Pierre Thielbörger

In memoriam Catarina de Albuquerque

With the sudden passing of Catarina de Albuquerque on 7 October 2025, the human rights community has lost a champion whose contribution to the promotion of socio-economic rights in the last twenty years can hardly be overstated. Many of us have also lost a dear colleague and mentor. The wave of public condolences and expressions of empathy following her sudden death has been remarkable. Catarina has been described to me as the “mother” of the human rights to water and sanitation – and this is how she will be remembered.

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