WATER AND SANITATION IN THE WORLD’S CITIES 2010
Box 5.7 Legal backing for waste-pickers in Cali, Colombia
In a recent case, CiViSOL, a foundation that works to amend the cultural and legal norms
of state and society, intervened before the Constitutional Court of Colombia on behalf of
the waste-pickers of the Navarro dump of Cali.
In April 2009, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled in favour of the wastepickers, guaranteeing their customary rights to access, sort and recycle waste and their
legitimacy to compete in the waste recycling business. The court recognized the
importance of waste-pickers, granted them full protection, and recognized their environmental contribution.15
15 See www.civisol.org