This 2012 World Water Day is positioned ideally between the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille and the UNCSD “Rio+20”. This sequence is a unique opportunity for governments, that only meet rarely on water issues, to make urgent decisions on drinking water and wastewater management.

The 6th World Water Forum resulted in a strong Ministerial declaration through which country governments concluded to convey to the “Rio+20” Summit their conclusions on:

Therefore there is wide expectation that in the UNCSD “Rio+20” country governments make operational decisions on the above-mentioned matters. They should comply with their commitments made in the 6th World Water Forum and not miss this opportunity:

to decide additional efforts for the development of access to water and sanitation, thereby recognising that billions of people*, close to half of mankind, are lacking access  to safe drinking water.
“2.5 billion people have no access to safe drinking water” said the French Prime Minister when opening the 6th World Water Forum on March 12, 2012

For more information:

Private Water Operators contributed actively to the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille
(www.worldwaterforum6.org):

a) Through AquaFed, they made important "Commitments" publicly on March 16, 2012

b) AquaFed launched a brand new publication on the performance of private operators titled "Private Operators delivering performance for water-users and public authorities. Examples from across the world". This brochure was presented in a side-event on Wednesday March 14.

"Private Operators delivering performance for water-users and public authorities. Examples from across the world", publication by AquaFed (EN)
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c) AquaFed released several information or position statements:

d) AquaFed contributed to the organisation of all thematic sessions on guaranteeing access to water and the human right to safe drinking water (Priority for Action 1.1) as member of the coordinating group led by the Swiss government and including the French NGO coalition and the global Water and Sanitation Program. These sessions extended over 18 hours and included a multi-stakeholder debate on the implementation of the human right to safe drinking water.
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e) AquaFed was invited to participate to several thematic sessions on Improving access to integrated sanitation services for all (Priority for Action 1.2) as speaker.

These working sessions were boosted by the declaration of country governments to promote a shared, innovative and integrated vision of urban, rural, industrial and agricultural wastewater management with mention of improving wastewater management as a priority in their operational conclusions.
More on progress on wastewater ...

f) As member of the Water Integrity Network (WIN) AquaFed (Jack Moss) took an active part in the side-event organised on Water Professional Curbing Corruption: the Role of Private Sector.

g) a Partnership agreement focusing on the implementation of the right to water has been signed between AquaFed and the International Water Association (IWA - www.iwahq.org ) on Monday, March 12, 2012. A lot is expected from this long-term partnership between these two complementary global organisations of water professionals.

h) a highly-visible debate with prominent anti-private activists. On Tuesday, March 13, 2012 the World Water Forum had organised a “Water Debate” between private operators and anti-private activists on "Private/Public involvement in the provision of water and sanitation services".
More on the “Water debate”…

i) Participation in the intergovernmental process
a substantial Ministerial Declaration was adopted unanimously by country governments on March 13. They decided (article 30) to convey to the Rio+20 Summit the following priorities:

AquaFed had participated to the intergovernmental preparatory process through Business Action for Water, the official representative of the Business and Industry “major group”.
Read the Ministerial declaration (EN)

Private Water operators took part in several Ministerial Roundtables where Business Action for Water had been invited by organising governments. These were the roundtables on financing infrastructure (Mamadou Dia, SDE, Senegal), green growth (Jack Moss, AquaFed) and the human right to water (Gerard Payen, AquaFed).

Statement on the Human Right to safe drinking water in the related Ministerial roundtable (EN)

Through AquaFed, their international Federation, Private Water Operators made important "Commitments" on March 16, 2012 at the 6th World Water Forum.

They committed to engage constructively with governments and public authorities to contribute to the delivery of good quality water and sanitation services and to solving local and global water challenges.

These commitments are related to action in 3 areas:

These commitments were presented in plenary by Denis Byamukama (video) and Alfredo Salinda (video) private water operators from Uganda and the Philippines.

Full text of the Private Water Operators Commitments (EN) (FR)

Before the 6th World Water Forum, the intergovernmental work on sanitation was focusing on access to toilets (basic sanitation). Management of wastewater was absent from the global agenda. No UN agency was working on the control of man-made pollution of freshwater (wastewater management). No UN statistics. No global vision nor policy.

AquaFed and others have advocated for a long time for a more integrated vision of sanitation challenges (See our 12 May 2008 press release in New York). As a result wastewater had been briefly mentioned in the 5th WWF Ministerial Declaration and in the December 2010 resolution of the UN General assembly without many people noticing it.

The 6th World Water Forum was the first global opportunity for country governments and the international community to work on the implementation of the newly-recognised human right to safe drinking water and sanitation.

A multi-stakeholder debate on the implementation of the right has been organised on March 13 with many different stakeholders. The panellists were a minister, a mayor, a parliamentarian, a regulator, a public operator, a private operator, a unionist, an NGO representative and the UN special rapporteur. All agreed that they have a responsibility to act for the implementation of the right.
Private Water operators were represented by Mamadou Dia, Chief executive of the Sénégalaise des Eaux, Senegal.

The UN Special Rapporteur of the Right, Mrs Catarina de Albuquerque released a book of best practices entitled On the right track. Good practices in realising the rights to water and sanitation

At the occasion of the 6th World Water Forum, AquaFed launched a brand new publication on the performance of private operators titled : Private operators delivering performance for water-users and public authorities. Examples from across the World.

This brochure illustrates the many achievements that can be obtained by public authorities when using the capacity of private professionals in the delivery of public water and sanitation services.

This brochure collates field cases from all around the world of private management of water or sanitation services that illustrate the outstanding results achieved by public authorities who have engaged private operators.

The cases illustrate the wide diversity of sizes of private companies and also the many dimensions of performance indicators such as:

improving efficiency of water utilities

A few cases from Brazil, the Philippines, Uganda and China were presented during a side-event. Then a panel of various stakeholders (ministry, municipality, World Bank, users) commented on private sector participation in public services (PSP).

On Tuesday, March 13, 2012 the World Water Forum had organised a highly-visible “Water Debate” between private operators and prominent anti-private activists. The topic was "Private/Public involvement in the provision of water and sanitation services". (Link)

Private Water Operators were represented by AquaFed member Mamadou Dia (Chief executive of Sénégalaise des Eaux - www.sde.sn) and AquaFed's president Gérard Payen. They debated in front of a full auditorium with Maria Theresa N.Lauron (IBON, a Philipino NGO) and David Boys (Public Services international).

On the anti-private side, the World Water Forum organisers had initially invited David Boys and Maude Barlow, the chairwoman of both the Council of Canadians and Food and Water Watch. The latter was present in Marseille where her organisations were organisers of official side-events in the 6th World Water Forum but she argued that she was too busy with the alternative forum and declined the invitation. After her refusal the organisers invited Wenonah Hauter, the Executive director of Food and Water Watch who was also participating in the official Forum and several side-events. W.Hauter wrote a letter jointly with M.Barlow to reject the invitation explaining that they did not want to support the Forum with their participation in this debate. Consequently the organisers invited Ms M.T.Lauron from the Philippines, who accepted.

The debate was moderated by a journalist and extremely well-attended. It was a unique opportunity for participants to hear and compare the arguments of anti-private activists with the more convincing explanations of Private Water Operators. Many observers found this debate respectful and serious.

Mamadou Dia and Gerard Payen were able to explain many of the usual misconceptions about Private Water Operators, to disclose that many well-run public utilities are making profits and to rectify the image of the Manila Public-Private Partnerships that have enabled millions of people to gain access to safe drinking water. Gerard Payen also explained that out of 10 individuals in the world 5 get drinking water supplied by a public operator, 1 is served by a private operator and 4 have no public service at all. In his view, serving these 4 should be the utmost priority of public policies. He advocated for prioritising more funding to the un-served to improve their current situation, summing up this need for funding by saying “no money, no water”.

Gerard Payen was very surprised to notice Wenonah Hauter in the auditorium. The leaders of Food and Water Watch had consistently refused a direct dialogue and debate. In spite of benefiting from the Forum organisation to set up official side-events they presented a false argument about their unwillingness to support the Forum.  W.Hauter and other members of her anti-private network were repeatedly yelling to mark her support to D.Boys. After the moderator had closed the debate, W.Hauter took hold of a mike rudely and asked a question in an infuriated manner. G.Payen took the time to answer and disclosed her unexpected and paradoxical presence to the full audience.

See the whole debate on video

For several years AquaFed has been raising questions such as:

The Federation believes that billions of people are concerned, not hundreds of millions as many people are led to believe.

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In the second IWA Development Congress AquaFed highlights practical challenges to be mitigated by water professionals to implement the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation better. In particular G.Payen comments the multi-dimensional framework of this right (see diagram) and the challenges inherent in its progressive implementation in the field. (PDF)

The AquaFed offices in Paris have moved to a new adress: 16, Avenue Hoche – F75008 Paris, France.
Please note our new telephone number +33153890810 and fax number +33145630472.

AquaFed reacts to an orchestrated campaign, led by the Council of Canadians that misrepresents and discredits our Federation and the activities of our Members. The campaign aims at excluding the Federation from the works of the international community on water challenges.

AquaFed works constructively with all stakeholders, in particular governments and operators of all types, in trying to advance concrete solutions to the world’s increasing water and sanitation challenges. AquaFed recalls the statement by Mr. BAN KI-MOON, Secretary-General of the United Nations, of September 22, 2010: “There is no longer any doubt that business plays an integral role in delivering economic and social progress. // Already, many businesses have ... provided access to safe water and sanitation and advanced environmental sustainability”.

The increasing water challenges will only be solved through constructive engagement of all parties in multi-stakeholder efforts and partnerships at local, national and international levels. The anti-AquaFed campaign seems to be motivated more by a lobby whose principal objective is to hinder certain businesses than by a willingness to find solutions to water problems in the interests of people and the environment.

AquaFed’s Press Release, May 19, 2011 (EN, FR, ES)

Private operators were active at the GWI Global Water Summit 2011, which took place in Berlin on 18th and 19th of April. (Global Water Intelligence Website)

First up was Diane d'Arras, Deputy Managing Director of Suez Environnement, who took part in a panel debate on the "Politics of Performance". She stressed the important links between decisions of the political leaders of a community and the success of their service operators, be they public or private. Success invariably involves consistent close corporation between the political decision-makers and their operators.

In the next session, three member companies, APA NOVA Bucharesti (Romania) represented by Epsica Chiru - Deputy MD, SAUR NEPTUN GDANSK (Poland) represented by Zbigniew Maksymiuk, President and MD, and SEAAL (Algeria) represented by Jean-Marc Jahn CEO, presented their performance achievements in a competition were 8 preselected top performing public and private operators competed for the prize "Water Performer of the Year".

AquaFed welcomes the United Nations' Human Rights Council Resolution adopted by consensus in its 15th Session in Geneva on September 30, 2010 titled: "Human rights and access to safe drinking water and sanitation". This resolution complements the UN General Assembly's resolution recognising the Right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation (July 2010) and provides real progress towards making this Right a reality for the people who need it.

The Human Rights Council’s resolution clarifies three key points:

At the occasion of the 20th World Water Week, held in Stockholm, AquaFed issued the following press release: “In cities, there are today more people suffering from a poor and unsatisfactory access to safe water and sanitation than in the XXth century. Access to Drinking Water is deteriorating in the urban half of the world.”

AquaFed celebrates the recognition by the UN Member States of the “right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights”.

"For private water operators, this global recognition is an important milestone. Our members and our Federation have been working actively with the United Nations and many other stakeholders for a decade to ensure that the Right to Water and Sanitation is recognized, that it is practical and can be implemented. This UN resolution is welcomed because it is a stepping stone that should increase the commitment of national governments to ensuring that all their population enjoy the multiple benefits of having access to adequate water and sanitation services.
Access to safe clean water and sanitation is truly vital: it is essential for life and necessary for health, education, dignity, gender equality, employment, social and economic development and quality of life.