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DAM-L "P7" group of poorest nations demand end to water privatisation/LS (fwd)

----- Forwarded message from Lori Pottinger -----

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Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 10:01:24 -0800
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From: lori@irn.org (Lori Pottinger)
Subject: "P7" group of poorest nations demand end to water privatisation/LS
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P-7 SUMMIT CALLS FOR END TO WATER PRIVATIZATION

Representatives from seven of world's poorest countries, dubbed the P-7
group, called for an end to the privatization of global water resources at a
European Parliament water conference
(http://www.europarl.eu.int/greens/events/progrP72000en.htm) held on 7-10
June 2000 in Brussels. The seven participating countries were Cambodia,
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Egypt and Bolivia. The
conference, organized by the Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA), issued a
"call for Water Democracy", stating that "treating water as a merchandise
like petrol is unacceptable". Vandana Shiva, Honorary President of the P7
conference, warned that "the moment you let the market determine the
situation, all that will happen is that the swimming pool of the rich will
get a higher priority over the drinking water of the poor".
Contact: Helmut Weixler, Press Officer, Green/EFA Group in the European
Parliament, mailto:hweixler@europarl.eu.int
(Green/EFA Group Press Release, 9 Jun 2000,
http://www.europarl.eu.int/greens/press/2000/0609c_en.htm ; UN Wire, 12 Jun
2000, http://www.unfoundation.org/unwire/archives/UNWIRE000612.cfm#12)

Brussels, 9 June, 2000
P7 Summit ends with call for Water Democracy

Water is not a merchandise like petrol

At the closing session of the 4th P7 Summit in the European Parliament in
Brussels, the Greens/European Free Alliance said that treating water as a
merchandise like petrol is unacceptable. Paul Lannoye, Co-President of the
Green/EFA group said:

"Faced with the tendency to privatise this vital resource, it is necessary
to propose alternatives which respect the principle of sustainable and
equitable development. We want to promote this idea at the European and
international institutions. Free access to clean water is a human right. It
is scandalous that 1.6 billion people don't have access to safe drinking
water."

The successful conference ended with a call for a global water policy and on
the European Parliament to approve a drafting of a report on this subject.

Vandana Shiva, Honorary President of the P7 conference, warned about the
dangers of a misguided water policy. She said:

"The moment you let the market determine the situation, all that will happen
is that the swimming pool of the rich will get a higher priority over the
drinking water of the poor. The drought which India has experienced does not
stem from a natural phenomenon but is man-made. It's a consequence of the
assaults on the environment which are due to policies of water management
imposed by the World Bank and the IMF."

Riccardo Petrella, from Global Water Contract said:

"Water is humanity's common heritage. We need a global democratic water
policy. If the current water policies are continued, estimates show that the
number of people who depend on private supply of water would jump from 300
million to 1.6 billion by 2015."

Nelly Maes, Vice-President of the Green/EFA Group said:

"We should not glorify state ownership of water either. It's the first
breakdown of local and community ownership. We should encourage an
alternative approach which allows for decisions to be taken democratically.
While a global policy is essential, local inputs are prerequisit."

For more information please contact:
Helmut Weixler
Press Officer
Green/ EFA group in the European Parliament
hweixler@europarl.eu.int

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
      Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
        and Editor, World Rivers Review
           International Rivers Network
              1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
                  Tel. (510) 848 1155   Fax (510) 848 1008
                        http://www.irn.org
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----- End of forwarded message from Lori Pottinger -----