Ahead of World Water Day, Mr Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation is organising a debate this 18 March 2021 to draw attention on the growing financialisation of life, which severely affects the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights and to propose a way forward to counter the situation. Our Executive Director Magdalena Sepúlveda will moderate the event, which is a continuation of GI-ESCR’s event 'Enough is enough’ held in October 2020, the first-ever event gathering eight UN experts on the topic of privatisation of public services.

The meeting will allow to pinpoint the problems related to the financialisation and commodification of water, the volatility of prices of basic food commodities, the financialisation of housing, and the financialisation and commodification of nature. It also aims to call for urgent attention to these threats and pave a way forward.

Event’s details

What?

Speaking about the elephant in the room - Human rights under the pressures of speculative strategies - Debate in anticipation of the World Water Day

Organised by Mr Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

when?

18 March 2021, from 5 PM to 6 PM (Central European Time).

Stay tuned!

You can follow the event on Twitter and other social media through teh digital campaign #Water2me

Panel participants

• Mr Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation

• Léo Heller, former Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation (2014-2020)

• Mr Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing

• Mr David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment

• Ms Maude Barlow, Canadian author and activist, co-founder of the Blue Planet Project.  Formerly a Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly (2008-2009).

• Mr Juan Laborda, Associate Professor in Financial Economics and Derivatives, University Carlos III in Madrid, Spain. He has been Chief Economist and Chief of Global Macro Strategist in different financial institutions.

moderator

• Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) and former Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

Further information

World Water Day, celebrated globally on 22 March every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater. It celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.

The theme of World Water Day 2021 is “valuing water”. Beyond the issues of pricing, this topic includes the environmental, social and cultural value people place on water. For instance, in daily life, water can mean health, hygiene, dignity and productivity. In cultural, religious and spiritual places, water can mean a connection with creation or community. And in natural spaces, water can mean peace and preservation. Water means different things to different people in different settings.

Taking place on social media, the digital campaign #Water2me aims to generate conversations – to gather as many opinions and comments from people around the world about water and what it means to them. The aim is to understand how people value water – whether it is economically, socially, culturally or in other ways – how it plays a role in their lives, how important it is to them and what their hopes and concerns are for these services, which are basic human rights. Peoples’ views will then be presented to decision-makers at a series of water events in 2021, giving an unprecedented insight into the public impact of water and sanitation policy.

Joining his voice to amplify the digital campaign, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to water and sanitation, Mr. Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, encouraged the public to organize activities that promote education, awareness and social mobilization to inspire change (see his messages: http://linktr.ee/srwatsan_water2me). Since “it is not the same to use water to fill a pool as it is to guarantee the minimum essential amount of water that every person, family or community they need for a dignified life”, the Special Rapporteur believes that in determining the value of water, we must distinguish and prioritize between four distinct uses of water:

·         “Water for life”: water required to sustain human life and dignity, such as the vital minimum amount necessary for a dignified life, as a human right, should be of the highest priority.

·         “Water for public interest”: water used for activities and services of general interest for the society, such as domestic water, sanitation services and small-scale agricultural activities beyond the basic requirements of human rights. It involves both the entitlement and rights of people, but also corresponding duties.

·         “Water for the economy”: water used for legitimate activities for economic development should not take priority over “water for life” and “water for public interest”.

·         “Water for crime”: water used for illegitimate activities that affect and violate human rights as well as the sustainability of the environment should be condemned and sanctioned.

On the occasion of the World Water Day, the Special Rapporteur would like to explore further the impact of the financialisation of life on the way we value water, and indeed a range of human rights, which we consider essential for life.

Related event

Click on the image or on this link to access information on GI-ESCR’s related event ‘Enough is enough’ on privatisation of public services.