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WHEREAS March 22 is World Water Day;
AND WHEREAS one in six people in the world no not have access to clean drinking water;
AND WHEREAS the UN Conference on Water in 1977 in Mar del Plata affirmed the right of all persons to access clean drinking water in order to satisfy their fundamental needs;
AND WHEREAS current World Bank loans for water services in developing countries frequently require the privatization of those services or an increase in water prices, thereby jeopardizing citizens’ access to safe drinking water;
AND WHEREAS the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace and KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives have asked Canadian municipalities to assist in its effort to have the federal government recognize water as a common good and access to drinking water as a basic human right;
BE IT RESOLVED THAT this Council recognize and affirm that:
- Water is a sacred gift that connects all life
- Access to clean water is a basic human right
- The value of Earth’s fresh water to the common good takes priority over any possible commercial value
- Fresh water is a sacred legacy, a public trust, and a collective responsibility
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this Council call upon the federal
government to urge the World Bank to ensure access to clean, affordable
water for the world’s poor, and strengthen the role of the
public sector and individual communities in setting water policies
and delivering and regulating water services.
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