Third Committee, 18th plenary meeting - General Assembly, 80th session

Good morning, dear colleagues. The 18th meeting of the Third Committee at the 80th session of the General Assembly is called to order. I now invite the Committee to continue its consideration of agenda item 71, entitled "Promotion and protection of human rights," and its sub-items A to D. I now welcome the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal. Participants wishing to make comments and pose questions to the speaker are invited at this time to press their microphone button within the next three minutes, after which the list will be closed. The time limit for each speaker will be announced before the floor is given to the first speaker. I thank you for your cooperation. I now invite the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living and on the right to non-discrimination in this context to make an introductory statement. Mr. Rajagopal, you have the floor.

Thank you, Honorable President, distinguished delegates. It's an honor to present my final report to the UN General Assembly as the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. Reflecting on the past six years, I must acknowledge with deep regret that progress in realizing, respecting, protecting, and fulfilling this right remains elusive. Reports of forced evictions and punitive demolitions have sharply increased, with those displaced rarely resettled in accordance with international human rights standards. The number of people living in substandard housing and informal settlements with insecure tenure has grown alarmingly. Housing affordability has become a major global concern. In many countries in the Global North, homelessness has risen. as people in homeless situations face criminalization and incarceration. Housing discrimination and segregation persist, disproportionately affecting women, children, older persons, migrants, ethnic and religious minorities, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, climate-induced displacement continues to surge. We remain far from achieving the sustainable development goal of ensuring access to safe and adequate housing for all by 2030. The most egregious violations of the right to adequate housing have emerged amid violent conflicts. At this moment, we all hope for an end to the bloodshed in Gaza. Since 7th October 2023, more than 90% of homes have been destroyed or damaged, displacing 2 million people and rendering them homeless. Urgent humanitarian aid and emergency housing must reach all people in Gaza as winter approaches. Land must be cleared of unexploded ordnance and debris, and Palestinians must be supported to return and rebuild their homes. The illegal occupation of Palestine, the blockade of Gaza, and the continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank must end. Without ending the occupation, no meaningful recovery or rebuilding can occur. All UN member states must uphold the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and ensure peace and dignity for both Palestinians and Israelis. Across the globe, in the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine, systematic and deliberate housing destruction has displaced millions. The long-term consequences of these atrocities must be named for what they are: domicide, the systematic and widespread destruction of homes directed against civilian populations, causing immense human suffering. I reiterate my call to recognize domicide as an international crime. The right to adequate housing is too weakly protected during conflicts. Domicide may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, or even genocide, as in Gaza. Rebuilding efforts must prioritize the rights to participation and self-determination of affected communities. State responsibility, accountability, and reparations must be ensured, including for those who supplied the weapons and machinery that destroyed homes. The restoration of adequate housing must rest firmly on human rights foundations everywhere, from Gaza to Ukraine and beyond. Dear delegates, I call on you to condemn and reject the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States on Francesca Albanese the UN Special Rapporteur on occupied Palestinian territories. They are grossly unfair and a blatant attack on the UN human rights system and especially on special procedures. Dear delegates, before turning to the topic of my General Assembly report on land and the right to adequate housing, let me highlight some of the other key activities I've undertaken this year. In March 2025, I presented to the Human Rights Council a report entitled Towards a Just Approach to the Global Housing Crisis and Migrants. In recent years, leading politicians and popular narratives in many countries, especially in the global north, blame migrants, including refugees, for their own homegrown housing crisis and homelessness. In my report to the Human Rights Council, I fundamentally challenge this narrative. Rather than being the cause of housing crisis, migrants bring significant benefits to economies. And far from causing the housing crisis, migrants and refugees are usually among those most vulnerable to their effects. Building on existing global commitments, I have called for a multilateral strategy grounded in inclusive housing policies that protect everyone regardless of citizenship. Indeed, during my recent country visit to Guatemala, I witnessed firsthand the importance of migration for impoverished communities, especially indigenous people and Afro-descendants. In addition, historic injustices during colonialism, unbridled capitalism, and later the civil war have left indigenous and peasant communities without land rights. over their own traditionally owned or occupied lands and vulnerable to extremely violent forced evictions that lead to their further displacement and impoverishment. I reiterate my urgent recommendation to Guatemala to put in place a moratorium on evictions until the country may face the larger challenge of land justice, which is essential to protect the right to adequate housing. Dear delegates, let me now turn to my report on land and the right to adequate housing before you. Access to affordable, well-located and serviced land is central for the realization of the right to adequate housing. There is no possibility of housing without land on which it can be located. Land use and land tenure regulations are also essential to ensure security of tenure and protect against forced evictions. Yet access to secure land remains extremely precarious and the cost of land shows no sign of coming down, worsening the crisis of affordability, especially for vulnerable groups. I argue that land is central to the right to adequate housing as part of an adequate standard of living, but also emphasize that land is also a core element of the right to self-determination as part of its territorial dimension. When land is taken from those who live on it, it usually leads to annexation and expulsion. Thus, land is at the core of statehood and sovereignty itself. Land is also not just property simply to be bought and sold. People develop roots and attachments to their homes and the land they live on. Land is a central element of what makes disparate individuals into a people. When land is treated as property, that property ought to have a social function that must ensure that property ownership does not become a device of division between those who have homes and those who do not. While much land is publicly owned, entailing direct obligations for states under human rights law to ensure adequate housing, land owned by private individuals in the private sector entails obligations as well. as many countries show, including South Africa, in their legal systems. In my report, I essentially make a call to move away from the idea of land as property, understood simply as a commodity, or a speculative financial asset, or a terra nullius, or unoccupied land, that can be expropriated by the state without limits. People who live on land accrue security of tenure, which is not compatible with those inflated ideologies of property or sovereignty. A human rights-based approach to land calls for rethinking expropriation for the public good, as well as interventions in the private sector that control speculative practices over land. Land ownership and land use ought to be regulated to ensure that land serves a social function of securing adequate housing for all. I advocate for an understanding of land from below, anchored on communal, non-exclusivist, and democratic forms of land use and management that recognize tenure pluralism, prioritizing securing access to land, formalize land use rights, and preserve communal property through a process of commoning land. To achieve this vision, states can do many things. I've made many recommendations, including land banks, community land trusts, waqf, and cooperative housing, protection of renters and taxation measures, public land banks, as in Vienna, a land-based wealth tax, as well as a ban on all illegal and unauthorized evictions. and particularly a clear legal framework to regulate evictions and resettlement. In order to assist states in this task, as you know, I will present a set of guiding principles on human rights-based resettlement to the Human Rights Council next March. Dear delegates, I come to my conclusion and say that The protection and realization of the right to adequate housing is facing massive headwinds, but with sufficient commitment and will, everyone can be assured of access to an affordable home in which one can live in peace, security and dignity. I thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to hearing your views and comments.

I thank the Special Rapporteur. I will now open the floor for questions or comments to Mr. Rajagopal. As per past practice, I ask delegations to limit their statements to three minutes. I thank you for your kind cooperation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine, followed by Brazil and Cuba. Ukraine, you have the floor.

Distinguished Chair, Ukraine expresses its sincere gratitude to the Special Rapporteur for the insightful report. We fully share the concern that the deliberate mass destruction of homes during armed conflict constitutes a distinct crime under international criminal law and represents an attempt to seize land and undermine the right to self-determination and sovereignty. In Ukraine, this right is being constantly challenged by Russia's ongoing war of aggression. The aggressor state has completely obliterated entire cities, leaving almost no civilian buildings standing. Those that remain are severely damaged and uninhabitable. According to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, over 236,000 civilian infrastructure facilities have been destroyed or damaged, including more than 191,000 residential buildings, 257 religious sites, and 9,500 water and electricity networks. More than 300,000 homes have been reduced to rubble, while millions more remain inaccessible to their residents due to temporary occupation. Russia must be held accountable for these deliberate crimes. Ukraine continues to develop a comprehensive system of accountability, including a special compensation mechanism with the register of damage as its first step, to ensure reparations for victims and the restoration of justice. We call on all Member States to support Ukraine's efforts to uphold the right to adequate housing and an adequate standard of living for all, and to ensure that accountability and dignity prevail over impunity and destruction. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ukraine. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil, followed by Cuba and Azerbaijan.

Madam Chair, Brazil thanks the Special Rapporteur for his report. We cannot speak of adequate housing while treating land as a speculative asset. The financialization of shelter is a policy failure that demands courageous regulation and renewed public purpose. Brazil reaffirms that the right to adequate housing is inseparable from the social function of property enshrined in our constitution. Our housing policies, including the decent housing program and initiatives for urban inclusion, land regularization, and risk area resettlement, aim to ensure that low-income and vulnerable families, especially women-led households and communities facing environmental threats, have secure and affordable homes. The report also reminds us that homelessness is multifactorial, born from speculation, inequality, and the treatment of land as a commodity rather than a shared human foundation. Preventing it requires confronting the market logic that excludes and displaces. Brazil remains committed to implementing the new urban agenda and cooperating with UN-Habitat to promote fair, inclusive, and sustainable governance of land and housing. Mr. Rapporteur, how can states curb speculation while protecting persons in street situations? I thank you.

Thank the distinguished representative of Brazil. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, to be followed by Azerbaijan and India.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We would like to welcome the Special Rapporteur, and we take note of his report. We would like to remind everybody that special procedures must include only verified information in their reports. Chair, before the Cuban Revolution, 85% of our peasants paid abusive rents and were subject to semi-feudal exploitation. Land should be a source of life, but it was an inaccessible good for the majority. That is why one of the first actions of the revolutionary government was to sign the Agrarian Reform Law in 1959, and that law was used to give the land to those who worked on it, giving over 100,000 peasant the dignity that was stolen for centuries. Since then, the government has designed and implemented public policies geared towards guaranteeing that access to land is democratic. These policies have been comprehensive and non-discriminatory. And even though we have a long way to go in Cuba, over 10,900 women own land. 17,000 women have benefited through the decree number 300 that establishes regulations for people to access land that they are using to favor the production of food. Nonetheless, the U.S. blockade against Cuba is the major obstacle for the right to adequate housing. In the last year, the program for building housing was one of the most affected in the construction sector in our country. Over 34 million in damages were registered, supplies for this program were only provided up to 28 percent. So we would like to know the vision of the Special Rapporteur on the impact of unilateral coercive measures, as in the case of the US blockade on Cuba, to the right for on the right of adequate housing. I would like to say that despite the negative impact of the blockade, Cuba will continue with its own policies and strategies to ensure the right of adequate housing for all our people. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan, to be followed by India and Algeria.

Madam Chair, I thank the Special Rapporteur for his briefing and the report submitted under this agenda item. The right to adequate housing is of central importance for the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights, playing a key role in the social security of societies. Different components of this human right are recognized in national legislative acts, and the government takes special measures to ensure this right, particularly by providing preferential conditions for housing opportunities to vulnerable groups. Azerbaijan has been implementing large-scale and systematic programs in the post-conflict period to ensure an adequate standard of living for the forcibly displaced persons, including their right to adequate housing. The government has finalized the development plan for the liberated territories. Based on this plan, covering an area of 13,600 square kilometers, the restoration works are underway to facilitate the return of more than 1.1 million people to their hometowns and villages. since 2020, the government has allocated 15 billion USD for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Madam Chair, the implementation of the Great Return Program has facilitated the return, resettlement, and integration of more than 50,000 former internally displaced persons in liberated territories. It should be emphasized that Minister plans for eight cities and 90 villages, envisaging the return of over 300,000 people, have been approved. Former IDPs have already returned to six cities, two towns and 20 villages. In this regard, we would like to hear the views of the Special Rapporteur about the responsibility of the international community, including its assistance for the post-conflict recovery efforts. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, to be followed by Algeria and the European Union.

Madam Chair, India wishes to express serious reservations regarding the accuracy and reliability of several references pertaining to India in the Special Rapporteur's report on adequate housing and non-discrimination. A review of the cited data and analytical perspective has brought us to the conclusion that the report does not adequately reflect the on-ground legislative advances and official statistics recorded by the governmental authorities. To begin with, the portrayal of the right to fair compensation and transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 as inadequate fails to acknowledge the paradigm shift to a rights-based, participatory model. The Act mandates fair compensation, compulsory social impact assessments, and specific protections for vulnerable groups, including tribal and indigenous communities, that are rigorously embodied in statutory provisions. The depiction of lack of implementation lacks substantive foundation, as government notifications and grievance redress frameworks are well enforced and available for public scrutiny. Further, the report refers to displacement figures such as 65 million internally displaced persons between 1950 and 2005, which has no basis. The cited numbers and implications warrant more critical scrutiny, as they are not substantiated by national census or authoritative data collections. The characterisation of informal settlements in cities such as Delhi and Mumbai similarly lacks nuance and fails to reflect government initiatives providing legal security of tenure and greater access to urban services. With over 1 million residents already benefiting from the property right pilots and inclusive disaster resilience strategies in place, The situation is not as legally unrecognizable as described. Government policy is guided by the participatory planning, judicial directives, and municipal upgrading programs, not arbitrary measures or punitive demolition campaigns. On the matter of women's land rights, empirical and digital land record study shows that considerable advances have been made, including through the Hindu Succession Act amendments and state-level schemes for joint titles. I would like to inform this august audience that the rapporteur in question had not only presented incorrect details about Indian legislation in his report last year, but also reiterated it despite providing necessary clarification and correction. He continues to unfairly target India in his current report as well. We question the motivation of the rapporteur. Furthermore, the OHCHR should be more objective and refrain from appointing patently biased rapporteurs. India respectfully requests that future reports are well researched and is not a mere compilation of submission from a couple of sources without verification, so that the entire work of OHCHR is not put to question because of misguided and biased reporting of a few. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of India. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Algeria, to be followed by the European Union and Ethiopia.

Thank you, Madam Chair. My delegation wishes to thank you for convening this session and expresses its appreciation to the Special Rapporteur for his insightful report and his continued effort to bring this important issue to our attention. The report underscores a core principle of international law. Territory is not merely the physical space for the exercise of sovereignty. It is the essential foundation for realizing the right to self-determination and the permanent sovereignty of peoples over their natural resources. No case illustrates this reality more clearly than that one of the Palestinian people. The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 19 July 2024 confirmed that the prolonged occupation of Palestinian territory has resulted in serious violations of the right to self-determination through land confiscation, home demolitions, and the unlawful exploitation of resources. The report also recalls that the deliberate destruction of housing during armed conflict must be recognized as an attempt to seize territory by force, a distinct crime under international law. Today, 90% of Gaza's 2.1 million residents have been displaced, deprived of adequate shelter and food. Madam Chair, How can we ensure equal access to land while millions remain dispossessed under colonial domination? How can the international community uphold the principles of sovereignty and self-determination when the very foundation of these rights, the land itself, continues to be denied to so many? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Algeria. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union, to be followed by Ethiopia and the Russian Federation.

Ms. Chair, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. Mr. Special Rapporteur, we would like to express our support for your mandate and we appreciate your latest report on land and the right to adequate housing. The right to adequate housing is a precondition for enjoyment of a range of other human rights. As mentioned in the report, the right to adequate housing imposes obligations on states in relation to both public and privately owned resources. Land ownership and use should be regulated so as to ensure that land serves the social function of securing adequate housing for all. Access to adequate and affordable housing is not the privilege for the few, but a fundamental right for all, especially for persons in vulnerable situations. As presented in the report, in some countries, women are systematically disadvantaged in terms of access to land property and land use. Land plays a crucial role in enabling women to participate equally in decision making, helps to reduce the risk of gender-based violence, and generally contributes to improve welfare for children. The EU will soon present an affordable housing plan for Europe to make affordable, sustainable, and decent housing a reality for all citizens through European, national, regional, and local actions. Mr. Special Rapporteur, could you elaborate more on the recommendation regarding the regulation of land ownership and use and exploring the use of public land banks? which obligations and measures to promote the social function of land and housing must be increased?

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia, to be followed by the Russian Federation and Malaysia. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing for his report and briefing today. The provision of Article 25 of the UDHR and Article 11 of the International Convention on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights recognize the right to housing. Furthermore, the SDG target 11.1 provides that states shall ensure access for all to adequate housing and upgrade slums. As a matter of course, the government of Ethiopia has put the right at the center of its urban policies at the forefront of urban sustainable development. The government of Ethiopia under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, has prioritized housing as a major pillar for social inclusion. A month ago, the government has announced a plan to construct 1.5 million houses in our integrated housing project as part of urban beautification and renewal. The project is not an instrument of eviction, rather a vehicle for human dignity and better living standards. This is based on inclusive planning, fair compensation, participatory consultation, and human rights-based approach. Moreover, land is extra commission in Ethiopia, which avoids commodification as rightly indicated in the Special Rapporteur's report. However, regrettably, the report either equals outdated narratives or fails to reflect the transformative efforts underway in the housing and urban renewal in Ethiopia. Thousands of low-income families previously living in slum conditions are now living where basic amenities are fulfilled, including electricity, water, sanitation, access to school, including recreational green areas and walkways. Mr. Special Rapporteur, this initiative of my government fully aligns with SDG 11 and its targets, restoring dignity of our citizens, In the same vein, from the total beneficiaries of the low-cost housing program in Addis Ababa, 52% of the beneficiaries are women. Concerning possessory rights of the land, possession rate of women is 40%, while 25% possess land jointly with other persons. In conclusion, Madam Chair, we are open to constructive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, as we support the mandate. Yet, we urge future reports to be grounded in the balanced, evidence-based assessments and in full alignment of the SDGs. Ethiopia remains committed to the realization of the SDGs, Agenda 2030, and specifically SDG target 11.1 to ensure adequate housing for all. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, to be followed by Malaysia and Cameroon.

Madam Chair, we closely read the report of Mr. Rajagopal. We share a number of the conclusions set out in the report. First and foremost, this has to do with the significance of states who are to play a key role in this area of social relations, from the development of the relevant policies to the adoption of their relevant and normative legal acts to the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens. In the report, we particularly pay attention to the-- the report particularly highlights the situation of indigenous peoples. Here, we wish to draw attention to the fact that the constitution of our country guarantees equality of rights and freedoms for human persons and citizens. which prohibits any form of limitation of the rights of citizens on the basis of social, racial, national, language, or religious affiliation. Article 40 of the Constitution establishes the right of every person to housing and mandates that government and local self-governance bodies promote housing construction and create conditions for the exercise of this right. The legislation sets out forms of government support, including maternal capital, for the improvement of housing conditions, subsidies for gaining access to housing as well as reduced mortgage programs and resettlement for damaged homes since 2025. There's a national project that has been implemented called Infrastructure for Life, which provides for the creation of incentives for housing construction. This decade, there are plans to build 1 billion square meters of new housing, as well as a large number of kindergartens, schools, as well as water and heat infrastructure. We wish to particularly touch upon the situation in LPR, DPR, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. These new regions are receiving financing through the government program on accessible and comfortable housing and communal services for Russian Federation citizens. New housing is being actively built this -- next Their plans are to have 1 million square meters of new homes built in Donetsk, Mariupol, Novosivka, and Makeevka. The pace of this is gaining speed. In 2030, in LPR, there will be more than 5 million square meters of new housing built. Thank you for your attention.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia, to be followed by Cameroon and China.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Malaysia thanks Mr. Balakrishnan and Rajagopal for his briefing and his report on land and the right to adequate housing. Malaysia remains committed to ensuring that every individual enjoys access to adequate, quality, and affordable housing. Guided by our national housing policy and related frameworks, we continue to promote sustainable urban development, strengthen land governance, and enhance spatial planning to better meet the needs of all segments of society, particularly low and middle income groups. We also recognize that secure land tenure is fundamental to ensuring the right to housing, especially for indigenous peoples and local communities. Malaysia has begun the process of amending both the Federal Constitution and the Aboriginal Peoples Act. the aim of enhancing legal provisions related to land ownership. The proposed amendments are expected to be tabled in Parliament by March 2026. We recognise, however, that challenges persist amidst rapid urbanisation, rising land values and climate-related pressures. In response, Malaysia is improving inter-agency coordination, advancing data-driven land management and exploring innovative mechanisms to mobilize public land and financing for affordable housing. Mr. Chair, the Special Rapporteur's call to strengthen institutions responsible for land and housing is timely. We value the Special Rapporteur's view on how Member States can further enhance institutional capacity to ensure that land governance effectively advances housing affordability and sustainability. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cameroon, to be followed by China and Israel.

I thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. CAMWL would like to welcome Mr. Bakrashian and Raju Gopal, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to adequate standard of living and to the right of non-discrimination in this context, and thank him for his presentation. My delegation takes note of the focus of this report on line and the right to adequate housing. The right to housing is one of the most important rights. It is crucial in fulfilling the right to adequate standard of living and the right to development. Access to land property is critical in fighting against poverty. Cameroon has taken important measures to ensure access to adequate housing by enacting laws and implementing policies, programs, and projects aiming at providing affordable housing and facilitating access to land for all. Concerning access to land, Cameroon operates under a dual system. The customary law, based on local tradition, governs the majority of rural lands, and the statutory laws, which relies on land registration as the sole legal proof of ownership. Mr. Special.

Rapporteur, access to land doesn't just guarantee by itself the right to adequate housing, although it is a first step. beyond acquiring real estate, there must be measures to ensure the availability of basic social infrastructure, access to financial resources, as well as materials for building and maintaining housing. It's also important to speak of informal urban settlements, as well as structural poverty as a whole. What do you recommend so that access to land and real estate is truly materialized through adequate housing? My delegation is concerned, you, on the impacts of real estate speculation on the access to land, especially for the poorest. Do you think that regulating the real estate market, including the market for land, could constitute an appropriate solution? And what good practices can you share with us? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cameroon. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, to be followed by Israel and France.

China thanks the special rapporteur for the report. Housing is an essential part of the people's aspiration for a better life. The Chinese government attaches great importance to ensuring people's right to housing and has built the world's largest housing support system. The per capita housing floor area in urban areas now exceeds 40 square meters. Since 2013, China has built more than 68 million units of affordable housing and housing for residents displaced by urban renewal projects, enabling 170 million people to realize their dream. In line with the standards of green, low carbon, smart and safe homes, we have continued to improve the housing design, amenities and public service supply, striving to ensure that people live with wellness, safety and convenience. We always believe that houses are for living in, not for speculation, and thus have taken effective measures to safeguard people's housing needs and promote the stable and healthy development of the property market. In July, China convened the Central Urban Work Conference once again, which for the first time set the goal of building modern cities of the people, as China has gone through the largest and fastest urbanization process in world history, its urban development is now shifting from large scale expansion to a laser focus on quality and efficiency. By the end of 2024, the urbanization rate of China's permanent residents had reached 67%. All strive to build livable cities that are comfortable and convenient, accelerate the establishment of a new model for housing development, steadily advance the renewal of urban villages and dilapidated housing, vigorously develop life-related service industries, and continuously enhance housing rights protection. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of China. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Israel, to be followed by France and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Chair. Israel joins this discussion on adequate housing with deep respect for the dignity rooted in the right to shelter and security. We know too well how war and terror threaten these rights. Conflicts do destroy homes, but we must ask why. Hamas and other terror organizations embed their terror in residential areas, turning homes, schools, and hospitals into military sites. This is not just a violation of housing rights, it's their weapon. To equate our defensive efforts with indiscriminate destruction is unjust. We are committed to rebuilding and to a future where homes are not tools of terror, that the future begins with the return of the hostages, which we have just seen in the past few days, and unite with everybody. Chair, we are very troubled by the wrongful description in the discussion today with the word genocide in the meeting today. Such the use of the term made without any legal determination or judicial findings amount to misinformation and disinformation. It trivializes the gravest crimes. distorts historical truth and risks fueling hate speech, incitement, and threats to vulnerable communities. Let us be clear, there is no genocide in Gaza. To misuse this term as a political weapon not only undermines efforts to prevent atrocity crimes, it also desecrates the memory of true victims of genocide, including the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. In addition, Chair, we are troubled by the wrongful description in the report presented today. The way Israel is described is not accurate and attempts to portray a false reality. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Israel. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of France, to be followed by the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to turn to the special rapporteur. France wishes to thank you for the presentation of your report, as well as for the very interesting reflections therein about the importance of bringing in land as a key component of the right to acceptable housing. We also align ourselves with your view, according to which housing is not only a commodity, but housing is also deeply social and cultural in nature. In a context of proliferation of armed conflicts and the large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure, which are increasingly directly being targeted, we wish to reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the respect for international humanitarian law, to the protection of civilian infrastructure, and when it takes place, human rights-based construction. In this regard, we have adopted a commitment to support for humanitarian efforts and reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip by seeing to ensure that basic rights are upheld and in accordance with the principles of the United States peace plan and the New York Declaration. In this vein, France will co-organize with Egypt and other partners an international humanitarian conference to focus on reconstruction in Gaza, the United Nations and its agencies should have a key role to play in these efforts to rebuild conditions for sustainable development in Gaza, which will also hinge on housing matters. Therefore, my question, Mr. Rapporteur, is as follows: In your view, how can Member States guarantee in Gaza and elsewhere that reconstruction efforts post-conflict bring in a human rights-based approach in order to prevent reconstruction being limited to the advancement of economic and financial interests, for this, on the contrary, to ensure the meaningful exercise of right to sustainable, safe housing for all, and for this to contribute thereby to political settlement of conflicts. And lastly, I wish to take this opportunity to thank you. In several months, you will conclude your mandate. Thank you for your commitment, for your professionalism, and for the freedom of, for the open mind with which you have carried out your duties. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of France. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta, who will be our last speaker in this segment.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The right to adequate housing is a cornerstone of human dignity and a fundamental component of the right to an adequate standard of living. Yet this right remains far from realized for millions worldwide. More than 1.8 billion people live in informal settlements or inadequate housing, often without safe water, sanitation, or reliable electricity. Climate change, natural disasters, and armed conflicts continue to destroy homes and uproot communities, forcing millions into displacement each year. The humanitarian consequences are profound. Inadequate housing deprives families not only of shelter, but of safety, health, and stability, eroding social cohesion and perpetuating poverty. The lack of housing is not born in a vacuum. It is linked with multiple inequalities, leaving women, minorities, indigenous peoples, migrants, and persons with disabilities most affected. A home provides the foundation for livelihood and dignity. Without it, building a future becomes a much greater task. Adequate housing, as the United Nations has affirmed, must mean more than four walls and a roof. It encompasses security of tenure, access to essential services, affordability, habitability, and respect for cultural identity. Only when these elements are present can housing truly serve as a foundation for human dignity and social stability. The Sovereign Order of Malta provides housing and shelter assistance in regions affected by conflict, displacement, and disaster. In Ukraine, we have converted schools and parish halls into shelters for refugees. In Iraq's Nineveh Plains, our humanitarian relief agency, Malteser International, has supported the reconstruction of over 1,000 homes. and in South Sudan and Lebanon, we have repaired community infrastructure while training local workers. Across Europe, the order operates night shelters and transitional housing for the homeless and migrants, while post-disaster housing projects in Haiti, Pakistan, and the Philippines integrate climate-resilient materials and community-based design. While such interventions are vital, they remain palliative, addressing symptoms of deeper structural problems. To safeguard the right to adequate housing, humanitarian action must pair with long-term strategies so that displaced and marginalized communities are not forced to rebuild their lives again and again on fragile ground. Madam Chair, the order therefore calls for greater international cooperation to strengthen legal protections against forced evictions and discrimination, empower local actors to ensure access to housing and essential services, and integrate reconstruction with social and economic recovery to

I thank the distinguished representative of the sovereign order of Malta.

I now give the floor to the special rapporteur, Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you very much, dear delegates, for your comments, thoughts, and criticisms. I really appreciate this. And I must say, the last six years has been a pleasure and an honor to come here and engage with you. And I hope that you will maintain your collaboration and constructive engagement with my successor in the same spirit. Turning to the comments, I fully agree with and fully empathize with the positions expressed by Ukraine. It's an extraordinary challenge that Ukraine is facing, including the destruction of what I believe is close to 13% of all housing stock in Ukraine at this point, and it might very well go up depending on how long this conflict lasts. That to me is unacceptable. And I'm quite inspired by many ways in which Ukraine and others who are assisting Ukraine are responding to this. And to me, what is of most interest because it has huge relevance for other situations like Gaza is the register of damages. a particular institutional way in which basic principles of international law, such as reparation, can be operationalized. And I hope to learn more about this effort that is ongoing in Ukraine and perhaps draw some lessons for it for other situations, including in Gaza, where I've already recommended publicly that there be a register of damages Turning to the comment from Brazil, I also fully, I'm inspired by many efforts taken in Brazil, not only the constitutional principle of the social function of property in your 1988 constitution, but also the various legal instruments that you've adopted, including a very important law in 2001, the city statute, which actually provides a number of instruments already for your government to curb speculation, for example, including monitoring of speculative property that is kept vacant or empty for a long time, the creation of public land banks and other cooperative housing, taxation measures, perhaps even some instruments that can be used to prevent speculation and protect renters. All of these measures exist, but I recommend these and other measures in my report. There are some examples, progressive examples available, and I discussed many of them in my fourth section of the report. On public land banks, for example, I point to the successful example of Vienna, a European city surrounded by high cost of living, where more than 100 years they've managed to keep most of the land in city out of the speculative and commodity market. Land is not a commodity in Vienna. It's actually majority of the land is controlled by a non-profit public land bank. And I strongly encourage all of you to think about it that way. The problem is too much land in cities around the world are either in the hands of private owners. For example, I visited San Diego on the invitation of local civil society groups on a study visit. Over 70% of the land in San Diego is zoned for single family home use. So there is simply no land available to build any housing. So either you have that problem, too much land is in the hands of private landowners in cities, or too much land is in the hands of the state. And I'm sorry to say, with all due respect to all the states assembled here, that not all states actually treat land responsibly. In many places, we find the land is handed out in a very, shall we say, unacceptable manner through very strange arrangements where certain private interests are benefiting, but we just don't have too many good examples of state land being used in an accountable and democratic fashion. And I actually really urge you to think about sovereignty, especially when it comes to ownership of land, not in such a narrow terms, but to think of sovereignty as a shared concept. Ultimately, sovereignty emerges from your own people. And I hope that you see sovereignty as a way to enable collective land stewardship among various levels of government, but also by the public, including, as I said, in the case of cities like Vienna through nonprofit public land banks. Let me turn briefly to the comment made by India. I very much hope that The engagement that India has with the special rapporteurs and with the human rights system continues to be in the spirit of constructive engagement. And certainly, India has made a number of advances in protecting land rights, and as was correctly noted, with regard to the change to the inheritance laws concerning women's land rights, for example. But also the other example that I note in my report, the inspiring example of formalizing the land rights in the state of Odisha. So there are some good examples. But I must just point out two things. One is that when it comes to data, I must respectfully disagree with the delegate from India that we are independent rapporteurs. Our reports are not based on officially sanctioned data at all. We are not issuing a UN report. This is not a report of the Secretary General. This is a report of an independent expert. And we draw on wide varieties of data. And in fact, when data is unavailable or not credible, we, of course, will rely on whatever data that meets academically rigorous standards. And the reality is that the data on land dispossession, the use of eminent domain, And unfortunately, too many people getting forcibly evicted is quite stark in the case of India. And India is not the only one, but it's certainly a problem. And I hope that the advances that were indeed made with the adoption of the 2013 law can actually become reality with the collection of better data and addressing the issues that do exist in terms of the implementation challenges. I thank very much the comments of European Unions and particularly agree also about the regulation of land ownership and the importance of public land banks. As again, I return to the example of Vienna, but also increasingly interesting efforts that emerge from other cities in Europe, including cities like Bologna, for example. There are co-housing options that are emerging. Co-housing is different from public land banks, such as in Vienna, where you have a non-profit institution, which is in fact accountable to the city council, which is elected by the people of Vienna. Whereas co-operative housing is more community-based and organized by neighborhoods, for example. And there are many models of such public management of land. And I really hope that you let all of these kinds of examples become realities in your cities. In many ways, having multiple approaches to land management and land ownership can actually better protect the right to adequate housing instead of approaching housing through a single model of managing land, whether it's excessive reliance on private home ownership as in the United States, or for example, an excessive reliance on state ownership. I hope you can move away from that. The, the, let me now turn briefly to the comment from Cameron, which also is extremely important, both about the basic importance of social infrastructure, but also about the impact of real estate I believe that, unfortunately, since the late 80s and from the 90s, too many countries have have accepted more uncritically this idea that all matters can be subject to market forces, that in fact, commodity form as a model can be appropriate for everything. And I strongly believe that land, particularly, cannot be seen only as a commodity at all. In fact, the biggest problems that we have today, including the huge affordability crisis, the homelessness, and the rise of far-right political parties that blame outsiders and migrants for their own homegrown crisis of housing, for example, which is often the number one political issue on which political parties rise and fall. Unfortunately, this all has grounding in the excessive embrace of a real estate model of land. And I urge you to curb it, to bring it under control. It's a bit out of control right now. And finally, let me just thank France for its very gracious comment. And I thank the comment particularly about the work that I've done here. And also, just responding to France's question about how to bring a human rights approach to rebuilding, particularly in the context of Gaza, where I strongly welcome the leadership taken by France and Saudi Arabia to convene this conference and the New York Declaration as well. And I hope that it yields very material and urgent results for the long-suffering people of Palestine and Gaza. And connecting France's response with the comment by Azerbaijan, because it relates to the post-conflict dimension. I hope that before I conclude my mandate, in fact, in the coming weeks, I hope to put out a short document that precisely responds to Francis' request for a human rights-based approach to rebuilding. I intend to release a short set of about a dozen principles. that can form the foundation for a human rights approach to rebuilding. The most crucial of it is that any human rights approach to rebuilding after conflict must rest on the right to self-determination, which is the most foundational article of the human rights treaties. Both the ICCPR and the ICSCR, that is the Civil and Political Rights and Economic Social Rights Covenants, list right to self-determination as number one article. And there is a reason for that. Every other human right that follows depends on that right. So I hope that this set of principles that I will release will prove to be useful not only for Gaza, but also for Ukraine and Myanmar and so many other locations. But unfortunately, conflict is destroying too many homes. We've got to really put a stop to this. So thank you again for all of you for your constructive engagement and Very good morning and afternoon to you.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living and on the right to non-discrimination in this context. I now welcome the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Michael Faikry. Participants wishing to make comments and pose questions to the speaker are invited at this time to press their microphone button within the next three minutes. after which the list will be closed. The time limit for each speaker will be announced before the floor is given to the first speaker. I thank you for your cooperation. I now invite the special rapporteur on the right to food to make an introductory statement. Mr. Fakhri, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Good morning, distinguished delegates. Corporations have grown so large and powerful over the past several decades that they now globally dominate food systems. Corporate power in food systems is so concentrated that a relatively small group of people shape what is grown and how it is grown. Corporations control labor conditions, prices, and food choices in a way that serves the ultimate goal of profit maximization and not the public good. Moreover, corporations are increasingly influencing how policy decisions are being made within national governments and within the UN itself. States are selling off their sovereignty for a profit. The rise of corporate power in food systems correlates with the increasing trend of the industrialization of food production. As a result, corporate-led industrial food systems have degraded the environment, disrupted the climate, and caused systemic human rights violations. Today, agri-food corporations are turning more towards new digital technologies and large amounts of data processing through the use of digitalization. The fast-moving digital revolution in food systems will cause more harm than good in the absence of appropriate regulation. The world does not need more data or more food. People instead need more power and control over data in food systems. The recent increase in food prices reflects the high concentration of suppliers' market power. Globally, food inflation rates are at record highs. Food inflation is principally caused by transnational corporations raising prices at rates that exceed increased cost and risks. Corporations have been falsely attributing price hikes to various crises to hide their profiteering. The problem of corporate power is not just with the right to food, but for many human rights. In fact, the rise in concentration of corporate power is a problem across many different sectors. The problems of the world's food systems stem from a global political economy that allows corporations to financially benefit from violating people's human rights, even allowing corporations to profit from famine and genocide. It is increasingly important to hold corporations accountable for their human rights violations using a number of different legal tools. So not only should you use human rights law and mechanisms, but also criminal law to hold individuals accountable. The business and human rights treaty being negotiated in Geneva is very important. Tax law and the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation is also incredibly important. At this point, it is clear that the guiding principles on business and human rights have failed and should be put to rest. This is evidenced by the increasing rates of hunger, malnutrition and starvation. This is evidenced by corporate profiteering from the food crisis during COVID. This is also evidenced by the rise of violence in food systems. We need legally binding mechanisms to be used. We need real consequences for human rights violations, and we need real power to push against corporations. The main takeaway from my report is that it is very difficult to curtail corporate power or hold corporations accountable unless corporations are changed from within. Indeed, the very purpose of the corporate form is to limit personal liability. I argue that the best way to stop corporations from increasingly violating human rights in food systems and other sectors is to change the legal nature of corporations from within. The way forward is to focus on using corporate law itself to change the internal incentives within corporations to align with respecting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights. Distinguished representatives, I will conclude by providing a more big-picture overview of what is at stake. We are currently living in food systems in which corporations are producing violence and not food, causing the decline of biodiversity, large emissions of greenhouse gases, and the displacement of people from their land. More broadly, we live in a world system that has enabled corporations to profit from the misery and suffering of people. My colleague Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, will present her report to you next week, outlining how corporations are profiting from genocide and occupation in Palestine. She has been rewarded for her work with vindictive personal sanctions by the United States of America. Where we are today is to be working within a UN that has failed the world. It failed to adequately respond to COVID-19, which is why we are in the midst of a cost of living crisis. The UN is failing to stop the largest case of starvation in modern history, which is Sudan today. And the UN has not just failed, but the UN died in Gaza. I will tell you the exact date in which the UN, as we know it, died. The UN collapsed when Mahmoud Fattouh died at the age of two months. on February 24, 2024, and then 10-year-old Yazen Al-Kafarni died on March 4, 2024. These were the first children to have reportedly been killed by malnutrition, dehydration, and hunger during Israel's recent starvation campaign in Gaza. When a parent is helplessly holding their starving child in their arms, looking into their child's eyes, who is dying from hunger, it indicates an entire society is under attack and that famine is taking hold. Every time any child dies from hunger, dehydration, and malnutrition, the world slips more into the abyss. You have listened to Israel announce its genocidal intentions and witnessed Israel's genocidal actions against the Palestinian people in Gaza. You have witnessed Israel conduct the fastest starvation campaign in modern history. Even with this current ceasefire, Israel's starvation campaign continues. Israel's genocide, occupation, and Nakba in Palestine has not ended. Most acutely, humanitarian aid and food system reconstruction remains severely restricted in Gaza. Gaza is not only in rubble, the UN itself has collapsed in rubble. I look at you now, the General Assembly, and I see one of the few parts of the UN that we can salvage and do something. How you respond to Gaza will determine how the entire world will be governed for decades to come. This is why I, amongst many other mandate holders, are calling upon you to pass the Uniting for Peace resolution in which you recommend peacekeepers accompany humanitarian convoys into Gaza. If peacekeepers are not used to stop starvation and genocide, then what else are we doing here? Thank you very much.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. I will now open the floor for questions or comments to Mr. Fakhri. As per past practice, I ask delegations to limit their comments to two minutes. I thank you for your kind cooperation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Lebanon, to be followed by Italy and the European Union.

Thank you, Madam Chair. The delegation of Lebanon welcomes the comprehensive report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Michael Faikri, and appreciates his briefing. Over the past two years, Lebanese people have been enduring food insecurity. And as of early 2025, about 30% of Lebanese population are in acute food insecurity. Food prices have also known over 400% increase since 2019. To tackle the food insecurity, many projects are ongoing in Lebanon, combining immediate relief such as food parcels, cash assistance, hot meals, and school feeding programs with longer term resilience, including agriculture training, markets, sustainable food systems. In this context, Lebanon thanks the UN agencies, namely the WFP, FAO and UNHCR, for their valuable assistance in promoting food aid and advocating for systemic reforms. This helps not only in crisis response, but in building food security over time for my country, Lebanon. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Lebanon. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Italy, to be followed by the European Union and Myanmar.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Italy thanks for the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the full realization of the right to adequate, safe, and nutritious food for all as an essential component of human dignity and sustainable development. Italy continues to play a leading role in defining strategy for the food security that are fully aligned with the 2030 agenda. Hosting the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the World Food Program in Rome, Italy stands at the heart of the UN Food and Agriculture hub and acts as a driving force for multilateral cooperation on the transformation of global food systems. Through initiatives such as the Matera Declaration, adopted during the G20 presidency, and the Mediterranean Ministerial Dialogue on the Food Crisis, Italy has helped to bring food security to the front front of international agenda.

Drawing on its rich agri-food heritage and

combining it with research and innovation capacity, Italy works to advance sustainable agriculture and climate-resilient food systems, empowering rural youth and supporting small-scale producers in the global fight against hunger and malnutrition. In this spirit, Mr. Rapporteur, how to promote better, stronger local and regional cooperation in advancing the implementation of this right and improving the overall progress

toward its realization

Thank you. I thank the distinguished representative of Italy. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union, to be followed by Myanmar and Algeria.

Madam Chair, I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. We thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of his report. Agricultural production is not only a cornerstone of better nutrition, but the main source of livelihood for many families around the globe. While increasing production is crucial to tackle hunger, it does not suffice on its own. We must also ensure fairer, more transparent, and accountable food systems that respect human rights and allow for the full realization of the right to food. One of the EU's priorities, as set out in the European Commission's latest political strategy, it is precisely to build the resiliency of agriculture and food systems, support farmers, and safeguard biodiversity. We are advancing these goals inter alia through the Common Agricultural Policy and the Vision for Agriculture and Food, which promotes sustainable, resilient, and equitable food systems. In addition to these efforts, the EU has taken important steps to address corporate accountability, including through its Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, which requires companies to identify and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts across their value chains. Mr. Special Rapporteur, how can states best address the human rights challenges to food systems resulting from the agricultural sector's rapidly increasing digitalization? particularly regarding data ownership, access, and accountability. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Myanmar, to be followed by Algeria and the Russian Federation.

Madam Chair, I thank the Special Rapporteur for his report, which rightly outlines a system where corporations benefit financially from human rights violations. leading to systemic exploitation and instability. This is the daily reality in Myanmar, where the unlawful military coup has weaponized economic mechanisms, afflicting starvation and poverty. Consequences of the 2021 illegal military coup were severe, and the right to food is collapsing. An estimated 15.2 million people are facing acute food insecurity in 2025. The crisis is compounded by the hunters blocking of aid, restricting humanitarian access, and destroying farmlands and agricultural equipment with area and military area and artillery attacks of the hunters. Meanwhile, the military hunters operate as a self-serving corporate entity, guarding national revenue for arms and weaponry, while allowing crony networks to control essential supply chains and profit from scarcity. At this juncture, all people, especially women, girls, and children, as well as IDP, are facing multiple threats and challenges from food insecurity, lack of nutrient diet, health emergency, and income shortages. The right to food is being systematically denied in Myanmar. To end this exploitation, impunity, and atrocity, we demand immediate, coordinated, and effective action from the UN and international community. The international community must not stand by while the people of Myanmar are starved into submission. I ask the UN member states to act now to save lives and restore democracy in Myanmar. I also thank the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing for highlighting the devastating destruction of houses by the military's hunters area and artillery attacks.

I thank the distinguished representative on Myanmar. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Algeria, to be followed by the Russian Federation and Cuba.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We express our appreciation to the Special Rapporteur on the right to food for his insightful report and remarks. The report draws our attention to the growing concentration of corporate power within global food systems. A limited number of corporation now dominate food production, distribution and trade, influencing what is produced, how it, how it is processed and what we consume. We share the report's concern that such dominance threatens the realization of fundamental human rights, including the right to adequate food, health, and work, particularly for small farmers, peasants, rural women, who are most affected by these inequities. In this regard, Algeria has made tangible progress in strengthening its food systems. The competition authority prioritizes small producers, while the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Market Regulation monitors prices and profit margins of essential goods to prevent speculations and unjustified increases. Algeria also ensures the availability of staple foods at subsidized prices and operates a national digital platform that tracks real-time stock levels and product flows, thereby improving traceability, preventing shortages, and curbing diversion. Furthermore, Algeria has reduced post-harvest losses through the construction of modern cereal silos and improved storage infrastructure, which have enhanced food preservation, supported small producers, and strengthened national food security. Finally, the report reminds us that food system must serve the public good, not private profit, ensuring fair access to food and markets. It is not only an economic challenge, but a human rights imperative. We thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Algeria. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, to be followed by Cuba and Ukraine.

Madam Chair, we wish to thank Mr. Fahri for both his statement and for the report. We note the applied significance thereof and the practical nature of recommendations. In recent years in Russia, there have been significant shifts in terms of food traceability. We have a system of mandatory marking of goods through identification means, including 2D barcodes. This includes packaged water, medicines, milk products, and this list is constantly growing. The marking allows for consumers to ensure quality of goods and to verify the origin, authenticity, and expiration dates. Agrotourism is developing major milk product producers are organizing tours of their farms, making food production and entertaining educational and touristic experience. Our domestic commodities market is flourishing. The exit of foreign companies after 2022 led to the development of our own companies and new Russian brands, which created healthy competition for quality in the domestic market. And there's a similar situation in the meat sector as well. Chair, the social responsibility of Russian business has been made possible thanks to the effective implementation by Russian companies of the guiding principles of entrepreneurship in human rights. In 2017, a public development for non-financial reporting blueprint was adopted. And the goal is to ensure that organizations receive accurate and objective information about their activity at the economic, environmental, and social levels. There is a new federal law being developed on public non-financial accountability and reporting, which sets out parameters of information that has to be published on social responsibility of organizations and the impact of their work on the environment, society, and the economy. Turning to the process of development of legally binding international document on cross-border corporations and other enterprises in the area of human rights.

The microphone has been cut off.

Distinguished representative of the Russian Federation, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba, to be followed by Ukraine and Bangladesh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We would like to welcome the Special Rapporteur and we thank him for his presentation. We would like to reiterate our full support. Chair, for over 20 years, Cuba has presented the resolution on the right to food to promote the elimination of hunger, which is an insult to dignity and human rights. Wealth concentration and the absurd current international order perpetuate patterns of production and consumption that affect the vast majority at the expense of the in order to benefit, sorry, a few multimillionaires and the consequences affect most developing countries and the most vulnerable. The Special Rapporteur has spoken clearly on the impact of UCMs on the right to food. and Cuba has experienced this every day, has suffered from this for over 60 years. The blockade imposed by the United States has a stated and explicit purpose to make the Cuban people hungry in order to generate an uprising against the government. The blockade creates huge obstacles to buy and produce food, and so it impacts directly the right to food. The cost of the blockade for two months is the equivalent to the necessary financing to provide the basic food basket for a population for over a year, at $1.6 billion. This is worsened by including Cuba without a basis on the list of supposedly state sponsors of terrorism. This has no basis or logic, but it strengthens the financial chokehold on Cuba. We would like to know what Mr. Fakhri thinks about these measures when it comes to his mandate. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Cuba. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ukraine, to be followed by Bangladesh and Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Thank you, Chair. Ukraine expresses its gratitude to the Special Rapporteur for the presented report and fully supports the call to ensure fair and stable food markets. Ukraine shares the concern regarding the impact of corporate food systems on the basic human right to food. At the same time, we must stress that despite the unprecedented challenges on the national level caused in our country by Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to serve as one of the world's key guarantors of global food security. Through the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian initiative, more than 316,000 tonnes of agricultural products have already been delivered to 18 countries across Africa and the Middle East, helping nearly 20 million people. Over 136,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land, an area larger than several European countries combined, still requires surveying for the presence of explosive ordnance. Each hectare of our land could feed 18 people for a year. Yet today, much of it remains unused due to mines and explosive remnants of war, directly threatening not only the lives of of civilians, but also the availability and accessibility of food for millions of people both within Ukraine and far beyond its borders. Before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine produced enough food to feed 400 million people worldwide, much of it reaching the most vulnerable regions. What happens in Ukrainian fields today is not only an economic issue. It's a matter of basic human rights. Ukraine is grateful to all partners contributing to demanding efforts and restoring our agricultural potential.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ukraine. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bangladesh, to be followed by Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, and India.

Thank you, Chair. We thank the Special Rapporteur for presenting his comprehensive report. We note with concern that over recent decades, a few powerful transnational corporations have come to dominate global food systems and control production, pricing, labor, and policy. It is also alarming that corporate-led industrial agriculture divides environmental damage, biodiversity loss, pollution, and human rights violations. Ultra-processed foods and global supermarket chains replace traditional diets, which is harming health and local food systems. In Bangladesh, we have undertaken significant initiatives to address all dimensions of food security. We remain firmly committed to ensuring access to food for all, particularly for vulnerable people, including poor rural women, through an integrated approach that combined food distribution, public procurement, and storage. Alongside robust distribution through social safety net programs, the government continues to enhance the storage capacity and procurement mechanism to strengthen national food security and ensure timely availability of food grains across the country. However, the adverse impacts of climate change, including floods, salinity intrusion, waterlogging, flash floods, droughts, and riverbank erosion threaten agricultural productivity and disrupt food supply chains. We are also concerned about the food insecurity prevailing in conflict-affected areas around the world. Mr. Rapoport, how can we balance between the benefits of digital technologies in agriculture and the related risk of data concentration that undermine farmers' autonomy and exclude small-scale producers? Also, what regulatory frameworks are needed to ensure that digitalization empowers rather than exploits? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Bangladesh. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, to be followed by India and Malaysia.

Madam Chair, it's an honor for my delegation to take the floor on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, NAM. At the onset, I would like to appreciate the briefing by Mr. Michael Faquie, the Special Rapporteur.

At whom we pledge our support in fulfillment of his mandate.

During the 19th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the NAM, held in January 2024 in Kampala, Uganda, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed that hunger constitutes a violation of human dignity and called for urgent measures at the national, regional, and international levels for its elimination.

They also reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe.

And nutritious food, consistent with the right to food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, so as to be able to fully develop and maintain his or her physical and mental capacities.

They stressed that it is.

Essential for the States to promote efforts to eradicate poverty in all its forms and dimensions and hunger.

In this context, the member states of NAM expressed their deep concern at the high volatility in global food prices.

Which directly challenge the fundamental human right to food. Member states have taken note of the limited progress that has been made in reducing hunger. The movement also emphasizes the importance of strengthening the FAO global information and early warning system.

In this context, NAM emphasizes the need to leverage the.

I thank the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of NAM. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of India, to be followed by Malaysia and Switzerland.

Madam Chair, agriculture serves as the backbone of India's economy. It employs over 50% of Indian population and plays a pivotal role in ensuring its food security and economic development. Small farmers constitute the majority of India's agricultural population. India's approach to corporatization of agriculture is hence driven by these broad considerations. India has implemented reforms, development programs, and schemes to ensure the welfare of especially small and marginal farmers. The government is investing in farmer prosperity centers, which serves as one-stop centers for quality seeds, fertilizers, as well as provide timely information to equip farmers with tools as well as know-how. From modern irrigation and credit access to digital marketplaces and agri-tech innovations, India is embracing smart farming practices to improve productivity and support sustainable agriculture. The Sr. has flagged digitization of land registers as a means of exclusion in his report. Nothing can be far from the truth. Digitization of land records in India has, on the contrary, transformed land management by addressing challenges related to dispute resolution, transparency, and encroachments. Digitized records have empowered marginalized communities by improving their access to land rights. We have overcome language barriers by transliterating land records in 22 languages recognized by Indian Constitution, a noticeable benefit of digitization. My delegation would like to set the record straight by strongly affirming the beneficial use of technology in streamlining welfare delivery and in taking government services closer to citizens without leakage or intermediaries. No other country has done this at scale. We take note of the mention of Bhopal gas tragedy mentioned in the report. Following the incident, the lives of the residents of Bhopal and surrounding areas remain permanently altered, with millions suffering from irreversible health consequences. Such a tragedy should never be repeated. Transnational corporations should be held accountable for any human rights violations. Madam Chair, in conclusion, we firmly believe in the need to balance corporate activities with states' obligation for people's.

I thank the distinguished representative of India. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia, to be followed by Switzerland and Nigeria.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Malaysia reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the right to food and the broader goal of achieving food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture for all. We thank the Special Rapporteur for his timely report in addressing the growing concentration of corporate power within global food systems. an issue that directly affects equity, sustainability, and human rights. At the national level, Malaysia continues to strengthen our agrofood sector through the National Agrofood Policy 2.0 2021-2030, which emphasizes modernization, sustainability, and resilience. The policy enhances financial mechanisms to support the adoption of fourth industrial revolution technologies to modernize production and improve efficiency, while ensuring that smallholders, who represent 76% of our food producers, are not left behind. Targeted support mechanisms are in place to enhance access to finance, digital tools and markets, while public institutions continue to play a central role in agricultural research and innovation. Malaysia shares the concern that excessive corporate concentration along food value chains, from inputs and production to processing, logistics and retail, can marginalise smallholders, farmers and distort markets. In this regard, we welcome the Special Rapporteur's call for stronger accountability, fair competition and protection of farmers' rights over seeds and data technology. However, addressing corporate power in food systems requires concerted international cooperation. Malaysia echoes the Special Rapporteur's call for a global framework that promotes responsible business conduct, human rights, due diligence, and policy coherence across trade, investment, and competition regimes. We wish to pose a question to the Special Rapporteur. How can developing countries be better supported in building regulatory and institutional capacities to ensure corporate participation in food systems, advances rather than under?

Thank the distinguished representative of Malaysia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Switzerland, to be followed by Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Madam Chair, we would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for his report and his recommendations. Switzerland, through its international cooperation agency, supports several initiatives that are at the interface of health and food in order to apply fiscal policies as well as other policies that would favor healthy eating and preventing non-communicable diseases. Our program global recap of the WHO and the International Agency for the Right to Development tries to strengthen the capacities and links between government, civil society, and universities in order to deploy public policies that, for instance, set out policies for responsible marketing toward children as well as clear labels. Switzerland would like to underline that the analysis of sound data is essential in order to guide our public policy and follow up on any kind of progress that we've made. Mr. Special Rapporteur, in the report there are several measures that would allow consumers to choose wisely in order to support healthy eating. What kind of link can we establish between the of consumers and the right to adequate food. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Switzerland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nigeria, to be followed by Ethiopia and Cameroon.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Special Rapporteur, and we align with the statement delivered on behalf of NAM. Nigeria remains deeply concerned that hunger and malnutrition persist across all regions, undermining human dignity and disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. The situation is exacerbated by structural challenges, including conflict, climate change, market disruption, and rising food and input costs. Nigeria reiterates the urgent call for a comprehensive and coordinated global response to this interlinked crisis. Isolated intervention will not suffice. We need coherent policies that combine social protection, sustainable agriculture, market stability, international cooperation, and solidarity. As a national priority, Nigeria is taking concrete steps to tackle hunger and strengthen food security. Our renewed National Homegrown School Feeding Program provides daily nutritious meals for schoolchildren using locally produced food, supporting both child nutrition and local farmers. Nigeria partners closely with the United Nations, including the World Food Program and humanitarian organization to deliver vital program such as school meals, emergency food and nutrition assistance in conflict zones, and capacity building all aim are reaching large numbers of vulnerable people in 2025. We are committed to collaborating with stakeholders to scale up this proven initiative and strengthen national system to guarantee every person the right to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food. Continue predictable financing and technical cooperation from partners remain essential to achieving this goal. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia, to be followed by Cameroon and Ireland.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

At the outset, allow me to express my delegation's appreciation for the Special Rapporteur for his report on this agenda item. The celebration of World Food Day on 16th of October is an important reminder to everyone that access to food is a fundamental human right. It's not a privilege and it's not about feeding people. It's about ensuring survival, dignity, equity and sustainability for the people around the world. Madam Chair, Ethiopia, under the leadership of His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has undergone major reforms implemented through various initiatives that focuses on enhancing food security and self-sufficiency. Some of the major initiatives in TIRAREA includes first, the Green Legacy Initiative, a nationwide massive reforestation campaign where more than 47 billion seedlings were planted, increasing our forest coverage to 24%. In recognition of this achievement, just yesterday, Ethiopia has received an award from UNFAO. Second, national wheat flagship program. Ethiopia has made wheat production a central pillar in our journey towards food sufficiency. implementing major reforms that helped Ethiopia to be top with producer in Africa last year. In recognition of this achievement, UNFAO presented the FAO Achievement Award 2025 to the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute. Third, Bounty of Basket Initiative. We call it Yelima Turefat, a program designed to improve nutrition at household level in both rural and urban settings. Madam Chair. Ethiopia has achieved significant accomplishments in the desire of food sovereignty. Based on this milestone, Ethiopia has hosted the second UN Food Systems Summit in Addis Ababa in July this year. I thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cameroon, to be followed by Ireland and China.

Thank you, Chair. Cameroon aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uganda on behalf of NAM. Chair, my delegation thanks the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Michael Faquie, for his report, which focuses on transnational cooperation. The role of transnational corporation, the inflation in food prices, the shipping of food systems and nutrition habit, exploitation of workers in environmental degradation is deeply concerning. The vulnerability of developing countries to powerful international corporation weakens their ability to protect the citizen's right and their economic development. As you highlighted in your presentation, Special Rapporteur, corporation impact is not limited to national context. Their growing influence in the United Nations processes, including the Agri-Food Systems Summit and around and during treaty negotiation, is also very disturbing. What measure can be suggested for countries, especially developing ones, to protect their food sovereignty against powerful international corporations? How do you think food sovereignty can serve as a means to revitalize multilateralism, including with regard to transnational food cooperation, and strengthen state control over the national food and agricultural systems? Monsieur le Rapporteur Special.

Mr. Special Rapporteur, what opportunities, in your view, does the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation present? in terms of enhancing multinational responsibility in terms of the protection of human rights? How is it possible to protect the intergovernmental process from the influence of multinational corporations? My delegation is concerned by resistance vis-a-vis the UN draft treaty on transnational businesses and human rights. How do you think that this instrument can help to balance out the responsibility of businesses and their economic profit profitability. What could you be your response to the criticism of this instrument? Thank you.

Distinguished representative of Cameroon. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ireland to be followed by China and Morocco.

Thank you, Chair. Ireland aligned itself with the statement of the EU and thanks the special repertoire for his report. Our organisation shares your concerns about the rise of corporate power in food systems, which can result in a small number of corporates controlling a significant sector of the food value chain, from production to marketing and consumption. Although we acknowledge the benefits that industrialisation of food production has brought, we also recognise the risks. Those include increased greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity degradation, pollution, transfer of land from local levels and human rights violations. Ireland remains committed to using the human rights framework when addressing food systems transformation. This includes improving the governance of food systems, ensuring inclusive and responsible investments in agriculture, rural areas, health and education, and the empowerment of women and small producers, strengthening social protection mechanisms to ensure sustainable livelihoods for those engaged in food production. In reaffirming the right to food, we emphasise that food should never be used as a means of political or economic pressure. We welcome your recommendations around the need to ensure fair and sustainable markets and to pursue agri-food systems that produce food that is culturally, nutritionally or environmentally adequate. Special Rapporteur, could you elaborate on the impact that recent ODA cuts might have had on the governance of food systems and the power dynamics across public and private actors.

Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China, to be followed by Morocco and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Chair, the Chinese delegation has listened attentively to the Special Rapporteur's report. And I welcome the report, the special focus on food security issues. At present, the global food security situation continues to deteriorate with regional conflicts, economic shocks, extreme weather, and other factors posing great challenge, making the 2030 global goal of zero hunger increase difficult to achieve. The international community must unite to address these challenges. As a major global food producer and consumer, China feeds nearly 1.4 billion people with nearly 9% of the world's arable land, making a significant contribution to global food security. In 2024, China's grain output surpassed 1.4 trillion Chinese jin for the first time, with per capita grain availability reaching 500 kilograms. This achievement ensures basic self-sufficiency for grain and absolute security in staple foods. Food security stands as one of the Eight key cooperation areas under the Global Development Initiative, China stands ready to strengthen food security cooperation with all parties, actively implement food and agriculture assistance projects, accelerate realization of the Global Development Initiative, and jointly build a world free from hunger. The Chinese delegation notes the Special Rapporteur's concern regarding the impact of a corporate-dominated food system on human rights. A handful of countries manipulate the global food trade system through commercial giants that firmly control international grain prices. and exploit food security issues to repeat enormous profits, even resorting to using food as a weapon in trade wars, an utterly irresponsible approach. China urges the countries concerned to fulfill their official aid obligation and, in particular, cease condoning commercial enterprises profiting through appropriation, among others. And they must join the rest of the world to uphold the security and stability of global food industry chains and supply chains. Thank you, Chair.

Representative of China, I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Morocco. to be followed by the Islamic Republic of Iran and Mali.

For the presentation of his report and would like to share the following elements food security has always been a strategic priority for the Kingdom of Morocco following an integrated approach aimed at ensuring food availability promoting agricultural development prioritizing the protection of natural resources and investing in agriculture and agro-industry as sectors that offer significant opportunities for wealth and job creation. These strategic orientations are the result of the proactive policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI in the field of agriculture and sustainable development. Indeed, the Green Morocco Plan, launched in 2008, followed by the Generation Green Strategy 2020-2030, combined with other development programs, such as the National Initiative for Human Development, allowed to mobilize all actors and stakeholders around clear objectives in terms of human development and economic performance indicators. Deeply convinced of the importance of this issue, Morocco, through the OCP Group, actively contributes to food security by promoting sustainable and innovative agriculture. By adapting fertilizers to the specific needs of soils, the OCP Group reconciles increased production with the fight against climate change, making the Kingdom a key player in sustainably strengthening continental food sovereignty. Finally, Morocco is also committed to collective efforts, particularly across the African continent, where the kingdom works to help the continent meet the major challenge of food security through initiatives and agreements primarily aimed at improving the productivity of African agriculture in key sectors such as sustainable agriculture, fisheries, irrigation management, renewable energy, training, and the transformation of food systems. I thank you.

The distinguished representative of Morocco. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to be followed by Mali and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We take positive note of the report of a Special Rapporteur on the right to food and would like to express our appreciation for your courage and independence to raise the plight of Palestinian people in Gaza and bring attention to the work of a Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories. Madam Chair, the role of corporate power in perpetuating human rights violations, particularly the right to food, is highly salient, as detailed in the report of Mr. Special Rapporteur. The report illustrates how a highly concentrated corporate sector shapes food systems to maximize profit rather than serve the public good. The report also outlines how an excessive commitment to profit, including practices like price gouging, directly violates the right to food and endangers global food security. From plantation to processing plants, millions of workers, often migrants, women and children, are trapped in cycles of poverty wages, unsafe conditions and sometimes even forced labor as corporations prioritize low cost over fundamental labor rights. Madam Chair, furthermore, large agribusinesses continue to seize land for export-oriented production, displacing indigenous peoples and smallholder farmers from their ancestral lands. This is enabled by a market structure where a handful of corporations monopolize global seed markets, fertilizers, pesticides, and distribution chains and retail outlets. Ultimately, we cannot discuss the right to food in the premier human rights body while ignoring one of the most severe crimes of our time, the weaponization of starvation in Gaza. The man-made famine in Gaza is a stark example where over 2.3 million people have been deliberately denied not only the right to food, but also water, housing, and health. This is not a natural disaster. It's a direct result of policies that have deliberately collapsed the systems needed for human survival. We call for the upcoming report of the Special Rapporteur to dedicate a chapter to the right to food in Gaza and the devastating impacts of this.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mali, to be followed by the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to congratulate you for this honest framework that we have for discussion. And I would like to thank the special rapporteur for his wonderful presentation. Chair, the right to food is a fundamental human right. And we should work towards its enjoyment. But this seems to not be the case. We are in agreement when it comes to the right to health, education, and civic rights. a child that is malnourished cannot enjoy the other rights I mentioned, especially in countries that are in crisis such as mine, where terrorists frighten our population on a daily basis. That is why Mali is prioritizing fighting against terrorism. And we do this in the framework of the Alliance of Sahel States. And we're working hard towards food security as well. The right to food cannot be distilled into just food aid. We must have dignified living conditions, as was said by the Secretary General. Changing our food systems isn't just possible, it is necessary for our populations, for the planet, and for prosperity. Mr. Special Rapporteur. We know about inflation caused by large corporations. You have called to modify them from the inside in order to strengthen the protection of human rights. But you don't think that you believe in this organization anymore. What do you think is the adequate mechanism to transform the right to food into a reality? Thank you.

Thank you, distinguished representative of Mali. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta, who will be our last speaker in this segment.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Today, nearly half the population is facing acute food insecurity. Two million people are in this state of emergency. These are not statistics. They are families, children, entire communities on the edge of survival. The right to food is not a privilege. It is a precondition to peace. Food insecurity is not only about scarcity. At a global level, there is technically enough food to nourish every person on earth. The crisis lies in distribution, inequity, and structural injustice. The Sovereign Order of Malta is committed to multi-sectoral solutions through its humanitarian relief agency, Maltesa International. One of the many examples is in South Sudan, our school feeding programs provide over 2,000 primary school children with a daily hot meal, encouraging school attendance. The right to food is a cornerstone of human dignity. When hunger spreads, it destabilizes societies, fuels conflict, and obstructs the Sustainable Development Goals. Allow me to conclude with three clear imperatives. First, let us reaffirm that freedom from hunger is a non-negotiable right. Second, Hunger is not the result of an intrinsic shortage. It is the outcome of systemic inequities and structural failures that demand multilateral attention. Third, we must act together. No state, no organization can solve this crisis alone. In this spirit, we must ensure that humanitarian responses are paired with long-term strategies for nutrition, education, and livelihoods, and build a multilateral framework that treats the right to food as central to peace, security, and sustainable development. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta. I now give the floor to the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Mr. Michael Faqi.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you, everyone. I'll begin with, there were several questions about data and digitalization, and I'll start, my answer is to respond with the hard work you've done over the Global Digital Compact. So through the Global Digital Compact, states recognize that the pace and power of emerging technologies are creating new possibilities, but also new risks for humanity, some of which are not fully known. States also recognized through the compact the importance of creating a regulatory environment that fosters an inclusive, open, safe and secure digital space that respects, protects and promotes human rights. And the work of the UN Committee on World Food Security in Rome, how so states negotiated a policy document on data governance and they highlighted the importance of ensuring people at the heart of decisions. when collecting, analyzing, and using data. And that's the part that I want to emphasize. Ultimately, I'm not the one who's going to answer this question. It's your own people to engage in a process of dialogue and ask them, ask your peasants, your pastoralists, your fishers, your small producers, your women, your indigenous peoples, ask them what do they need. And their answer in terms of technology will be different than what Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, whatever ridiculous app they're going to try and sell you is going to do. What often happens with technology companies is they invent a solution that doesn't necessarily have a problem. At the core, Malta answered a lot of the questions, and I really appreciate the distinguished representative from Malta. At the core, hunger is not the result of systemic shortages. I'm just repeating what Malta said, but what has been known for decades. Hunger is always a political problem. It is always a problem of power and institutions. And what this report has done, and what I've done in many of my reports, is track who has power. Don't focus on producing more food. That's what technology companies are trying to sell you. Because if you give up your freedom and you buy into an app or you buy into whatever technology, you've given up your food system, you've given up your sovereignty. So sometimes all that a peasant needs is a better irrigation system, not a technology that's being sold to them. So the answer is ask your people, engage with them in a fully transparent, participatory, inclusive way. They will have the answers. Too many times I see governments are either afraid of their own people or they trust experts or foreign experts more than their own people. So that's my answer on data and digitalization. There was a question from Switzerland on consumer rights, and I really appreciate this question. And we see the answer from a lot of Latin American countries, especially Mexico, and I'll add Colombia as well, which is front of package labeling. So just on the package, it'll tell you, this is very high in salt and is bad for you. This is very high in fat and is bad for you. And the reason we know this is effective is because corporations have put so much money lobbying against front of package labels. So give consumers more information, but that's easy to read and that's very clear. And this says, you know, it's a treat, it's not healthy food. So that's the example there. I'm just going through making sure I have everything. I appreciate Cuba raising the issue of unilateral coercive measures. I've spoken very clearly against unilateral coercive measures. There is no argument in favor of unilateral coercive measures. The first people who are always harmed are the most vulnerable in a community. So it's always children, people with disabilities, older people, women. They're affected by UCMs. And I see no justification for them. And I think they're just a blunt violation of international law. I appreciate and I'll conclude then with Molly's question because Molly rightly pointed out that I'm frustrated with the UN. I'm not frustrated with you all as individuals. You're all doing your best under impossible circumstances. I've presented to you now, this is my last meeting as well before the General Assembly. I've given you everything I know and everything I've learned from people of the world. I started during the pandemic and I'll outline, I've given you the answers of what I've learned. How to transform your national food system without going into more debt. How to transform your food system and cooperate together in solidarity so we can eliminate hunger. We can actually eliminate hunger. How to deal with corporate power, not just supporting your small food producers, but fighting against the powers that are creating hunger and malnutrition itself. And most importantly, and now I'm going to speak to you as individuals, which I often do in my presentations. I want you to reflect on today. Yesterday was World Food Day, as was pointed out. And think back in five years, and I want you to look back today. I guarantee you in five years, things will be worse. I guarantee you there will be more violence. I guarantee you there will be more starvation. I guarantee you there will be more displacement. I guarantee you some of you will lose your job because your countries will not exist anymore. So think hard about what you're doing here today. Think hard about what instructions you get from capital, but what you can do as individuals, as colleagues working together. I cannot emphasize enough. I have witnessed the world from the pandemic till today. I've witnessed the two worst cases of starvation in human history, Sudan and Gaza. I've witnessed people dying in ways that is the most horrific way to die. is to be starved. It's going to get worse. You are all vulnerable to starvation because you've all given up power. You've given up power to corporations, you've given up power to a trade regime that has worked against you, and you've given up power because you've been suspicious of your own peasants and small producers, your own fishers, your own women, and your own indigenous peoples. This is the time to trust each other and take care of each other. In the pandemic, what worked? What worked was people taking care of each other. Most of our national governments failed us. What worked was our city governments, our regional governments, our women fed us. Our mothers, our aunts, our grandmothers fed us before they fed themselves. This is what works. You have all the answers before you. I put it in all my reports. It's not because I'm clever, it's because the knowledge is there. It's because I just asked people, "What's the solution?" And people have the answer. So please take the time, step out of your routine. This isn't just your normal day. It's quite dire. And if you have children, think about their future. And if you don't have children, think about your community's future. It doesn't look good. And I meant it. I wasn't being rhetorical. The UN has collapsed, but we have to make do with what we have. And I truly believe the General Assembly is one of the places, the other places, the UN Committee on World Food Security in Rome, where I'm going next week for their plenary. Find ways to connect New York to Rome. And I thank Italy for hosting many of these Rome-based agencies. There are people, there are answers, there are mechanisms. So I'll end with my final remarks to you in the General Assembly. I thank you for your hard work and your dedication. There's lots of familiar faces here as well. "What's my theory of change?" is one of the first questions people ask me, and I was startled by such a blunt question. How does change happen? It's not because you read a clever report by a clever expert. It's not because someone made a very good argument or you yelled at your enemy on the other side of the room. It's through relationships. It's through new relationships. Food is not right wing. It's not left wing. It's not global north. It's not global south. Hunger does not discriminate. In the pandemic, there were food lines of hungry people in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Swiss were startled. There's poor people everywhere. There's hungry people everywhere. Form new relationships, form new alliances, form new senses of solidarity, and that's the only way forward. I thank you for all your hard work. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the right to food. I now welcome the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo. Participants wishing to make comments and pose questions to the speaker are invited at this time to press their microphone button within the next three minutes, after which the list will be closed. The time limit for each speaker will be announced before the floor is given to the first speaker. I thank you for your cooperation. I now invite the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation to make an introductory statement. Mr. Arrojo, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Excellencies, when we talk about the governance of water, we have to think ethically in order to establish and determine what our priorities are. Let's think about the main values that are here. I don't think they can be consistently substituted by capital, by things. What monetary value would any of us assign to the water that we need to ensure health and a dignified living for our families. This is why I insist on establishing the following ethical categories, water as life, what it does to support life, and specifically life in community, in human societies. We must manage it as a priority, drinking water for dignified life as a human right. the water that many peasant communities need to produce their food and ensure their human right to food, the necessary stream flows that we need for healthy rivers and ensure the human right to a healthy and sustainable environment. Water as life. Water for the common good in ways that it is used democratically for the common good, for the greater good. This must be the second level in terms of managing it as a priority. Water as economics in productive activities to improve our standard of living. This is very important, but it must be managed as a third priority. And lastly, I would like to speak of water crimes. Productive activities that produce toxic waste, that poison millions of people gradually and force us to sacrifice some of our territories, these activities should be prohibited, regardless of how profitable they are for those that promote them. Prioritizing water as life implies promoting a governance focus that is human rights based. But more than that, water must be managed as a common good accessible for all, but it cannot be taken over by any single person. And aquatic ecosystems must be natural common goods in order to ensure their sustainability. These are the ethical considerations of my proposal for a democratic water governance. And we must go beyond seeing rivers and aquifers as channels or deposits of H2O. We must move towards an ecosystem vision in order to promote a water management that is both integrated and sustainable. Assuming a human rights-based approach demands that we apply principles of priority and equality without any kind of discrimination as right holders, as people that have human rights that depend on water. And lastly, considering that water is a common good means applying the principle of community responsibility. This is a give and take. And there we see the responsibility of establishing in a democratic and participatory way a fee structure that allows to cover costs without leaving anyone behind. In my report, you've seen it. I cite, for example, a free structure that is based on use blocks and growing costs, with a first phase that would ensure the human right to drinking water and sanitation at a very low cost, maybe even free for those that live in poverty, whereas excessive consumption, which is much more expensive, would subsidize basic needs. And But if we follow the market logic, we would see that the opposite would happen. We would make it cheaper for good clients, and this would incentivize consumption and profit. I don't think our focus should be profit. I think we should offer a universal non-profit service with a minor ecological footprint. and we should also incentivize the efficiency and wise use of water and we should penalize abusive uses and waste. And in the report you see many alternatives to promote this from an ethical, economic, and institutional standpoint. Lastly, managing our common good demands that we apply the principle of equity, which is not the same thing as equality applied to human rights. It's about spreading out those rights to usage in a fair and rational way, especially when it comes to productive uses. Developing this kind of governance that will ensure the sustainability of large ecosystems and an equitable management for millions of people is a major democratic challenge. In order to face it, states must guarantee the effective public domain over water and aquatic ecosystems, but we must not lose sight of the fact that this is a common good. Therefore, we need transparent management, we need accountability, and we need social participation. It is not enough to ensure that its management is public. What is obvious is that strategies of privatization, commoditization, and financialization of water flagrantly contradict the challenge of promoting a human rights-based water governance. In fact, we've seen that some financialization strategies that are very sophisticated have been promoted and they justify investing billions of dollars in sophisticated technologies, quantities that I insist on this never, never, never are justified from a methodological standpoint. And then we say, oh, governments don't have the public funding to face this challenge. And finally, This leads to conclude that it is necessary to promote public-private partnerships where, think about this, public capital must shield private capital from any kind of risk at the same time that fee increases are promoted in order to guarantee juicy profits for companies that are investing in these systems. Well, Beyond this obviously perverse, obviously perverse reasoning, I would like to suggest something that we should reflect upon. Is there really not enough public financing? Or do we not prioritize human rights when it comes to budgeting? Why don't we speak of a lack of public funding for the irrational and suicidal arms race that is currently being imposed? And so applying priority principles is essential. And even a lack of resources does not excuse not applying this principle. I would like to suggest that we think about the poorest homes in the world. There, women prioritize water and they go fetch it wherever necessary. They take huge risks. It's a very considerable effort on their part. So, excellencies, I would like to urge governments to follow their example. In short, the democratic governance that I propose is based on recognizing water and aquatic ecosystems as a common good that is under the public domain, promoting a management approach based on human rights. It should be non-profit, transparent, have accountability, and should be open to the participation of citizens. Thank you.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. I will now open the floor for any questions or comments to Mr. Arouca Agudo. As per practice, I would ask the delegations to limit their comments to three minutes. I thank you for your kind cooperation. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Germany, followed by the European Union and Nigeria.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Germany aligns itself with the EU statements that we read out. and thanks the Special Rapporteur for his work and his latest reports. The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation are related to the big global challenges of our time, combating the climate crisis while ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels, protecting our environment, and finding a socially, economically, environmentally sustainable way of living on this planet for us and for all future generations. Germany is at the forefront of promoting these essential human rights. Together with Spain, we are proud to again facilitate the resolutions on these human rights at the 60th Human Rights Council, as well as at this 80th session. We encourage all States to acknowledge the importance of water, sanitation and hygiene worldwide. Germany welcomes the focus of the Special Rapporteur's most recent report. It alerts us to the necessity of approaching water as a common good and of including all stakeholders in water governance, especially the billions of people who struggle to access safe drinking water and sanitation. Cooperation will be key to realizing these human rights, and cooperation is at the heart of Germany's approach. We are committed to decarbonizing Europe through the European Green Deal. We emphasize the impact of climate change on water, and we undertake large efforts through research and in our international cooperation to develop and implement innovative, sustainable solutions to improve the availability and distribution of water. Finally, Germany looks forward to the UN Water Conference 2026, and we stand ready to support its preparation as well as to play an active role in this important event. Mr. Special Rapporteur, With the water conference approaching and the International Decade for Action nearing its end, what next steps would you advise the United Nations to take in order to best promote, protect, and advance the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Germany. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union, to be followed by Nigeria and Spain.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have the honor to speak on behalf of the European Union and its member states. We thank the Special Rapporteur for his work, his most recent reports and recommendations. The human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation remain critical priorities for the EU. We support the Special Rapporteur's mandate and welcome its recent renewal. The EU welcomes the linking of democratic water governance with human rights in your reports. It highlights that water is more than a commodity. Rather, it is a common good, a limited resource,

and in need of protection.

Therefore, ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation requires more than developing technological solutions. It also requires the protection of waterways as well as ensuring affordability. The President of the European Commission emphasized the need for a European water resilience strategy which follows three goals: restoring and protecting water cycles, in quality and quantity as the foundation for supplying water from the source to the sea. Building a water smart economy, reducing water consumption and setting EU-wide goals to guide policy. And securing clean and affordable water and sanitation for all, ensuring improved water treatment as well as the inclusion especially of marginalized regions and vulnerable groups. Beyond its borders, the EU supports partners through development cooperation, humanitarian assistance, and transboundary water cooperation to promote integrated water resource management, nature-based solutions, and resilience to the impact of climate change. The EU will also engage actively in the UN water conferences in 2026 and 2028.

Mr. Special Rapporteur.

What are the most effective human rights safeguards in the public-private and the digital services models that contribute to protecting marginalized communities to ensure their access to safe drinking water and sanitation? Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of the European Union. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nigeria, to be followed by Spain and Turkey.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Special Rapporteur for this detailed report on access to drinking water and sanitation. We welcome the report's recognition of the inclusion of Nigeria among countries where surface and groundwater resources fall within the public domain. We acknowledge the challenges highlighted regarding the effective management of groundwater and affirm that Nigeria continues to strengthen its legal and institutional frameworks to promote sustainable and equitable water governance. Madam Chair, Nigeria reaffirms its strong commitment to advancing these rights. Despite the challenges posed by climate change and rapid urbanization, Nigeria continues to prioritize access to clean water and sanitation as a national development priority. More budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation reflect government commitment to advancing water and sanitation projects in the country. Through the National Action Plan for the Revitalization of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH sector, and the Clean Nigeria Campaign, we are expanding access, strengthening infrastructure, and promoting improved hygiene practices to achieve universal access to safely managed sanitation. We are also investing in climate-resilient water system and community-based resource management, particularly in rural and underserved areas, through the completion of additional 214 nationwide water schemes, construction of numerous hand pumps, solar-powered boreholes, small-town water supply scheme, and ventilated improved sanitation facilities to better serve local communities. Nigeria underscored the importance of enhancing international cooperation, financing, and capacity building to complement national efforts and strengthen resilience in the water and sanitation sectors. We further emphasized the urgent need of accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6, guided by integrated and ecosystem-based approaches. Nigeria stand ready to work with our partners to scale up efforts, share best practices, and mobilize resources to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all, leaving no one behind. Thank you, Madam Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Nigeria. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain, to be followed by Turkey and Colombia.

Gracias.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Spain. would like to add itself to the EU's declaration and we would like to welcome the recent renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteurship. Mr. Special Rapporteur, Spain would like to welcome your recent report to the General Assembly and we agree on the fact that water is a common good that is limited and requires protection as well as clear governance frameworks that are participatory in order to ensure universal access as well as quality and affordability in the service. Nevertheless, It is also true that hundreds of millions of people still do not have access to drinking water or improved sanitation. This seriously impacts their health, food and security. For Spain, recognizing the human rights to water and sanitation is a constant priority in our foreign policy, and this includes our cooperation for development. This approach has been reaffirmed in the sixth plan for Spanish international cooperation 2024-2027, where we reaffirm the right to water and sanitation as a human right, and it's one of our priority sectors in the framework of the sixth SDG. I would also like to remind everyone that Spain will be hosting the meeting of ministers of the WASH sector on the 22nd and 23rd of October in Madrid. This meeting will help us pave the way on a political and technical level before COP30 and also in the lead up to the UN Conference of Water in 2026. And as my German colleague mentioned, I would like to remind everybody that in this 80th session, facilitating, along with Germany, the biennial resolution on the human rights to drinking water and sanitation, with the goal of making sure it is approved by consensus. Mr. Special Rapporteur, could you delve into the principle of prioritizing or prioritization that you mentioned earlier? Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Spain. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Turkey, to be followed by Colombia and Bangladesh.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to begin my remarks by underlining the utmost importance attached by Turkey on the human rights in every aspect, including access to the safe drinking water and sanitation. However, we remain concerned that the latest report goes beyond the agreed mandate. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur explicitly excludes international water law and transboundary water issues, yet the report directly or indirectly refers to transboundary issues, promotes a notion of water governance without geographical or political boundaries, and mentions the joint management of groundwater and surface waters by riparian countries. While Turkey supports cooperation among riparian states and rejects the use of water as a weapon, the human rights dimension of the use of transboundary water resources by riparian states requires a completely different interpretation given the unique conditions of each river. We also believe that addressing the Arves Convention in relation to transboundary waters from a water rights perspective would not be appropriate. Madam Chair, The report also highlights large dam constructions and calls for a redefinition of general rights and the concept of public goods. While we acknowledge that dams may have certain environmental impacts when not implemented sustainably, we believe that effective application of environmental impact assessments can ensure the desired outcomes. Madam Chair, We are always ready for further cooperation among riparian countries based on reasonable and scientific perspective at bilateral level and ready to contribute to Special Rapporteur's efforts within his mandate. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Turkey. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Colombia, to be followed by Bangladesh and Israel.

Gracias.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Colombia would like to welcome the report of the Special Rapporteur, and we would like to thank him for paying attention to our national efforts, specifically his recognition of community management for water and the role of our regulatory institutions to promote universal access to drinking water and sanitation. We would like to reaffirm that water is a fundamental human right and a common good. access to drinking water and sanitation is not just essential for dignity and well-being, but it is also a key determinant for public health. Our water governance policies are guided by principles of equity, sustainability, and a focus on life. A central pillar of our national development plan is the territorial order around water, which seeks to revert the degradation of our basins, rivers, wetlands, and more lands. This vision implies deep transformations in terms of our economic and social development. Water is now at the center of our territorial, environmental, and health policies. In this context, Colombia continues to strengthen community management models, as well as intersectorial coordination among health and environmental authorities, local governments, service providers and community organizations. These efforts allow to better supervise the quality of water as well as provide timely responses when health risks are detected as well as the enjoyment of the human rights to water and sanitation for all, especially vulnerable and rural populations. Our country supports the recommendations in the report, specifically the call to member states to move towards a democratic and participatory governance for water and to prioritize water for life and the sustainability of ecosystems and to think of water as a shared natural heritage and a common good rather than something that can be purchased. We share the vision that facing the global water crisis requires collective responsibility, human rights-based approaches, and ethical priorities that ensure that no one is left behind. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Colombia. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bangladesh, to be followed by Israel and Japan.

Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report. We take note of his observations that freshwater and aquatic ecosystems are common goods, essential for human survival, and must be governed through a human rights-based approach. The well-being of a population significantly depends on the realization of their rights to safe drinking water and sanitation. As one of the most climate-vulnerable countries, Bangladesh emphasizes the effects of climate change on water that are causing severe negative impacts on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. Despite these impacts and resource constraints, Bangladesh is making sincere efforts to provide safe water and sanitation to all its people. Over 98% of the population has access to basic drinking water. Access to sanitation has increased to over 85%. We have made significant progress in promoting local community participation in water and sanitation management. Madam Chair, we take note of the Special Rapporteur's call for developing water transition strategy for climate adaptation, given that the main impacts of climate change are water related, and also his emphasis on significant investment that it requires. In conclusion, we would like to underscore that adequate, predictable, and quality international climate finance remains important to support adaptation strategy and water-related climate adaptation goals. I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Bangladesh. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Israel, to be followed by Japan and the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Before the horrific terror attack of October 7th, approximately 90% of the water consumed in Gaza was drawn from local water pumping facilities and desalination plants. Around 10% originated from Israel through three main water lines. In the early stages of the war, these three lines were damaged. Despite the ongoing hostilities and the extremely complex conditions of operating in an active combat zone, Israel has repeatedly coordinated and facilitated their repair. As of early May, all three water lines have been restored to full functionality and today provide reliable water flow to northern and central Gaza. The northern water pipeline alone supplies around 21,000 cubic meters of water per day. To put this in perspective, the World Health Organization's minimum requirement for water per capita per day in emergency circumstances is 20 liters. By the measures, the northern pipeline alone could theoretically meet the minimum water needs of more than 1 million people. In the south of Gaza, two active water lines from Egypt are also functioning. Together, they provide roughly 10,000 cubic meters of water per day. Between January and July 2024, there were over 59 coordinated operations to repair and refuel the water networks across Gaza. Additionally, Israel facilitated and repaired the three pumps at the UNICEF desalination plant in Deir al-Balah, restoring its capacity to 1,000 cubic meters a day. I share these facts because too often, discussions in this hall rely on selective or one-sided reports that fail to reflect the full and complex reality on the ground. The report presented today regrettably follows this pattern. It presented a distorted narrative that ignores Israel's efforts and irresponsibly employs false inflammatory terms, such as apartheid strategy or genocidal strategy. Such rhetoric does not advance peace, nor does it serve the people of Gaza. Facts matter, balance matters, and truth must be the foundation of any meaningful discussion in this committee. Thank you, Chair.

I thank the distinguished representative of Israel. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Japan, to be followed by the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank the Special Rapporteur for his comprehensive report, which underscores the importance of a human rights-based approach to democratic water governance. Access to water is essential for human survival, dignity, and security. and is embedded within the complex crisis facing the world today. I'd like to pose the following question: How can a human rights-based approach be complemented by the WPS agenda in regards to ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation in conflict setting, particularly in regards to the disproportionate impact on women and girls. Japan remains committed to upholding human security and human dignity through access to safe drinking water and sanitation. and we'll continue to collaborate with the international community in this crucial area. Thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta, our last speaker in this segment.

Power of washing our hands is so ordinary that we hardly give it a second thought. Yet for one in four people worldwide, over 2 billion individuals, safe drinking water remains out of reach, and 3.4 billion still lack access to safely managed sanitation. Behind these figures, there are families forced to drink from polluted streams, mothers giving birth in clinics without running water, and children missing school because hours each day are spent collecting water. This crisis is felt most severely in regions already weakened by conflict and climate change. In Syria, 2025 has brought the worst water shortage since the 1950s, with rainfall at just a quarter of normal levels and the main spring supplying Damascus nearly dry. In Gaza, over 80% of water and sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed, while in South Sudan, flooding and violence have forced entire communities to rely on emergency water deliveries. These are not isolated tragedies. They form global rights crisis where access to clean water is eroded by war, climate instability, and mismanagement alike. Through its humanitarian relief agency, Malteser International, the Sovereign Order of Malta works to make the human right to water and sanitation a lived reality. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, over 127,000 people have gained access to safe water through construction of wells, water filters, and latrines. In South Sudan, our WASH programs covering water, sanitation, and hygiene have built or rehabilitated more than 400 wells, installed 76 sanitation facilities, and equipped schools and health centers with handwashing stations. Solar-powered lighting and public lanterns has enhanced safety for women and girls, while 15,000 people have been trained as hygiene multipliers, ensuring knowledge spreads within communities. These actions prove that even modest interventions, a repaired well, a functioning latrine, or hygiene education can restore dignity and transform lives. But infrastructure alone cannot suffice. To break the cycles of deprivation and disease, we must also invest in education, community stewardship, and resilience. Empowering children with hygiene awareness enables them not only to survive, but to safeguard their health and future. Therefore, I ask the Special Rapporteur: How can we ensure that investments in water and sanitation today not only meet urgent needs, but also empower future generations to inherit not scarcity, but security and dignity? I thank you.

I thank the distinguished representative of the Sovereign Order of Malta. I now give the floor to the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo. You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Excellencies, allow me to begin by expressing, in agreement with my colleagues from other mandates, my unconditional denunciation of the US government's sanctions on the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. I express my full solidarity with Francesca Albanese. Sanctioning a special rapporteur appointed by the Human Rights Council violates international law. And this indirect attack on the integrity of the UN human rights system, including special procedures as a whole. I call on all states to act decisively to denounce these sanctions and refuse to carry them out. I also call on the United States to reflect and to immediately withdraw these illegal sanctions. Going to the report, Excellencies, I know that the term democratic water governance is uncomfortable or rejected by some member state. And I would like to clarify this. When I use the term democratic, I am not referring to the forms of government in each country, but rather to the approach to water governance, When governance is approached from a market perspective, those who can pay participate, but not the most impoverished. My approach to democratic governance refers to the fact that the logic to be applied from a human right-based approach must include everyone equally. I use the term democratic governance in contrast to an approach to governance governed by market logic. Second issue, in the report, as you have seen, I defend the principle of individual and collective responsibility and the principle of efficiency, using economic tools and incentives, as well as economic penalties for misuse and waste, but not from a market logic, but rather using public economy tools and appropriate institutional governance approaches. I present, for example, the model of increasing tariffs per consumption blocks which do not respond to the market logic. I accept the principle of cost recovery, but including public funding and even public subsidies for large-scale investment that exceed local capacities, as well as subsidies for social needs. I am critical of including in cost recovery the costs that should be paid by those who have previously polluted. and therefore demand strict compliance with the polluter pays principle, or as I prefer to say, whoever damages restores. Madam Chair, allow me to express myself in French now.

When it comes to Francophone countries, Of course, besides the local indigenous languages, I would like to say some things in French and answer in French. I am extremely worried by the privatization of water services and sanitation services in certain countries that substitute the current community-based model in many rural and indigenous communities. And in this sense, I would like to highlight that in my report, I speak about Colombia's legislative experience that recognizes and supports community-based management. As the representative from Colombia mentioned, this community-based model is applied through public community partnerships. Think about that, it's very interesting. When it comes to transboundary basin management, I would like to commend Africa for the work done in the management of transboundary basins with the creation of institutions where the responsibility is shared for the basin and where human rights and basic needs are explicitly prioritized on both sides of the border. I wrote a report about this and I point out the importance of the UN Water Convention. I would also like to thank Germany and Spain for their annual submission of resolutions that advance the enjoyment of these human rights and to respond to Germany. One of the key issues that must be solved is that, and please write this down, the General Assembly should institutionalize a periodic holding of the water conference as a dialogue, as a space for dialogue with international civil society. This is very important. I would also like to thank everybody for their massive support for my different reports, including the one this year, whose goal is to include proposals and recommendations that I've drafted throughout the years in order to project the coherence of this approach for democratic water governance during the next UN Water Conference in 2026. And unfortunately, when it comes to water management, both in Israel and in the illegally occupied territories, territories that are illegally occupied by Israel for a very long time, Excellencies, I'm very sorry, but throughout this time, you have used and you're currently using water as a weapon of war, unfortunately. you're using it as a weapon to marginalize and displace people for ethnic reasons. You've imposed an apartheid state on Palestinians for decades. And during the war in Gaza, the Israeli government and army used water as their genocidal-- as part of their genocidal strategy. I'm sorry. You are using water and starvation has a silent bomb, but a lethal bomb, especially for children and babies.

My intervention in Spanish.

Excellencies, this will be the last time that I have the privilege of addressing you. We are living in dark times and it seems that humanity is destined to commit mistakes that are similar to those that we committed in the past. with a new and suicidal arms race that reduces the necessary funding in order to fight against the true threats and risks that actually affects us. We watch in horror the Palestinian genocide with the support or the complicit silence of governments that have for decades defended democratic values and human rights. And I'm sure that in the future they will continue to do it. The United Nations are at risk, we all know this, due to powerful pressures that want to end multilateralism, end human rights, and end international law. This that we worked so hard to build, Excellencies, do not let them do it. Let's not allow it. I hope that this crisis will take us to new efforts to democratically reform the United Nations and reactivate that sentence, "We the peoples," from the foundational text of the United Nations in order to move towards the achievement of the goals that preceded its birth. And I hope that these pains are birthing pains. I want another world. Another world is possible. Yes, it is possible because it is necessary. I believe that sometimes we think that the term human rights is ideological. It's something that belongs to the left. And according to some, it makes it hard to focus on the main issues of security or the economy, excellencies. I believe that human rights are the basis of global democratic governance that from the United Nations we must build. Just like democracy is key in order to live peacefully and to live with justice in our countries, democratic global governance based on human rights is and will be the basis of that global security that we all want so much. When it comes to the global water crisis and climate change, it is urgent that the United Nations assumes a central role that until now it has not been able to do because there is no institution in the system that focuses on this responsibility. Excellencies, I would like to thank you if in 2026, the interactive dialogue number one focuses on the human rights to drinking water and sanitation. But I would like to highlight the vital importance of creating an intergovernmental process to establish periodic meetings with global civil society. with a focus based on human rights and opening up spaces for direct dialogue, especially with the right holders, with the people that have these human rights, that defend them and that fight for them and fight with women at the forefront. And that is what I just said to Germany. It's an urgent challenge. Finally, I think that we should reflect on something that is related to what Spain mentioned. I would like to think about SDG number 6 and the 2030 agenda. Think about this. The millions of people that do not have access to safe drinking water are not people that are going thirsty. They are people that are extremely poor, that live next to rivers or aquifers that are polluted, or whose waters are taken over by powerful actors in order to carry out economic activities. These millions of people are not a business opportunity for anyone. They are a democratic challenge. It's not about opening up business opportunities for huge private corporations to move forward with SDG number six. We must face that democratic challenge from our multilateral governments and institutions prioritizing in our budgets this issue in order to ensure safe drinking water and sanitation for all without leaving anyone behind. excellencies and to respond to Spain's comment, I would like for you to reflect on the principle of priorities when it comes to human rights. And like I said in the beginning, Poverty does not excuse us from applying this principle to basic and vital needs such as water. And I would like to reiterate, what is the priority for the poorest families and communities? Water, without any doubt. And women are in charge of this every day. Excellencies, finally, and I will wrap up with this, I would like to invite the governments of the world and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank to follow the example of these women. Thank you.

I thank the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. The Committee will continue its consideration of agenda item 71, Promotion and protection of human rights, and its sub-items A to D, this afternoon at 3:00 p.m. sharp. to hear statements by the special procedures mandate holders and other experts and engage with them in an interactive dialogue pursuant to the programme of work. Information on the work of the Committee, including the schedule of meetings, is available on iGOV. The meeting is adjourned.