[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
DAM-L Why ISO should not become the standard setting organization (fwd)
----- Forwarded message from Right to Water -----
Return-path: <right-to-water@iatp.org>
Received: from mail.iatp.org (iatp-2.InnovSoftD.com [208.141.36.66])
by lox.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca (8.8.7/8.8.8) with ESMTP id SAA25629
for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>; Thu, 19 Jul 2001 18:54:20 -0400 (EDT)
Received: from [208.141.36.73] by mail.iatp.org
(Netscape Messaging Server 3.62) with SMTP id 109
for <dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca>;
Thu, 19 Jul 2001 18:05:12 -0500
From: Right to Water <right-to-water@iatp.org>
To: dianne@sandelman.ottawa.on.ca
Subject: Why ISO should not become the standard setting organization
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 18:15:21 -0500
X-Mailer: Allaire Cold Fusion 3.1
Message-ID: <20010719230507710.ABA281.109@[208.141.36.73]>
Right to Water (right-to-water@iatp.org) Posted: 07/18/2001 By svarghese@iatp.org
============================================================
Please circulate this widely: Why ISO should not become the standard
setting organization for water services.
In May this year, a French government agency, AFNOR, proposed that drinking
water regulations be brought under the purview of International
Organization for Standards (ISO). The proposal, if adopted, would lead to
more control over public water supplies by global corporations.
Accelerating private monopoly control over public water will only make
things worse.
The results of privatization, where-ever it has taken place, have been
disastrous. Besides an overall decrease in water quality in many instances
there have been unprecedented hikes in prices (as much as 400% in some
cases like Philippines), water riots in Bolivia, protests in Ghana and
cholera epidemics and related deaths in South Africa.
The French proposal to ISO seems motivated more by the needs of a French
Water Companies than concern for the looming worldwide water crisis.
The timing of the current proposal to globalize and privatize the
standard-setting in water is striking. The proposal is now being circulated
amongst member organizations in over 120 countries for comments. After
August, the ISO will initiate the formal procedures for setting the
standards. On the other hand, if member countries agree, water services are
likely to be included as one of the agenda items for GATS discussions at
the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Qatar in November. It will indeed be useful
to have the ISO standards setting procedures well under way, to smoothen
the inclusion of water services in GATS.
Because ISO is one of the three standard-setting organizations recognized
by WTO, its standards have been a venue of choice over the past ten years
for US multinational corporations trying to dilute or circumvent
environmental and governmental regulations.
For these reasons it is very important that ISO is not allowed to become
the standard setting organization for water services to ensure that the
current crisis is not worsened.
We will soon be circulating an action alert for the United States. I hope
you are able to initiate similar actions in your country to ensure that ISO
is not allowed to become the standard setting organization for water
services. Please circulate this as widely as possible.
For more information on the french proposal please contact either Mary
Bottari of public citizen at <marybottari@home.com> or Shiney Varghese at
svarghese@iatp.org
Please take care not to hit the reply button as the message will go to all
the recipients on the list serve.
Thank you
Shiney Varghese
============================================================
How to Use this Mailing List
============================================================
You received this e-mail as a result of your registration on the right-to-water mailing list.
To unsubscribe, please send an email to listserv@iatp.org. In the body of the message type:
unsubscribe right-to-water
To Subscribe, please send an email to listserv@iatp.org. In the body of the message type:
subscribe right-to-water
To view the archive, go to www.iatp.org/listarchive
For a list of other commands and list options, please send email to listserv@iatp.org.
In the body of the message type:
help
Please direct content questions about this list to: mritchie@iatp.org
Please direct technical questions about this service to: support@iatp.org
----- End of forwarded message from Right to Water -----