INDH Central America and Belize on Trans-boundary Waters and Human Rights

Mr. David Ernesto Morales, Human Rights Defender, El Salvador
Ms. Patricia Navarro, Netherlands Institute for Mulitparty Democracy
Moises Bermudez, National Director of the Costa Rican Institute of Agueducts and Watersheds
Other Human Rights Defenders’ delegates from Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama
Members of the Catholic Organization for Emergency Aid & Development
Members of the Media houses
Invited guests
Ladies and gentlemen:

A pleasant good morning to all present in this conference room.

I am very pleased to be here among you distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

The topic of this workshop is transboundary waters.Water is essential for life and right to water is a fundamental human right. Water supply is transboundary. Furthermore, water security, pollution and exploitation are concerns in relation to water and transboundary waters.

These rights and concerns are not only regional but also global. Take the many multi-lateral agreements on water, adequate standard of living and the environment. The current talks in Paris on Climate Change is an instance of the importance, scale and complexity of this issue.

I would like to thank the National Human Rights Institute of El Salvador,the Netherlands Institute for Multi-party Democracy and Cordaid for sponsoring this event. I hope these two days will achieve its purpose of imparting knowledge, raising awareness of the issues; establishing communication links and coordination mechanism and in general, institutional strengthening as they concern the institutions here; the human right to water, transboundary waters and more general, the environment in the region.

Thank you for giving the Ombudsman of Belize and his Staff this opportunity to be a part of these important efforts and at the very least, to address you all this morning.

Thank you all!!! Gracias para todos!!!!