http://www.world-psi.org/en/water-background
There has been some symbolic
progress at the international
level. In July 2010, the United
Nations passed a resolution declaring that access to clean water
and sanitation
is a basic human right. A few months later, the UN Human
Rights Council passed a similar resolution. These resolutions underline
the importance of universal access. Action at the national and local levels is
needed to
actually make it happen. It will require a new commitment to public
water and sanitation utilities.
The
30 year experiment with privatisation has largely failed. Profit maximisation,
competition, private capital and private innovation are not the tools needed to
ensure universal access. The private sector has a role to play, as a vendor of
products and services to the public utilities. However, the fascination
with private management and concession contracts has mainly benefitted
shareholders, not the people who need clean water.
PSI and its
affiliated unions around the world are strongly resisting the privatisation
agenda. PSI carries the
message of the failure of privatisation into
meetings of the privateers themselves, including the development
banks, the
OECD, the World Water Forum, and a range of other venues.
The inevitable answer
to the question of assured universal access lies in the public sector.
PSI is mobilising
affiliates and allies to advocate for the appropriate
policies. We are also working with NGOs, public utility
managers, and
elected officials to devise new ways to improve the performance of public
utilities.
For example, PSI
advocates public-public partnerships and twinning
among public utilities. This is a
complex endeavour, but it has
proven its merit in a range of countries. Although we have succeeded in
raising
the profile of this policy option, especially in the international
arena, it needs many more champions and
advocates at the local and national
levels to overcome the predictable opposition from wealthy and influential
multinational corporations.
PSI affiliated unions
will need to mobilise their members, and reach out to community groups in order
to create
the political pressure needed to counter the self-interest of the
privateers.
