Excellente nouvelle :

après que le Forum Mondial de l'eau se soit prononcé
très récemment pour que l'eau soit retnirée des négociations OMC, la
Bolivie, le plus officiellement du monde, fait savoir au directuer de
l'OMC qu'elle veut que l'eau soit retirer des négociations, et que, par
ailleurs, la Bolivie souhaite retirer les ouvertures faites par la Bolive
entre 2003 et 2005.
Et ce, au même moment où le gouverneur de l'Orégon demande que son Etat soit exempt de certaines conséquences de l'application de l'AGCS. Décidement, ça commence à frémir.
FRédéric Viale
Et ce, au même moment où le gouverneur de l'Orégon demande que son Etat soit exempt de certaines conséquences de l'application de l'AGCS. Décidement, ça commence à frémir.
FRédéric Viale
Bolivia calls on Pascal to withdraw water from the WTO and withdraws some of its service offers
I am writing to circulate a few documents sent by the Bolivian
Government to the WTO, and announced in the World Water Forum in which
they call for water to be withdrawn from GATS negotiations and from the
155 services listed under WTO.
They also called for the withdrawal of service commitments made by Bolivia in 2003 and 2005 (details of Bolivia’s commitments will be attached as documents at http://www.waternotforsale.org/blog/_archives/2006/4/4/1859970.html
>> I also enclose in text form:
1. Letters translated into English from the Bolivian Government to the WTO on water and services
2. Bolivian Government press release at the World Water Forum of a new vision for water
3. Complementary Declaration of the World Water Forum (signed by Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia and Uruguay)
4. Bolivia’s own declaration on water can be found at www.waternotforsale.org
These declarations are obviously crucial advances for the campaign to get water out of the WTO. It would be great to show to the WTO that Bolivia is not alone, so I will be following up in the coming week with a letter which we would like groups to sign on to support the Bolivian demand to withdraw water from the WTO. We also want where there is scope to do so to mobilise to pressure our Governments to support the Bolivian position. More information and detailed background documents have also been uploaded on www.waternotforsale.org
They also called for the withdrawal of service commitments made by Bolivia in 2003 and 2005 (details of Bolivia’s commitments will be attached as documents at http://www.waternotforsale.org/blog/_archives/2006/4/4/1859970.html
>> I also enclose in text form:
1. Letters translated into English from the Bolivian Government to the WTO on water and services
2. Bolivian Government press release at the World Water Forum of a new vision for water
3. Complementary Declaration of the World Water Forum (signed by Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia and Uruguay)
4. Bolivia’s own declaration on water can be found at www.waternotforsale.org
These declarations are obviously crucial advances for the campaign to get water out of the WTO. It would be great to show to the WTO that Bolivia is not alone, so I will be following up in the coming week with a letter which we would like groups to sign on to support the Bolivian demand to withdraw water from the WTO. We also want where there is scope to do so to mobilise to pressure our Governments to support the Bolivian position. More information and detailed background documents have also been uploaded on www.waternotforsale.org
Le escribo para circular algunos documentos relacionados con el papel del Gobierno de Bolivia en el Foro Mundial del Agua y sus exigencias dentro de la OMC. Mientras se celebra el Foro, el Gobierno de Bolivia exigió a la OMC el retiro del agua de GATS y
También, Bolivia anuncio el retiro de
dos ofertas de 2003 y 2005 hecho en el consejo de comercio en servicios.
Estas declaraciones son obviamente avanzas cruciales para la campaña a
retirar el agua de la OMC.
www.waternotforsale.org
1. LETTER TO WTO CALLING FOR WITHDRAWAL OF WATER FROM WTO
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Bolivia
Geneva
17 March 2006
Director General:
I am writing in order to draw to your attention to one of the key issues for the new Government, led by his Excellency Mr Evo Morales Ayma, Constitutional President of Bolivia, which is to reaffirm the sovereign right of each country to regulate their water resources, in all their uses and services, as part of an integrated and sustainable policy, in order to guarantee the human right of access to water to all the population.
For that reason we have created a Ministry of Water within the Executive, whose roles and structure are detailed in the accompanying booklets.
In this respect, I wish to communicate to your authority, as President of the Committee of Trade Negotiations for the WTO, the following requests from my Government:
* Suspend any negotiations which involve drinking water in GATS and
* Withdraw the sector of drinking water from the 155 services whichhave been categorized by the WTO
Yours sincerely,
M.C. Guadalupe Palomeque de la Cruz
WTO Representative
Geneva
17 March 2006
Director General:
I am writing in order to draw to your attention to one of the key issues for the new Government, led by his Excellency Mr Evo Morales Ayma, Constitutional President of Bolivia, which is to reaffirm the sovereign right of each country to regulate their water resources, in all their uses and services, as part of an integrated and sustainable policy, in order to guarantee the human right of access to water to all the population.
For that reason we have created a Ministry of Water within the Executive, whose roles and structure are detailed in the accompanying booklets.
In this respect, I wish to communicate to your authority, as President of the Committee of Trade Negotiations for the WTO, the following requests from my Government:
* Suspend any negotiations which involve drinking water in GATS and
* Withdraw the sector of drinking water from the 155 services whichhave been categorized by the WTO
Yours sincerely,
M.C. Guadalupe Palomeque de la Cruz
WTO Representative
2. LETTER TO WTO CALLING FOR WITHDRAWAL OF OFFERS IN SERVICES
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Bolivia
Geneva
17 March 2006
Mr Hamid Mamdouh
Director
Services Division
World Trade Organisation
Dear Sir,
I am writing in order to inform you of Bolivia’s decision to formally withdraw the following documents in circulation within the Council of Trade in Services in special session:
* TN/S/O/BOL/Rev.1 of 27 October 2005 (Conditional Revised Offer)
* TN/S/O/BOL of 29 September 2003 (Conditional Initial Offer)
In thanking you for circulating this document to members, I would like to assure you of my highest and sincerest regards.
Guadalupe Palomeque de la Cruz
WTO Representative
2. VISION DE GOBIERNO DE BOLIVIA
*El Gobierno de Bolivia presenta una visión alternativa para el manejo del agua*
* *
En una reunión organizada por el municipio del Gobierno de México D.F, el Ministro de Agua de Bolivia, Abel Mamani, presentó la nueva visión de agua que defiende el gobierno de Evo Morales.
En el primer día del IV Foro Mundial de Agua que se celebra en México, Mamani destacó el compromiso del Gobierno de Bolivia de rechazar la privatización de agua y administrar este recurso vital como un bien común. El Ministro indígena también demandó un cambio profundo en las estructuras del Foro Mundial de Agua para que se permita la participación mayoritaria y decisiva de los pobres y los que necesitan más el agua en las negociaciones internationales.
En su discurso pronunciado el 16 de marzo a las 3 de la tarde en el Palacio de Minería, Mamani destaco cinco premisas principales:
1. El agua es un derecho humano fundamental y un pre-requisito para la realización de otros derechos humanos.
2. El agua pertenece a la tierra y a todos seres vivos, incluyendo a los seres humanos. Es responsabilidad de todos proteger el acceso al agua para todas las formas de vida y para la tierra misma.
3. El agua es un bien común y por tanto su gestión debe permanecer en el ámbito público, social, comunitario, participativo, equitativo y sin fines de lucro.
4. El agua no debería ser privatizada y tendría que ser retirada de todos los acuerdos de inversiones y libre comercio.
5. Necesitamos un cambio profundo en la organización del Foro Mundial del Agua para permitir una inclusión mayoritaria y decisiva en las deliberaciones de los más pobres y urgidos de agua
El gobierno de Evo Morales creó el nuevo Ministerio del Agua en respuesta a las luchas de los movimientos sociales en Bolivia contra dos empresas privadas del agua en las ciudades de Cochabamba y El Alto.
Antes de ser Ministro de Agua, Abel Mamani fue dirigente social de la Federación de Juntas Vecinales de El Alto (FEJUVE), organización que lideró las protestas que obligaron al ex Presidente Carlos Mesa a iniciar negociaciones para terminar el contrato con la empresa Aguas del Illimani, subsidiaria de la transnacional francesa Suez.
El Presidente Evo Morales considera que “el agua no puede ser un negocio privado porque desde el momento en que se privatiza se violan los derechos humanos. El servicio de agua debe ser un servicio publico”.
Según el Ministro Mamani, “Con un recurso que es vital, es inaceptable hablar de lucro. En Bolivia nos prometieron que la privatización sería la solución a nuestros problemas de falta de acceso al agua, pero esta visión ha fracasado y ha causado mucho daño. Esperamos que nuestra visión pública, participativa, social y ambientalista sea compartida por todos quienes desean extender agua potable a todo el mundo”.
*Bolivian Government lays out a new alternative vision on water*
* *
In a speech organized by the Municipal Government of Mexico D.F., Abel Mamani, the new Minister of Water for Bolivia laid out today a new vision for water by the new Evo Morales led Government.
As the World Water Forum in Mexico opened, the statement reaffirmed the Bolivian Government’s commitment to ending the privatization of water and ensuring that water is treated as a public good. The indigenous minister also called for the World Water Forum to be profoundly changed to allow majority and decisive participation in the international negotiations by the poorest and those who most need water.
The speech which was held at 3pm on 16 March in the Palacio de Mineria stressed five points:
1. Water is a fundamental human right and a pre-requisite to the realization of other human rights
2. Water belongs to the earth and all living beings including human beings and it is the duty of everyone to protect access to water for all forms of life and for the earth itself
3. Water is a public good and therefore its management needs to be in a sphere that is public, social, community-based, participative and not based on profit.
4. Water should not be privatized and should be withdrawn from all free trade and investment agreements
5. There should be profound change in the organization of the World Water Forum to allow majority and decisive participation in the negotiations by the poorest and those who most need water.
Evo Morales Government created the new Ministry of Water in response to struggles by social movements within Bolivia against two privatized water utilities in Cochabamba and El Alto. Abel Mamani before becoming Minister of Water was leader of the El Alto’s residents association that led protests which forced then President Mesa to start negotiations to end contract with privatized water utility, Aguas del Illimani, subsidiary of French multinational Suez.
In his inauguration speech, President Morales said: “Water cannot be treated as a commercial transaction because from the moment that it is privatized, human rights are violated. Water services must be public services.”
Minister Abel Mamani said: “With a resource that is essential for life, it is unacceptable to talk about profit. In Bolivia, we were promised that privatization would resolve problems of water access but it has failed and caused great harm. We hope our public, participative, social and ecological vision will be shared by all those who want clean drinking water to be delivered to all.”
Geneva
17 March 2006
Mr Hamid Mamdouh
Director
Services Division
World Trade Organisation
Dear Sir,
I am writing in order to inform you of Bolivia’s decision to formally withdraw the following documents in circulation within the Council of Trade in Services in special session:
* TN/S/O/BOL/Rev.1 of 27 October 2005 (Conditional Revised Offer)
* TN/S/O/BOL of 29 September 2003 (Conditional Initial Offer)
In thanking you for circulating this document to members, I would like to assure you of my highest and sincerest regards.
Guadalupe Palomeque de la Cruz
WTO Representative
2. VISION DE GOBIERNO DE BOLIVIA
*El Gobierno de Bolivia presenta una visión alternativa para el manejo del agua*
* *
En una reunión organizada por el municipio del Gobierno de México D.F, el Ministro de Agua de Bolivia, Abel Mamani, presentó la nueva visión de agua que defiende el gobierno de Evo Morales.
En el primer día del IV Foro Mundial de Agua que se celebra en México, Mamani destacó el compromiso del Gobierno de Bolivia de rechazar la privatización de agua y administrar este recurso vital como un bien común. El Ministro indígena también demandó un cambio profundo en las estructuras del Foro Mundial de Agua para que se permita la participación mayoritaria y decisiva de los pobres y los que necesitan más el agua en las negociaciones internationales.
En su discurso pronunciado el 16 de marzo a las 3 de la tarde en el Palacio de Minería, Mamani destaco cinco premisas principales:
1. El agua es un derecho humano fundamental y un pre-requisito para la realización de otros derechos humanos.
2. El agua pertenece a la tierra y a todos seres vivos, incluyendo a los seres humanos. Es responsabilidad de todos proteger el acceso al agua para todas las formas de vida y para la tierra misma.
3. El agua es un bien común y por tanto su gestión debe permanecer en el ámbito público, social, comunitario, participativo, equitativo y sin fines de lucro.
4. El agua no debería ser privatizada y tendría que ser retirada de todos los acuerdos de inversiones y libre comercio.
5. Necesitamos un cambio profundo en la organización del Foro Mundial del Agua para permitir una inclusión mayoritaria y decisiva en las deliberaciones de los más pobres y urgidos de agua
El gobierno de Evo Morales creó el nuevo Ministerio del Agua en respuesta a las luchas de los movimientos sociales en Bolivia contra dos empresas privadas del agua en las ciudades de Cochabamba y El Alto.
Antes de ser Ministro de Agua, Abel Mamani fue dirigente social de la Federación de Juntas Vecinales de El Alto (FEJUVE), organización que lideró las protestas que obligaron al ex Presidente Carlos Mesa a iniciar negociaciones para terminar el contrato con la empresa Aguas del Illimani, subsidiaria de la transnacional francesa Suez.
El Presidente Evo Morales considera que “el agua no puede ser un negocio privado porque desde el momento en que se privatiza se violan los derechos humanos. El servicio de agua debe ser un servicio publico”.
Según el Ministro Mamani, “Con un recurso que es vital, es inaceptable hablar de lucro. En Bolivia nos prometieron que la privatización sería la solución a nuestros problemas de falta de acceso al agua, pero esta visión ha fracasado y ha causado mucho daño. Esperamos que nuestra visión pública, participativa, social y ambientalista sea compartida por todos quienes desean extender agua potable a todo el mundo”.
*Bolivian Government lays out a new alternative vision on water*
* *
In a speech organized by the Municipal Government of Mexico D.F., Abel Mamani, the new Minister of Water for Bolivia laid out today a new vision for water by the new Evo Morales led Government.
As the World Water Forum in Mexico opened, the statement reaffirmed the Bolivian Government’s commitment to ending the privatization of water and ensuring that water is treated as a public good. The indigenous minister also called for the World Water Forum to be profoundly changed to allow majority and decisive participation in the international negotiations by the poorest and those who most need water.
The speech which was held at 3pm on 16 March in the Palacio de Mineria stressed five points:
1. Water is a fundamental human right and a pre-requisite to the realization of other human rights
2. Water belongs to the earth and all living beings including human beings and it is the duty of everyone to protect access to water for all forms of life and for the earth itself
3. Water is a public good and therefore its management needs to be in a sphere that is public, social, community-based, participative and not based on profit.
4. Water should not be privatized and should be withdrawn from all free trade and investment agreements
5. There should be profound change in the organization of the World Water Forum to allow majority and decisive participation in the negotiations by the poorest and those who most need water.
Evo Morales Government created the new Ministry of Water in response to struggles by social movements within Bolivia against two privatized water utilities in Cochabamba and El Alto. Abel Mamani before becoming Minister of Water was leader of the El Alto’s residents association that led protests which forced then President Mesa to start negotiations to end contract with privatized water utility, Aguas del Illimani, subsidiary of French multinational Suez.
In his inauguration speech, President Morales said: “Water cannot be treated as a commercial transaction because from the moment that it is privatized, human rights are violated. Water services must be public services.”
Minister Abel Mamani said: “With a resource that is essential for life, it is unacceptable to talk about profit. In Bolivia, we were promised that privatization would resolve problems of water access but it has failed and caused great harm. We hope our public, participative, social and ecological vision will be shared by all those who want clean drinking water to be delivered to all.”
3. COMPLEMENTARY DECLARATION SIGNED BY CUBA, VENEZUELA, URUGUAY AND BOLIVIA
The Ministers or their representatives herein signing at the Fourth World Water Forum, declare before the participants of this Forum, the international community and the people of the world, the following:
Access to water with quality, quantity and equity, constitutes a fundamental human right. The States, with the participation of the communities, shall make efforts at all levels to guarantee this right to their citizens, within their respective countries. Thus, we agree to continue making all efforts within the Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations and other international fora according to their mandates, to recognize and make this right effective.
We declare our profound concern regarding the possible negative impacts that international instruments -- such as the free trade and investment agreements -- can have on water resources, and reaffirm the sovereign right of every country to regulate water and all its uses and services.
We exhort the international community and multilateral entities to comply with the commitments repeatedly made to support efforts ofcountries guarantee access to water and sewage treatment.
We call on all States to develop the World Water Forum in the framework of the international multilateral system, based on the principles of full participation and inclusion.
Mexico City, March 22, 2006
“Los Ministros o sus representantes abajo firmantes, en el marco del Cuarto Foro Mundial del Agua, declaramos ante los participantes de este Foro, ante la comunidad internacional y ante los pueblos del mundo, lo siguiente:
El acceso al agua en calidad y cantidad constituye un derecho humano fundamental. Los Estados, con la participación de las comunidades deben realizar esfuerzos en todos los niveles para hacer efectivo este derecho para sus habitantes, dentro de sus respectivos países. Así, acordamos continuar realizando todas las gestiones en el marco de la Comisión de Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas y otros foros internacionales dentro de sus competencias, para reconocer y efectivizar este derecho.
Manifestamos la profunda preocupación sobre los posibles impactos negativos que cualquier instrumento internacional, como los tratados de libre comercio e inversiones, pueden tener sobre los recursos hídricos y reafirmamos el derecho soberano de cada país a regular el agua en todos sus usos y servicios.
Exhortamos a la comunidad internacional y a los organismos multilaterales a cumplir los compromisos reiteradamente asumidos para respaldar los esfuerzos que hacen los países con el fin de asegurar el acceso al agua y al saneamiento.
Hacemos una llamada a todos los Estados para construir el Foro Mundial del Agua en el marco del sistema multilateral internacional, sobre los principios de plena participación e inclusión.
Ciudad de México, Marzo 22, 2006
---------------------------
Access to water with quality, quantity and equity, constitutes a fundamental human right. The States, with the participation of the communities, shall make efforts at all levels to guarantee this right to their citizens, within their respective countries. Thus, we agree to continue making all efforts within the Commission on Sustainable Development of the United Nations and other international fora according to their mandates, to recognize and make this right effective.
We declare our profound concern regarding the possible negative impacts that international instruments -- such as the free trade and investment agreements -- can have on water resources, and reaffirm the sovereign right of every country to regulate water and all its uses and services.
We exhort the international community and multilateral entities to comply with the commitments repeatedly made to support efforts ofcountries guarantee access to water and sewage treatment.
We call on all States to develop the World Water Forum in the framework of the international multilateral system, based on the principles of full participation and inclusion.
Mexico City, March 22, 2006
“Los Ministros o sus representantes abajo firmantes, en el marco del Cuarto Foro Mundial del Agua, declaramos ante los participantes de este Foro, ante la comunidad internacional y ante los pueblos del mundo, lo siguiente:
El acceso al agua en calidad y cantidad constituye un derecho humano fundamental. Los Estados, con la participación de las comunidades deben realizar esfuerzos en todos los niveles para hacer efectivo este derecho para sus habitantes, dentro de sus respectivos países. Así, acordamos continuar realizando todas las gestiones en el marco de la Comisión de Desarrollo Sostenible de las Naciones Unidas y otros foros internacionales dentro de sus competencias, para reconocer y efectivizar este derecho.
Manifestamos la profunda preocupación sobre los posibles impactos negativos que cualquier instrumento internacional, como los tratados de libre comercio e inversiones, pueden tener sobre los recursos hídricos y reafirmamos el derecho soberano de cada país a regular el agua en todos sus usos y servicios.
Exhortamos a la comunidad internacional y a los organismos multilaterales a cumplir los compromisos reiteradamente asumidos para respaldar los esfuerzos que hacen los países con el fin de asegurar el acceso al agua y al saneamiento.
Hacemos una llamada a todos los Estados para construir el Foro Mundial del Agua en el marco del sistema multilateral internacional, sobre los principios de plena participación e inclusión.
Ciudad de México, Marzo 22, 2006
---------------------------
NICK BUXTON
c/o Fundación Solón, Calle Ecuador 2519, La Paz, Bolivia
T: +591 241 7057 M:+591 725 99050
E : nick@visionsocialagua.org
Websites/Sitios de web :
- www.visionsocialagua.org
- www.funsolon.org
- www.boliviasoberana.org
- www.nickbuxton.info
Alexandra Wandel
Trade, Environment and Sustainability (TES) Programme Co-ordinator
Friends of the Earth Europe
15, rue Blanche
B-1050 Brussels- Belgium
- http://www.foeeurope.org
- http://www.foei.org
- http://www.s2bnetwork.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * ** * * * * * * For the people - for the planet - for a sustainable future
Email your Ministers for Trade and Environment to stand up to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and protect our right to restrict genetically modified crops and foods: <"a href="http://www.bite-back.org">www.bite-back.org
Sign the online petition against plans to revive nuclear power in Europe:
http://www.million-against-nuclear.net
c/o Fundación Solón, Calle Ecuador 2519, La Paz, Bolivia
T: +591 241 7057 M:+591 725 99050
E : nick@visionsocialagua.org
Websites/Sitios de web :
- www.visionsocialagua.org
- www.funsolon.org
- www.boliviasoberana.org
- www.nickbuxton.info
Alexandra Wandel
Trade, Environment and Sustainability (TES) Programme Co-ordinator
Friends of the Earth Europe
15, rue Blanche
B-1050 Brussels- Belgium
- http://www.foeeurope.org
- http://www.foei.org
- http://www.s2bnetwork.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * ** * * * * * * For the people - for the planet - for a sustainable future
Email your Ministers for Trade and Environment to stand up to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and protect our right to restrict genetically modified crops and foods: <"a href="http://www.bite-back.org">www.bite-back.org
Sign the online petition against plans to revive nuclear power in Europe:
http://www.million-against-nuclear.net