waterbrief_3sept03-cea9e17021844213.pdf

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law examines how international trade and investment agreements, along with policies from international financial institutions (IFIs), can lock developing countries into the privatization of water services. It argues that these mechanisms may conflict with the recognized human right to water and limit the ability of national governments to regulate essential services for the public good.

• International declarations and the UN Committee on Economic, Cultural and Social Rights have established that access to water is a human right and a social and cultural good, rather than just an economic commodity. This obligates the 145 countries that ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights to ensure equitable access to clean water.
• The World Bank and IMF use 'conditionalities' to pressure developing countries into adopting IFI-preferred policies, specifically the privatization of essential services like water, as a requirement for receiving loans and debt relief.
• The document cites specific instances of IFI-driven privatization: in 1999, the World Bank granted debt relief to Mozambique only after it agreed to privatize the water supply in Maputo, and in 2002, Uruguay promised to open previously public activities to private initiative to receive augmented financial assistance.
• Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) and regional agreements like NAFTA can 'lock in' privatization by allowing private corporations to sue governments in international tribunals if domestic regulatory changes negatively affect their investments.
• The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) can compel countries to open water provision to foreign private providers through 'bilateral request-offer negotiations.' Once commitments are made, the process to modify them is described as extremely burdensome and ineffective.
• There is a risk that following IFI recommendations to liberalize services may inadvertently bring those services under the scope of GATS, as introducing commercial considerations or competition may remove a service from the 'governmental services exclusion.'
• The document warns that if current trends continue, 3.5 billion people (approximately 48% of the projected population) will face serious water shortages by 2025.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2003). waterbrief_3sept03-cea9e17021844213.pdf. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Waterbrief_3Sept03.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. waterbrief_3sept03-cea9e17021844213.pdf. 2003. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Waterbrief_3Sept03.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=waterbrief_3sept03-cea9e17021844213.pdf |date=July 2003 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Waterbrief_3Sept03.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2003waterbrief3sept03cea9e17021844213pdf, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{waterbrief\_3sept03-cea9e17021844213.pdf}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2003}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Waterbrief_3Sept03.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }