United nations a

Table 1

	Requirements per annum $	Requirements per biennium $
Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management (conference servicing)
(a) Geneva	211 700	423 400
(b) New York	132 700	265 400
Subtotal, section 2	344 400	688 800
Section 23, Human Rights
(a) Travel of representatives and staff and general operating expenses	189 700	379 400
(b) Regional consultation and consultancy	104 600	209 200
Subtotal, section 23	294 300	588 600
Section 28 D Office of Central Support Services (conference servicing)	9 800	19 600
Section 28 E, Administration, Geneva (conference servicing)	7 800	15 600
Grand total	656 300	1 312 600

39. Resource requirements estimated at $646,900, representing almost half of the total requirements as indicated above, have been provided in the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009, to implement some of the activities called for in the resolution, as follows:

Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management	$211 700
Section 23, Human Rights	$427 400
Section 28 E, Administration, Geneva	$ 7 800
Total	$646 900

40. The balance of the resource requirements estimated at $665,700 to implement the remaining activities called for in the resolution is as follows:

Section 2, General Assembly and Economic and Social Council affairs and conference management	$477 100
Section 23, Human Rights	$161 200
Section 28 D Office of Central Support Services	$ 19 600
Section 28 E, Administration, Geneva	$ 7 800
Total	$665 700

41. Although it is anticipated that an additional amount of $665,700 will be required under sections 2, 23, 28 D and 28 E of the programme budget for the biennium 2008-2009, a preliminary review leads the Secretariat to assume that some absorption of the estimated

requirements is possible. The Secretariat will seek to identify areas from which resources can be redeployed to meet the requirements in the biennium 2008-2009. At the time the General Assembly reviews the question of the revised estimates resulting from decisions taken by the Human Rights Council at its seventh session, it is anticipated that the Secretariat would be in a position to inform the General Assembly on how to meet the additional requirements.

42. Since the period for renewal of the mandate extends into the biennium 2010-2011, the requirements for that period will be considered in the context of the preparation of the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2010-2011.

43. With regard to paragraph 9, attention is also drawn to the provisions of section VI of General Assembly resolution 45/248 B of 21 December 1990, and subsequent resolutions, the most recent of which is resolution 62/236 of 22 December 2007, in which the Assembly reaffirmed that the Fifth Committee is the appropriate Main Committee of the Assembly entrusted with responsibilities for administrative and budgetary matters and reaffirmed the role of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.

7/22. Human rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation

44. Under the terms of paragraph 2, subparagraphs 2 (a), (b), (c), (e), (f) and paragraph 3 of its resolution 7/22, the Council:

(a) Decided to appoint, for a period of three years, an independent expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, whose tasks would be:

1. 
   To develop a dialogue with Governments, the relevant United Nations bodies, the private sector, local authorities, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations as well as academic institutions, to identify, promote and exchange on best practices related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and, in that regard, to prepare a compendium of best practices;
   
2. 
   To advance the work by undertaking a study, in cooperation with and reflecting the views of Governments and relevant United Nations bodies, and in further cooperation with the private sector, local authorities, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions, on the further clarification of the content of human rights obligations, including non discrimination obligations, in relation to access to safe drinking water and sanitation;
   
3. 
   To make recommendations that could help the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, in particular of Goal 7;
   
4. 
   To work in close coordination, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with other special procedures and subsidiary organs of the Council, relevant
   
5. 
   United Nations bodies and the treaty bodies, and taking into account the views of other stakeholders, including relevant regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions;
   
6. 
   To submit a report, including conclusions and recommendations, to the Council at its tenth session;
   

(b) Requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that the independent expert received the necessary resources to enable him/her to discharge the mandate fully.

45. Pursuant to the adoption of the resolution by the Council, it is anticipated that the following resource requirements will be required to implement the above-mentioned activities: