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DEVELOPMENT: Troubled Waters Hard to Bridge
By Hilmi Toros
ISTANBUL, Mar 22, 2009 (IPS) - The fifth World Water Forum (WWF) held in Istanbul ended Sunday with wide-
ranging differences among governments and groups with an interest in water.
The forum adopted a declaration calling for "new and adequate resources" for
the water sector. It also stressed the need for increased vigilance against
corruption, and for preparedness for climate change.
But the final declaration by close to 100 ministers made no mention of the
hotly contested issue whether water is a human right or a commodity to be
traded like oil, gas or gold. It only described access to safe drinking water and
sanitation as "a basic human need."
This led to a counter declaration by delegations from Bolivia, Uruguay, Spain,
Guatemala, Ecuador, Cuba and Chile, drawing support also from Bangladesh,
Benin, Chad, Ethiopia, Honduras, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Panama,
Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Switzerland and South Africa. "We recognise that access
to water and sanitation is a human right and we are committed to all
necessary actions for the progressive implementation of this right," the
dissident statement said.
The European Parliament also supported water as a "fundamental and
universal right," according to a statement read by Cristina Gutierrez-
Cortinez, Member of the European Parliament from Spain. About 250
parliamentarians and close to 100 mayors too said they recognised water as a
basic human right.
The dissenting views received support from the president of the UN General
Assembly Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, who said in a message to the forum
on the eve of its closure that "water is a public trust, a common heritage of
people and nature, and a fundamental human right. I am convinced that we
must challenge the notion that water is a commodity to be bought and sold
on the open market."
Also dividing the forum was the issue who should call such meetings. So far
it has been the World Water Council (WWC), an international organisation
based in Marseille, France, which is not a part of the United Nations. The WWC
has some 300 members from 60 countries representing governments and
their agencies, international organisations including some UN agencies, water
professionals, business interests and NGOs.
The council considers itself a "multi-stakeholder" open to all those interested
in the water sector. But its legitimacy was questioned by a coalition of labour
and civil society groups from 70 countries at an alternative forum.
The coalition described the WWC as a creation of business interests seeking
to privatise water for profit. It asked instead that "polices about water be
decided in an open, transparent and democratic forum rather than a trade
show for the world's largest water corporations." The WWC counts 40
business groups among its 300 members.
Maude Barlow, advisor to the UN General Assembly president, characterised
WWC members as "water lords" without a legitimate mandate, and demanded
that future forums be held under the auspices of the UN.
Benin, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and
Venezuela called on "states to develop a global water forum within the
framework of the United Nations, based on the principles of democracy, full
participation, equity, transparency and social inclusion."
But business had its say. Jack Moss of the group Business Action for Water
told the closing session: "Without water, there is no business. Without
business, there is no water."
Despite divergences, both the forum and its opponents agreed on the
severity of the water crisis and that this was likely to deteriorate once climate
change hits water and leads to shortages where water is needed most and
flooding where the need is least.
UN figures show that some 1 billion people lack access to clean drinking
water. In 2025, roughly 40 percent of the world population will be living in
water-scarce regions. (END)
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