This paper by CEO, PSIRU and PSI details the continuing influence of water multinationals on the World Water Forum and its agenda.

This is thesecond of a 3-part series on water to be published in the Hindu, one of India's most widely circulated national dailies. These articles are the response to the impact of and as a followup to the recently concluded Asian Water Colloquium at IIT, Chennai between Sep 25th to 27th, 2008, jointly hosted by RPW Network, Forum for Global South, Centre for Law, Policy and Human Rights Studies, Chennai, Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Change Management Group of Engineers from TWAD Board, Agriculural Engineering Dept. (AED) and IAMWARM.

Corporate Europa Observatory, April 2008

In March 2009 the Turkish government will host the fifth World Water Forum against a backdrop of what is probably the most sweeping water privatisation programme in the world. As well as privatizing water services, the government plans to sell of rivers and lakes. Turkish social movements, who hosted their own conference in Istanbul last month, suspect the Government is using the World Water Forum to push through this highly controversial agenda.

abril de 2008

En marzo de 2009, el Gobierno turco acogerá el V Foro Mundial del Agua en el contexto del que probablemente es el programa de privatización del agua más drástico del mundo. Además de privatizar servicios hídricos, el Gobierno prevé vender ríos y lagos. Los movimientos sociales turcos, que organizaron su propia conferencia en Estambul el mes pasado, sospechan que el Gobierno está utilizando el Foro para sacar adelante esta agenda tan polémica.

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), March 2007
The European Commission has started funding the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF), a controversial multi-donor agency operating under the wings of the World Bank. The PPIAF, which exclusively offers pro-privatisation advice, has since 1999 prescribed water privatisation models for dozens of developing countries. In addition to funding the PPIAF, the Commission has also launched its own mechanism based on a similar philosophy, the Private Sector Enabling Environment Facility (PSEEF) with a budget of 20 million euro.

Read the new CEO briefing at: http://www.corporateeurope.org/murkywater.html

March 2007
El suministro de agua potable en los países de la UE depende principal o exclusivamente de empresas públicas pero, en el plano internacional, la UE defiende la privatización del agua. El problema radica en la fuerte tendencia de la Comisión Europea a identificarse con los intereses de grandes empresas europeas. Por Olivier Hoedeman.

By Olivier Hoedeman
Drinking water delivery in most countries of the European is exclusively or pre-dominantly run by public utilities. Why then is the European Union in the international arena mainly known as a promoter of a stronger role for the private sector in water delivery? This article is published in May 2007 as part of the book ¡ÈReclaiming Public Water¡É Japanese edition.

A report published by The Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development
April 2006

Japanese translation of the article "The Tide Turns - But Pro-Privatisation Currents Remain Strong, May 2006"
(http://www.waterjustice.org/index.php?mi=1&res_id=134)

Observations on the World Water Forum in Mexico City
The Fourth World Water Forum in Mexico City (March 16-22 2006) showed that the international debate about water and sanitation is at crossroads.

Red Pepper, May 2006
Water privatisation has long been promoted as the only way to develop clean water supplies in the global South. But with several high profile failures and revolts, multinationals are pulling out.

In the 1990s, privatisation of public utilities was held up as the answer to decades of under-funding and inefficiency. Now, after a series of high-profile failures, Latin America is looking afresh at public sector solutions.

(March 06) 60 pages.
The failure of the private sector to invest in water services in developing countries.

Mar 24, 2006
On March 16 in Mexico City, thousands of grassroots water warriors marched against an equivalent number of establishment delegates from governments, corporations and international agencies at the World Water Forum.

Imagine...clean drinking water for everyone? RWE Thames water -a german player on the global water market, 2003

This new report exposes the continuing push by donor governments and institutions to privatise water and sanitation in poor countries and calls for a different approach by donors to the global water crisis.

Both Uruguay and Netherlands are legislating to make privatisation of water illegal. This new PSIRU report describes the processes and discusses the context of international laws.

New report from War on Want on privatisation consultants and aid conditionality

Presentation by Peter Hardstaff, World Development Movement for the Water security and people-centred water management:The impact of water privatisation in Asia and Europe and people`s responses during the ASEM5 People's forum, Hanoi,Vietnam 6

Presentation by Uwe Hoering, Weed, Bonn/Berlin,Germany for the Water security and people-centred water management:The impact of water privatisation in Asia and Europe and people`s responses during the ASEM5 People's Forum in Hanoi,Vietnam Sept

Presentation by Peter Hardstaff, World Development Movement for the workshop on GATS: Challenges to National Sovereignty and Peoples’ Security during ASEM people's forum5, 6-9 Sept 2004

Given the decision by Suez and other water TNCs to pull out of major cities in the South, and the growing opposition to water privatisation in many countries, the tide may be turning for the corporate water giants. (CEO Info Brief, March 2003)

Liberalisation of water markets through the GATS talks would not only help Europe-based water TNCs to expand further, but may effectively make privatisation irreversible and close off the development of participatory models. (CEO Info Brief, March 2

Bechtel's water operations in Iraq