Bolivian President Evo Morales called on African leaders to back a proposed United Nations declaration that would block the sale of public water services to private companies. Speaking at the 2011 World Social Forum in Dakar on February 6th, he said: “We are going to go the UN to declare that water is a basic public need that must not be managed by private interests, but should be for all people, including people of rural areas”.

Commenting on Morales' statement, IATP Senior Policy Analyst Shiney Varghese stressed its importance for the international campaign towards the right to water. She especially highlighted the need to focus on rural communities, given that they represent nearly three-quarters of the world’s "water poor".  

At the World Social Forum, water justice activists released a media statement [1] in support for Morales' proposal It was signed by 25 organisations ranging from Food & Water Watch, USA to People's Coalition for the Right to Water (KRUHA), Indonesia and Zanzibar Water Authority, Tanzania. So far nearly 6,500 people have signed an online petition [2] in support of the Water Justice Movement statement.

[1] "Water Justice Movement Media Statement"

[2] "Speak Out Against Privatization of Water

Related news:

• Privatizing water: governance failure and the world’s urban water crisis, E-Source, 10 Feb 2011
• Human rights: obligations related to private and other non-State service provision in water and sanitation, E-Source, 08 Sep 2011

Related web sites:

• Rights to Water and Sanitation http://www.righttowater.info/
• Water Justice - http://www.waterjustice.org/

Source: Drew Hinshaw, Bloomberg / Business Week, 07 Feb 2011 ; Emily L.,Care2.com, 16 Feb 2011 ; Shiney Varghese, Twin Cities Daily Planet, 26 Feb 2011

Tags: governance, policies & legislation, water supply