PETITION OF LA COORDINADORA PARA LA DEFENSA DEL AGUA Y VIDA, LA FEDERACIÓN DEPARTAMENTAL COCHABAMBINA DE ORGANIZACIONES REGANTES, SEMAPA SUR, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH-NETHERLANDS, OSCAR OLIVERA, OMAR FERNANDEZ, FATHER LUIS SÁNCHEZ, AND CONGRESSMAN JORGE ALVARADO TO THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL

This document is a petition submitted on August 29, 2002, to an ICSID arbitral tribunal by a group of Bolivian civil society organizations, individuals, and Friends of the Earth-Netherlands. The petitioners seek standing to intervene as parties or amici curiae in an arbitration between Aguas del Tunari, S.A. and the Republic of Bolivia. The dispute concerns a 40-year water concession in Cochabamba that was terminated following widespread public protests over rate increases. The petitioners argue that the tribunal's decision will directly impact water access and public finances in Bolivia and that the process must be transparent to be legitimate.

• The dispute centers on the privatization of water services in Cochabamba, where the government granted a 40-year concession to Aguas del Tunari, S.A. in 1999. Shortly after taking control, the company increased water rates by an average of over 50%, leading to public protests, a state of emergency, and violence that resulted in over 100 injuries and the death of a 17-year-old boy. Following these events, Aguas del Tunari left the country and filed a claim for lost anticipated profits.
• Petitioners argue that an award in favor of Aguas del Tunari would cause severe financial hardship for the people of Cochabamba because SEMAPA, the local water agency, is expected to assume the costs of the concession's termination. This could force SEMAPA to substantially raise water prices or limit access to water to fund the payment.
• The petition highlights a potential conflict of interest involving the World Bank, as the Bank's governing body chairs ICSID. The petitioners state the World Bank forced Bolivia to privatize the Cochabamba water system as a condition for debt relief and funds for expansion, and that Bank President James Wolfensohn publicly supported the water price increases during the 2000 protests.
• The petitioners request specific measures to ensure transparency and public participation, including standing as parties or amici curiae, public disclosure of all submissions and transcripts, opening all hearings to the public, and a request for the Tribunal to visit Cochabamba to hold public hearings on the facts.
• The petitioners assert that the Tribunal has the authority to allow their participation under Article 44 of the ICSID rules, which allows the Tribunal to decide procedural questions. They further argue that Bolivian public policy supports the right of affected third parties to intervene in disputes, citing Articles 355-369 of the Bolivian Code of Civil Procedure.
• The petition argues that the outcome of this case has global implications because the award may serve as a persuasive precedent for other arbitral tribunals dealing with similar investment agreements, potentially creating a disincentive for governments to protect public interests over foreign investments.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2002). PETITION OF LA COORDINADORA PARA LA DEFENSA DEL AGUA Y VIDA, LA FEDERACIÓN DEPARTAMENTAL COCHABAMBINA DE ORGANIZACIONES REGANTES, SEMAPA SUR, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH-NETHERLANDS, OSCAR OLIVERA, OMAR FERNANDEZ, FATHER LUIS SÁNCHEZ, AND CONGRESSMAN JORGE ALVARADO TO THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Petition_Revised_Aug02.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. PETITION OF LA COORDINADORA PARA LA DEFENSA DEL AGUA Y VIDA, LA FEDERACIÓN DEPARTAMENTAL COCHABAMBINA DE ORGANIZACIONES REGANTES, SEMAPA SUR, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH-NETHERLANDS, OSCAR OLIVERA, OMAR FERNANDEZ, FATHER LUIS SÁNCHEZ, AND CONGRESSMAN JORGE ALVARADO TO THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL. 2002. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Petition_Revised_Aug02.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=PETITION OF LA COORDINADORA PARA LA DEFENSA DEL AGUA Y VIDA, LA FEDERACIÓN DEPARTAMENTAL COCHABAMBINA DE ORGANIZACIONES REGANTES, SEMAPA SUR, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH-NETHERLANDS, OSCAR OLIVERA, OMAR FERNANDEZ, FATHER LUIS SÁNCHEZ, AND CONGRESSMAN JORGE ALVARADO TO THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL |date=29 August 2002 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Petition_Revised_Aug02.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2002petition, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{PETITION OF LA COORDINADORA PARA LA DEFENSA DEL AGUA Y VIDA, LA FEDERACIÓN DEPARTAMENTAL COCHABAMBINA DE ORGANIZACIONES REGANTES, SEMAPA SUR, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH-NETHERLANDS, OSCAR OLIVERA, OMAR FERNANDEZ, FATHER LUIS SÁNCHEZ, AND CONGRESSMAN JORGE ALVARADO TO THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2002}, month = aug, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Petition_Revised_Aug02.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }