[Marxism] Bolivia refuses to sign int'l declaration on water

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Aljazeera.net

Bolivia: Water is a human right
by
Tuesday 21 March 2006 3:36 AM GMT


Bolivia says the right to life implies the right to water

Bolivia is refusing to sign an international declaration on the
importance of clean water because it falls short of calling access to it
a human right.


The Bolivian water minister said on Monday that La Paz wanted to call
supplies of clean water a human right in a document to be signed at the
meeting this week.

"It's very clear that we all have a right to life and health," Abel
Mamani said. "The right to life and right to health without water is
contradictory."

South America's poorest country, increasingly vocal on the world stage
since the election of Evo Morales as president, is resisting other
nations and international bodies at the World Water Forum being held in
Mexico City.

A draft of the declaration calls water important to the poor and to
people's health, but does not describe it as a human right.

Morales created a water ministry after taking power in January and
appointed Mamani, an activist in recent years who was chasing foreign
water companies, such as French utility Suez, out of Bolivia.

Survival necessity

Mamani said privatisation of water services in Bolivia led to soaring
prices that left clean water out of the reach of the poorest people.

"The right to life and right to health without water is contradictory"

Abel Mamani, Bolivian water minister

"You can't use a thing as important as water, which is synonymous with
life, to make money," Mamani said.

"We're talking about something that unfortunately is necessary for
survival."

The World Water Forum's ruling body is made up of members from
governments, international organisations such as the World Bank,
scientists and business people.

About 1.1 billion people, mostly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, lack
easy access to safe drinking water.

Delegates at the meeting have said new ideas and investments are needed
to meet a UN goal of halving the number of people without safe drinking
water by 2015.

Mamani complained that the entry fee to the forum, at $120 a day,
effectively excluded the poor from taking part.

The right to water - World Health Organisation

The right to water (pdf) - United Nations


Reuters
By

You can find this article at:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/179D2C7B-384C-45F2-894E-54B6A21A2
9AB.htm

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