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DAM-L Re: Proposed bill on water privatization and other water issues (fwd)
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From: Right to Water <right-to-water@iatp.org>
To: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Subject: Re: Proposed bill on water privatization and other water issues
Date: Tue, 1 May 2001 16:58:22 -0500
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Message-ID: <20010501214815657.ABJ399.497@[208.141.36.73]>
Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org) Posted: 05/01/2001 By rob@essential.org
============================================================
> Dear Friends:
>
> A group of Washington, D.C.-based NGOs has worked in the last few months
> to draft proposed U.S. legislation relating to water. Groups involved
> include 50 Years is Enough, Results, Globalization Challenge Initiative,
> Center for Economic Justice, Center for Economic and Policy Research, the
> Quixote Center and Essential Action. We've also solicited comments from a
> significant number of NGOs inside and outside the United States.
>
> We are now circulating the draft proposal to seek the widest possible
> review, comment and criticism from activists worldwide. We will do our
> best to incorporate comments, and then will hope to find Members of the
> U.S. Congress to introduce the bill in the near future. Please send
> comments on the materials that follow to:
>
> Robert Weissman at rob@essential.org.
>
> A few words on the thinking behind the draft: With the increasing
> importance of water issues in popular struggles around the world, we want
> to draft concrete proposals that would advance campaign work both in the
> United States around the world. As U.S. groups, we hope to leverage the
> influence of the U.S. Congress. This has significant advantages, but also
> imposes constraints. While we are not optimistic that the version of the
> draft we present will become law, if it is to gain any support in
> Congress, it must be well grounded. (Also, we hope that pieces of what we
> draft might be incorporated into legislation that does become law.) So,
> for example, we propose a right to a minimum water "lifeline" -- a free
> amount of water for every person. We have used the figure of 25 liters,
> because it references a WHO estimate on minimum amount of water needed for
> survival. We are very open to suggestions that the level should be
> increased. But for us to adopt such suggestions, they would have to be
> grounded in some external authority like WHO -- a credible entity that we
> can cite to Members of Congress.
>
> The draft of the bill that follows is written in legislative language, and
> may be difficult to follow. Here's a summary of what the bill does:
>
> * No U.S. federal money to support water privatization in the United
> States or overseas. U.S. representatives to the IMF and World Bank and
> other international financial institutions (IFIs) must vote against loans
> or programs that include or promote water privatization.
>
> * No U.S. foreign assistance for water projects that do not include a
> guarantee that every person be provided a water lifeline -- access to 25
> liters of free, clean drinking water per day. U.S. representatives to the
> IMF, World Bank and other IFIs must vote against water loans or programs
> that fail to include this water lifeline.
>
> * No U.S. foreign assistance for water projects that end subsidies for
> residential water consumers, and public subsidies for the water system
> overall. U.S. representatives to the IMF, World Bank and other IFIs must
> vote against water loans or programs that end such subsidies.
>
> * Prevents the United States from including water as a commodity in
> international trade, services or investment agreements.
>
> * No U.S. federal money for large dams, in the United States or overseas,
> that fail to comply with the recommendations of the World Commission on
> Dams. U.S. representatives to the IMF, World Bank and other IFIs must vote
> against loans or programs for dams that do not follow the World Commission
> on Dams recommendations.
>
> Below follows our draft of the bill.
>
> SEC. 2. POLICIES TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND RESPONSIBLE USE
> OF WATER IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
>
> 1. The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of State and the United
> States Trade Representative shall notify their counterparts in writing
> that it is the policy of the United States that
>
> (a) government policies concerning the provision of clean water for
> drinking is a matter to be determined by democratic processes, and should
> not be subject to disciplines of international trade or investment
> agreements, or mandates from international financial institutions; and
>
> (b) it is the right of each person, regardless of income, to obtain clean
> water sufficient to sustain life and health, and that [25] liters (6.6
> gallons) per day is the minimum level to sustain life and health.
>
> 2. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Secretary of State shall notify
> their counterparts in writing that it is the policy of the United States
> to oppose the construction of any large dam unless it complies with all
> recommendations of the World Commission on Dams.
>
> SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.
>
> (a) Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to any department or
> agency of the United States may not be obligated or expended to support
> any water system or water system-related construction, refurbishment,
> reorganization, restructuring, adjustment, decentralization,
> corporatization, reform or other program that:
>
> (1) would privatize public water distribution or management, including
> through leasing or concessionary arrangements; or shift distribution or
> management of water from a public supplier to private corporations,
> including through leasing or concessionary arrangements; or facilitate the
> shift of distribution or management of water from a public supplier to
> private corporations, including through leasing or concessionary
> arrangements.
>
> (b) Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to any department or
> agency of the United States may not be obligated or expended to seek,
> through negotiation or otherwise, the inclusion of water as a commodity in
> international trade, services or investment agreements.
>
> (c) Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to any department or
> agency of the United States may not be obligated or expended to fund
> directly or otherwise support construction of any large dam (15 meters or
> higher) unless it complies with all recommendations of the World
> Commission on Dams.
>
> SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS BY CERTAIN AGENCIES.
>
> (a) Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the U.S. Agency for
> International Development, the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private
> Investment Corporation may not be obligated or expended to support any
> water system or water system-related construction, refurbishment,
> reorganization, restructuring, adjustment, decentralization,
> corporatization, reform or other program that:
>
> (1) does not include a guarantee that no person shall be charged for the
> first [25] liters of clean drinking water they use each day.
>
> (2) would promote or require full cost recovery for all residential water
> consumers; or would promote or require an end to public subsidy of water
> by mandating full cost recovery for the water service; or does not include
> a progressive tariff structure for residential water consumers, providing
> for intersectoral subsidization.
>
> SEC. 5. POLICY AT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
>
> (a) The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States
> Executive Director at each international financial institution (as defined
> in section 1701(c)(2) of the International Financial Institutions Act) and
> the International Monetary Fund to oppose any loan, project, grant or
> other program of these institutions for:
>
> (1) any water system or water system-related construction, refurbishment,
> reorganization, restructuring, adjustment, decentralization,
> corporatization, reform or other program that:
>
> ((a)) does not include a guarantee that no person shall be charged for the
> first 25 liters of clean drinking water they use each day;
>
> ((b)) would privatize public water distribution or management, including
> through leasing or concessionary arrangements; or shift distribution or
> management of water from a public supplier to private corporations,
> including through leasing or concessionary arrangements; or facilitate the
> shift of distribution or management of water from a public supplier to
> private corporations, including through leasing or concessionary
> arrangements; or
>
> ((c)) would promote or require full cost recovery for all residential
> water consumers; or would promote or require an end to public subsidy of
> water by mandating full cost recovery for the water service; or does not
> include a progressive tariff structure for residential water consumers,
> providing for intersectoral subsidization.
>
> (2) construction or other support for any large dam unless it complies
> with all recommendations of the World Commission on Dams.
>
> We look forward to hearing from you!
>
> --
> Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>
> Essential Information
> P.O. Box 19405, Washington, DC 20036, USA
> Tel: 1-202-387-8030
> Fax: 1-202-234-5176
> www.essential.org
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