Council of Canadians/Blue Planet Project and Public Citizen (USA) have voiced their concern about the Green Cross International's campaign for a United Nations global framework convention on the right to water [1]. They claim that the "convention language would incorporate into the international legal framework the commodification of water and it would encode privatization". They also object to the "lack of civil society participation" in the development of the convention.

In October 2004, several NGOs met in Berlin to discuss the development of a global treaty on the right to water through "a civil society process with the broadest possible global citizen participation". This was a follow-up activity to the People's World Water Forum in Delhi in Jan 2004, which called for an international convention on fresh water under the auspices of the United Nations. The World Social Forum that followed right afterwards in Mumbai also discussed the call for a water convention. NGOs are organising a seminar called "Speak-out on Fight for U.N. Treaty on Right to Water" on the "Global right to water treaty" at the next World Social Forum to be held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from 26-31 January 2005 [2].

At the recent European Social Forum, held in London on 15-17 Oct 2004, the Freshwater Action Network (FAN) hosted a stall that showcased 12 case studies from developing country members on 'Protecting the Right to Water' [3].

[1] Right to water: Green Cross launches citizens campaign, Source, 29 Sep 2004

[2] So far 23 water-related events have been proposed for the 2005 World Social Forum

[3] FAN - Right to Water

Contact: Anil Naidoo, Council of Canadians/Blue Planet Project, anil@canadians.org ; Maj Fiil-Flynn, Public Citizen, USA, mfiil@citizen.org ; FAN, UK, info@freshwateraction.net

Source: Right to Water Listserv, 6 Nov 2004 ; Water convention garners worldwide support, Swiss Coalition of Development Organizations, Oct 2004

Tags: financing, policies & legislation