Since 2013, the Blue Planet Project has been working with allies to challenge strategies aimed at facilitating the corporate takeover of water through the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
A new report on private sector involvement in the implementation of the sustainable development goal on water was launched today by Public Services International (PSI) and the Blue Planet Project in collaboration with the NGO Mining Working Group and the German NGO Forum on Environment and Development. The report titled “Privatization is not a Means of Implementation for SDG 6” warns that the vision championed by the World Bank and other international financial institutions threatens to deepen social and economic injustices rather than combat them.
The launch of the report coincides with the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) taking place at the United Nations General Assembly from July 9 – 18 bringing heads of states and government ministers together with UN agencies and civil society groups to examine progress on the sustainable development goals. This year’s theme, Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies, includes a review of progress made by member states on the goal of ensuring “availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”.
Yesterday, key messages from the new report were highlighted by PSI Secretary Rosa Pavanelli who took the floor at the UN HLPF. She noted:
The push for greater private sector involvement in the implementation of SDG 6, ?ies in the face of growing evidence that the privatization of water and sanitation has been detrimental, especially to the most marginalized and vulnerable communities in the world and that corporations tend to use monopoly power to generate excessive profits.
Her full speech is available at: https://www.blueplanetproject.net/index.php/sdg6-on-behalf-of-public-services-international-major-group-of-workers-and-trade-unions/
The full report can be downloaded here: https://www.blueplanetproject.net/index.php/sdg6-water-and-sanitation-are-fundamental-services-privatization-is-not-a-means-of-implementation/
Once again this year, the Blue Planet Project also contributed content for the Spotlight on Sustainable Development – a yearly report published by civil society groups including the Global Policy Forum, the Third World Network, the Centre for Economic and Social Rights and others, which provides an alternative and critical perspective on SDG progress.
The full report can be downloaded here: https://www.2030spotlight.org/en
The chapter on water by the Blue Planet Project and the Transnational Institute is available at:
https://www.2030spotlight.org/en/book/1730/chapter/sdg-6-remunicipalization-water
MORE INFO ON THE BPP AND THE SDGs
MEDIA
- Karunananthan, M. (October 2015). “The Most Basic of Rights.” The Jacobin.
- Dearn, M & Karunananthan, M. (May 2015) Privatising public services is no way to fund sustainable development. The Guardian
- Anderson, M. (May 2015) “UK aid watchdog criticises DfID over partnerships with private sector.” The Guardian.
- Karunananthan, M. (June 2014) “Is the UN turning its back on the human right to water?” The Guardian.
- Thalif, Dean (May 2014), “UN’s Post-2015 Agenda Skips the Right to Water and Sanitation.” IPS.
KEY INTERVENTIONS
- April 2016 – Global Water Justice Movement Challenges World Bank’s attempt to promote privatization of water through UN SDG Agenda.
- July 2016 -Summary of the HLPF 2016 side event “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: A Good or Bad Start?”
- July 2016 – Mercy Event at UN Stresses Human Rights-based Implementation of SDG 6.
VIDEO
- Intervention by Meera Karunananthan, Blue Planet Project, during the Post-2015 Intergovernmental Negotiations on 24 June 2015.
- Meera Karunananthan at Stakeholders, Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals – Informal Meeting (7 May 2014).
RESOURCES
- Karunananthan, M. (2017) “Ensuring Just and Sustainable Water Infrastructure.” in Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2017.
- Karunananthan, M. (2016) “Whose Right to Water with the 2030 Agenda Promote?” Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2016.
- Lyons, Amanda (2016 ) A People’s Guide to SDG 6 (a report by the NGO Mining Working Group, the BPP and other allies).
BLOGS
- Unanima International (April 7, 2017) “2016 UI Woman of Courage Briefs UNANIMA on the role of NGOs in the Global Water Crisis.”
- Patterson, B. (March 3, 2017) “Blue Planet Project director receives Woman of Courage Award.”
- Patterson, B. (May 27, 2015) “Harper government and UN discuss private sector funding for the SDGs.”
- Mercy International (March 29, 2016). “Sisters of Mercy Address: Women, Water, Wellbeing – The Human Right to Water and Sanitation at the United Nations.”
- Patterson, B. (May 17, 2014) “Blue Planet Project calls for right to water in SDG process.”
