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Water and sanitation

Clean water and sanitation – recently recognised by the United Nations as basic human rights – are critical to good health. They help prevent disease. Yet billions of people have no ready access to safe water. It is an essential service that governments must provide to protect their citizens and serve their common good. Read more here

In Lagos, groups demand halt to planned water privatisation

28 July 2016
Photo: Sani Baba

Civil society, community-based groups and unionists supported by Public Services International have petitioned the House of Assembly, asking it to step on the brakes on plans by the Lagos State government to embark on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of water privatisation.

Tell the World Bank to stop promoting water privatization

16 June 2016
Photo: Kate Holt - Africa Practice - Creative Commons
PSI is working with a number of allies to put pressure on the World Bank to stop promoting water privatization under the disguise of public private partnerships (PPPs). Send a letter to the World Bank Executive Director representing your country asking that the World Bank end all support for water privatization!

The road to Quito: workers and decent employment must be at the heart of the New Global Agenda!

06 June 2016
H III

The countdown for Habitat III - the UN conference that is expected to set out the new guidelines for urban policies - has begun. The ‘United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development ’ – as it is officially called - will take place in Quito, Ecuador, 17 – 20 October 2016.

Global Water Justice Movement Challenges World Bank's attempt to promote privatization of water through UN SDG Agenda

22 April 2016
Meera Karunananthan speaks at the UN

A letter was sent on 22 April to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon by water justice organizations from around the world expressing deep concerns about a new “high-level” panel convened by the World Bank at the United Nations focusing on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation. 

US Congresswoman Urges World Bank Moratorium on Water Privatisation

20 April 2016
Gwen Moore

Gwen Moore wrote to president Jim Yong Kim to critique the World Bank Group and its private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corporation, over its policies and lending practices that favour water privatisation.

PSI stresses the failures of PPPs at UN World Water Day event

25 March 2016
David Boys

During the opening session of the event at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, on 22 March, David Boys, PSI Deputy General Secretary, underlined that PSI does not support the reliance on public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the water sector.

Water sector workers meet in Buenos Aires to defend the human rights to water

25 March 2016

At the event organised by the CONTAGUAS and the SGBATOS, workers defended the human right to water and emphasised the importance of public services for guaranteeing this right. They launched a manifesto, which was also signed by the PSI.

Water and Sanitation are Human Rights, NOW!

21 March 2016
logo

On 22 March, PSI celebrated World Water Day. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 requires that governments ensure universal access to water and sanitation by 2030. However, we are seeing a new push for public-private partnerships (PPPs). We know that PPPs fail to deliver social and environmental targets, and PSI will help affiliates block this approach. We call for a rights-based approach, with public finance and management in the interests of all.

Suez in trouble in Barcelona?

19 March 2016

The Superior Court of Catalonia decided to invalidate the corporate manipulations used by Aguas de Barcelona to retain its monopoly concession for managing the water and sanitation services in the Metropolitan area of Barcelona.

Lagos Water Campaign Update

19 March 2016

The African Women Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Network (AWWASHN) calls on the Lagos State government to reject the privatisation of water.

Flint isn’t the only city: austerity politics maim and kill

16 February 2016
Photo: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Political Suicide - Creative Commons- DonkeyHotey

The Flint crisis is a glaring example of the results of right-wing governments Public Services International (PSI) stands with the public service workers of Flint, with their families and their communities as they struggle with this massive miscarriage of justice.

India: Coalition unites to block PPP water privatization schemes

25 January 2016

According to Corporate Accountability International, groups plan a series of escalating events to expose the truth about Nagpur’s failed PPP water privatization scheme promoted by the Modi government and World Bank. A group of trade unions in India is addressing a global petition to the World Bank.

Water sector reforms in India

11 January 2016
2015 Campaign on water privatisation in India

Gaurav Dwivedi, a water expert from Manthan Adhyayan Kendra, has prepared an overview of water sector reforms in India. Manthan Adhyayan Kendra is a centre set up to research, analyse and monitor water and energy issues from the perspective of just, equitable and sustainable development.

Sign the petition against water privatisation in India

23 December 2015

A group of trade unions in India is addressing a petition to the World Bank, calling on them to end their promotion and financial support of all forms of water privatisation and acknowledge the failures behind it.

Human rights - what about our right to water?

17 December 2015
Our right to water by Maude Barlow

The Council of Canadians has published a new report by Maude Barlow which examines water use, policy and protection around the world.

Water, electricity and the political context in Arab countries 2011

22 November 2011

This report examines the electricity and water sectors in North African and Middle Eastern countries. It consists of three sections. The first section examines the political, economic and global context as of September 2011. The second section examines the water sector. The third section examines the electricity sector.

The past, present and future of finance for investment in water systems

20 November 2011

This paper presents empirical evidence on the historical relative use of public and private finance for investment in water and sanitation systems in developed countries, evidence on the relative use of public and private finance and aid in developing countries, and evidence on the likely impact of the economic crisis.

Replacing failed private water contracts

18 November 2011

This paper sets out a global overview of trends in the public and private presence in the water sector, to help assess the options facing cities which still have problematic private water contracts, such as Jakarta.

Annual Report 2010

05 April 2011

In the face of widening cuts to public services and attacks on the rights of public sector workers around the world, leaders of private and public sector trade unions, municipal governments and civil society groups made the unprecedented joint commitment to work together to promote investment in quality public services backed by fair taxation policies as the key solution to the economic crisis, and the best way to build peaceful, equitable, democratic and environmentally-sustainable societies.

Annual Report 2009

03 April 2010

Environmental and social sustainability provided the primary theme for PSI’s work in 2009. Leading into the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 15) in Copenhagen in December, trade unions and civil society allies worked hard to ensure that world leaders would agree on an ambitious plan to reduce carbon emissions. Alas, this dream did not become reality. But we are committed to continuing this struggle and achieving real results.

Annual Report 2008

03 April 2009

Looking back at 2008 the one word that comes to mind is CHANGE. We saw a dramatic change in the global economy, it was the keyword in the US election and we initiated changes in PSI.