This newsletter brings a few important updates, including our June Annual General Meeting (AGM), a new commercial platform and the first of our series of training workshops on human rights later this month. Please review the information carefully, as we need your support for the AGM and updates to our platform.
Our 5th AGM, 10th June 2026
All members are cordially invited to join us on Tuesday, 10 June 2026 at 15:30 CET. It is the main opportunity to catch up on the wide range of developments in the fields of water-related human rights, connect with fellow members, and play an active role in shaping the direction of HR2W.
This year we have Board Member elections. Five existing board members are standing for re-election including Pedi Obani (President), Callum Clench (Secretary), Dominique Gatel, Mamohloding Maahlo, and Olcay Unver. You can read their profiles on our website. Note that former Presidents (Dhesigen Naidoo and Mercedes Castro are automatically part of the Board).
We take this opportunity to share our thanks to retiring officers, Anand Chiplunkar, Diana Iskreva, and Sylvia Rivera. Anand, a founding member of HR2W, has been an immense support to HR2W over the last six years, bringing his expertise in environmental solutions, interest in research through the expert committee, and fund-raising through the Asian Development Bank. Sylvia has brought her expertise through the treasury position over the last two years, and Diana over the same period has maintained our relationship with the Women for Water Partnership (WfWP), and our focus on gender.
In addition, three new candidates have been nominated by our community and put forward as eligible through the Nomination Committee: Natasha Dokovska, Sanjay Banka, and Geraldine Gene. We look forward to introducing them to the membership at the AGM. In the meantime, please enjoy reading about their backgrounds and personal statements:
Natasha Dokovska
Natasha Dokovska (Macedonia) represents the WfWP, and she is a WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) specialist with extensive experience in improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services for underserved communities. Her work spans community-based programming, policy advocacy, and capacity building, with a particular focus on menstrual health and hygiene as a driver of dignity, inclusion, and gender equity. Committed to leaving no one behind, Natasha applies a rights-based approach to advancing equitable access to essential services for vulnerable populations.
Sanjay Banka
Sanjay Banka (India), Executive Chairman of Banka BioLoo Limited and Banka Earth Foundation, is a dedicated advocate for water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and SDG 6. Co-founding Banka BioLoo with his spouse Namita Banka, he champions affordable, eco-friendly sanitation solutions — including the flagship bioloo, an onsite bio-digester that converts fecal matter into water and biogas — serving households, schools, workplaces, and underserved communities. A recognised global WASH expert with a multidisciplinary academic background, he contributes to international advocacy, has spoken at the UN, writes extensively on sustainable sanitation, and mentors entrepreneurs and students in the WASH space.
Géraldine Gené
Géraldine Gené Barrios (Costa Rica) is an attorney at Law and Notary Public with over 30 years of experience in human rights law, specializing in the rights to water and sanitation. She has worked with organizations including Habitat for Humanity International, WaterLex, and the Inter-American Development Bank, advising governments and civil society across Latin America, the Caribbean, and West Africa. A Georgetown University postgraduate and published author, Géraldine is fluent in Spanish, French, and English and has represented her field at major international forums including World Water Week and the UN's Leave No One Behind Summit.
We have a new commercial site!
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new commercial interface on the HR2W website, where users can now purchase our Country Legal Mapping reports and secure training spots for this year’s workshops. This has been a carefully considered decision taken to help ensure the long-term sustainability of HR2W and the continuation of our research, advocacy, and capacity-building work.
Our latest legal reports are now available at CHF18 each, with volume discounts available for larger purchases (15% discount for 3 or more, 30% discount for 10 or more). Training workshops are priced at CHF 80 per person.
These new arrangements also strengthen the value of fee-paying membership. Institutional Members receive complimentary access to all legal reports, priority booking, and two free participants for each workshop session. Individual Members receive three complimentary reports per year, alongside a 50% discount on workshop attendance.
Existing non-fee-paying members are of course welcome to remain part of the HR2W community, although access to certain resources and benefits will now be limited. Going forward, all new memberships will operate under the paid membership structure.
Institutional membership fees are scaled according to organisational size to help ensure affordability and accessibility. We also encourage students and members based in developing countries to get in touch to learn more about discounted membership options. Further information is available here:
Workshop: Introduction to the Human Right to Menstrual Health Management
We are delighted to invite you to the first in our new series of quarterly training workshops.
Date: Wednesday, 28 May 2026
Time: 16:30 – 18:00 CET
Format: Online
Fee: CHF 40 (introductory rate) - discounted by 50% for fully paid members
Menstrual health was formally recognised as a human right in 2022, and the years since have seen a significant surge in legislation across the globe. This workshop draws on in-depth legal and policy analysis from 30 countries to explore how different regions are approaching reform, what good practices are emerging, and where cultural and structural differences shape implementation.
The session is designed to be useful for specialists and newcomers alike and will close with an open discussion. We would love to see you there.
If you know someone who would benefit from attending, please share.
If these opportunities are of interest, we encourage you to consider upgrading your membership. Full Members receive a unique discount code providing complimentary access to document downloads, as well as reduced rates for workshops and training events.
Best regards,
Isabella Cubillo