an academic visit to Colombia.

Prior to this meeting, Arrojo also participated in a panel with the Committee for the Defense and Life of Buenaventura, Wayuu Force and Women, and the Colombian Platform for Human Rights, Democracy and Development (PCDHDD).

More on that at: UN Special Rapporteur Arrojo’s visit to Colombia raises water justice issues in Buenaventura and Guajira, the murder of social leaders.

Arrojo has also highlighted the Social Forum on Water that will take place both in Geneva and online on November 3-4 of this year, as well as the UN 2023 Water Conference will be in New York on March 22-24, 2023.

For a 2-minute UNO news report on Arrojo’s visit to Colombia, please see El agua es un derecho y no una mercancía, dice Pedro Arrojo, relator de la ONU, de visita en Colombia.