all persons have access without discrimination to safe drinking water and sanitation. Even if the MDG targets were to be achieved in full, it is important to note that there would still be more than 800 million people without safe drinking water and 1.8 billion people without basic sanitation in 2015. The United Nations Millennium Project’s Task Force on Water and Sanitation has affirmed that access to safe drinking water is a human right and highlighted its importance for achieving the majority of MDGs. For more information, see Claiming the Millennium Development Goals: A human rights approach (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.08.XIV.6) and Millennium Project, Health, dignity, and development: what will it take? (London, Earthscan, 2005), pp. 15–27.
The private sector Businesses and the private sector are important players, too. The private sector, in particular water service providers (from large companies operating piped water networks and sewage systems to individuals running water tankers), is directly involved in the provision of water. The private sector, notably large-scale agricultural producers and industry, is also an important user of water. Irrigation remains the largest user of water but projections indicate that industry will account for most of the increase in water use to 2025. In such a context, there are risks that the interests of the poor might be pushed aside by large agricultural producers and industry, two constituencies with a strong political voice.20 The CEO Water Mandate In July 2007, the United Nations Secretary-General, in partnership with international business leaders, launched the CEO Water Mandate under the auspices of the United Nations Global Compact. This initiative came about because of the understanding that the private sector, through the production of goods and services, has an impact on water resources. Endorsing chief executive officers (CEOs) acknowledge that in order to operate in a sustainable manner, and contribute to the vision of the Global Compact and the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, they have a responsibility to make water-resources management a priority, and to work with Governments, United Nations agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders to address this challenge. For more information about the CEO Water Mandate, see www. unglobalcompact.org. 30