Water Forum: NGOs plan anti-water privatisation strategy

Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) met in Brussels on 13 October 2005 to prepare their challenge to water privatisation at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico. The meeting organisers included the Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Bread for the World, Public Services International and the Transnational Institute.

"Building government capacities to implement water policies is of crucial importance, and is largely left out of the international debate by those who prioritise water privatisation," said Stefan Verwer from the Dutch NGO Both Ends. Delegates discussed how civil society groups could put "optimal pressure" on the European Union (EU) to stop promoting water privatisation. They called on the EU to help improve the performance of public water utilities and support public-public partnerships between water utilities in Europe and in the South.

The UK-based World Development Movement (WDM), claims that support for water privatisation from the North is hampering efforts to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "In country after country water privatisation has failed to provide either the investment promised or has led to price rises which force the poor to use other dirty water sources," said Peter Hardstaff, head of policy at WDM.

Web sites: Water Justice ; WDM – Dirty aid, dirty water campaign

Related news: Privatisation: can it get water flowing to the poor?, Source Weekly – , 15 Sep 2005 ; World Water Forum: right to water/anti-privatisation movement prepares strategy, Source Weekly, 29 Dec 2004

Source: Stefania Bianchi, IPS, 13 Oct 2005

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