WaterLex is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) and membership association based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is a UN-Water Partner with UN ECOSOC special consultative status. Its mission is to develop sustainable solutions based on human rights to improve water governance worldwide, particularly in regard to consistent water law and policy frameworks. WaterLex works with an allianc
e of interested parties to improve water-governance frameworks, bringing them in line with country obligations under international human rights law. The interested parties are individuals and groups working in government (diplomatic missions), academia (professors of law, researchers), bilateral cooperation (water management advisors), the judiciary (high/supreme courts judges), the UN system (UN-Water family members), and civil society (NGOs that work on water issues). WaterLex works in partnership with 13 universities to continuously enrich the content of the WaterLex Legal Database. The organisation is funded by grants and project financing from public agencies, foundations, private gifts, and in-kind contributions. Established in 2010, when the human right to water was recognised by the UN, the organisation has a secretariat in Geneva with seven staff members, a supervisory board of directors, and a large pool of members and expert advisors. It is an official partner of the Global Water Partnership, UNDP CAP-NET, UNDP GWS, and UNECE, and a member of the board of the Swiss Water Partnership. Through its activities, WaterLex wants to secure sustainable access to safe drinking water for every human being. In order to achieve this, WaterLex does not build water access points. Rather, it
(1) meets with all stakeholders (local populations, farmers, industries) who need water from a given water point;
(2) fights the lack of information (regarding water misuse, pollution and their impact on the population's safe drinking water);
(3) assists the stakeholders in knowing how to change practices;
(4) facilitates the dialog among all stakeholders to achieve consensus and good practices.
