Refusal to endorse water as a human right exposes the US and UN conspiracy
Posted on August 8th, 2010
Ajit Randeniya
Late last month, there were two pointers, both arising from the UN within the span of just two days, that exposed the ugliness of the US devised human rights conspiracy and the increasingly visible face of the UN as an organisation serving only the interests of the rich, domineering countries.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ On 28 July, the champions of the global human rights movement, the US, the EU (except Germany and Spain), Canada, and Australia, abstained from voting for a resolution presented by Pablo Solon, the Bolivian ambassador to the UN, co-sponsored by 31 other countries, declaring that: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.”
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Unbelievably, just two days later on 30 July, Jean-Paul Laborde, chairman of the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), demanded that the African countries ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”get their act togetherƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in fighting terrorism!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In short, this French pale-skin comprador was reinforcing, on behalf of the alliance he was representing, that the hungry and thirsty Africans need to forget about their own priorities and help the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”G_d-chosenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Europeans kill the opponents of their arrogant blood-sucking ways!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What needs to follow from this shameless demonstration of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”human rights conspiracyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ is that those in the developing world -including the so-called NGOs and INGOs, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”transparency inspectorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, sundry ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”aid-workersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”think-tank operatorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢- who continue to serve in the post July 28 world in perpetuating the lie that the US (and other white nations) have any genuine interest in safeguarding ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”human rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ are dealt with appropriately; the average citizen as well as governments now can take action. Here are some reasons why.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The world needed no reminder that the most pressing problem afflicting the worldƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s poor who account for more than five sixths of the global population, is lack of access to clean water: according to UN statistics, nearly one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, more than 2.6 billion have no basic sanitation and around 1.5 million children under age 5 die each year from water borne diseases, mainly diarrhoea.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is the reason why the Bolivian resolution was supported so overwhelmingly by the developing world. The Bolivian ambassadorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s speech included simple ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”facts of lifeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢, that the human body and brain consisted predominantly of water that is its transport and cooling system, and that the human survival period without water is much shorter than that without food.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He also pointed out that the number of deaths resulting from the consumption of unclean water globally is higher than those resulting from AIDS, malaria and measles combined. An estimated 1.5 million children under age 5 die every year of diarrhoea.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What all these facts point to is that the lack of access to clean water is the greatest human rights violation, most certainly so when compared to the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”rightsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ promoted by the US and Europe mafia, of the freedoms to disrupt societies and to spy for foreign countries.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The resolution was voted in easily, with 122 countries voting in favour. But the most remarkable thing was the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”curiousƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ abstention by 41 rich countries of the world, the champions of the global human rights campaign! No other international event in the recent past exposed the degree of utter contempt with which the US, EU and its lackeys treat the developing world, as much as this dishonourable act did.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The abstaining hypocrites accused the sponsors of the resolution of seeking to pre-empt the findings an independent expert, Portuguese lawyer Catarina de Albuquerque, who is due to report to the UN Human Rights Council next year on countries’ obligations related to water and sanitation. This is going to be another imposition on resource-starved developing country governments, so that the World Bank and IMF could come in with offers of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”helpƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In explaining his countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s abstention, the appropriately named US delegate John ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”SammisƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ provided a disgusting parody of the double talk that is the hallmark of their conspiracies: he said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We support the goal of universal access to safe drinking water. The US is ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”committedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to working with our development partners …But he charged that “the resolution undermined the work underway in Geneva” and charged that ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”sponsors had rushed it throughƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In other words, the US human rights guardian is saying to the world: you have no ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”rightƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for water; weƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ll give you water when ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”weƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ feel like it!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ British delegate Nicola ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”FreedmanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ said London “does not believe that there exists at present sufficient legal basis under international law to either declare or recognize water or sanitation as free-standing human rights”. The new Conservative government of David Cameron had already declared that it will oppose this resolution ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”unless it is amended to remove sanitation and only refer to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”accessƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to clean water, not the human right to water itselfƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In other words, the British imperialists are saying: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”weƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ make laws, not ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”youƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Canada hid behind the false claim that the resolution might force it to share its water with the US, [therefore the poor should continue to die of thirst]; Australia preferred the route of water ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”marketsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ [that allow the wealthy to appropriate water supplies for private profit] and not public ownership of water!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Insult to the injury in the minds of the developing country representatives at the General Assembly was added when, on 30 July, the French head of the CTITF demanded that African governments ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”take stronger stepsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to try to break connections between terrorism and organised crime, and, to broaden their anti-terrorist strategies beyond the military and law enforcement agencies.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He pointed to the recent killing of a French ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”aid workerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ in West Africa to show that Africa was a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”hot spotƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for terrorism. He said that AfricaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s often porous borders, low standards of living and political and social tensions were the ‘problems’. This Mr. LabordeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s game plan is to call up a meeting in early September to review the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy that was adopted in 2006, providing them another opportunity take the African’s minds away from their ‘real’ priority of economic development.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There are several aspects to the current conspiracy to block any ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”democratically basedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ moves at the UN to promote the right to clean water as a human right: firstly, as it has already done, the move called the bluff of the US, EU and the rest of the pale-skinsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”commitmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to protect human rights globally.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Their failure to support the right to water, that is biologically vital, exposes that their campaign is all about hindering the development of poor countries by creating chaos rather than to preserve right to life. To this extent, the Bolivian move has already achieved its aims by exposing this evil conspiracy.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Secondly, they are busily continuing with the campaign for the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”privatisationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ of water resources in the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”globalisedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ world: a new World Bank reports has already created the demand-supply equation, by announcing that by 2030, global demand for water will exceed supply by more than 40%. This is the first step in the process of demanding of developing countries that they allow ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”market interventionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”rationallyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ utilise this vital resource, with their capital of course!
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The trend to privatise water has been resisted by the developing world at least since the year 2000 when the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”globalisationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ thrust started it’s full swing. They started work towards a UN commitment that no one should be denied water for life because of an inability to pay, in the light of the water markets conspiracy.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ UN recognition of water as a human right will shift the power of decision-making over water policy to national governments, undermining the power of the World Bank, the World Water Council and the World Trade Organisation, whose charter is creating market ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”solutionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The 28 July UN resolution may not have any legal standing due to access to water not being mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was announced in 1948. But it opened the door for an annual report to the General Assembly on the topic from the UN expert on the issue.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Every now and then, humanity needs to take a collective look at various conspiracies that are consuming their lives and well being. The 28 July resolution provided one such opportunity by laying bare the US hypocrisy.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
Petty soon their will be bottled air for sale – this will give them the right to pollute air without restrictions and also make a few bucks (big ones just like in the case of bottled water) in the process.
August 9th, 2010 at 6:42 am
Ajith,
World’s largest fresh water reserves, the five great lakes are resting between two countries, the USA and Canada. The other greatest water stream is located in the South America, the Amazon River. Transnational Corporations’ are encroaching the exterior domains of traditionally known production and markets. Drinking water has been the target of Trans National Corporations for couple of decades now. The pressure of IMF and World Bank for the privatization of water resources in Sri Lanka including ancient reservoirs was not a secret, and it is still in the cards. The sole objective is to build a monopoly of global drinking water supply into the hands of TNCs. The day they achieve this target will mark the day of ultimate western dominance upon global humanity. From that point onward, the man’s right to life will be in the hands of TNCs. And thus the ultimate subjugation of the humanity of the rest will be achieved.
Although I do not agree with Marxism for many reasons, Marx’s analysis of the future of capitalism has never been challenged by any one yet. When even the capitalist wants to mirror his own image, he even reads Marx. Day by day capitalism proves that Marx was right abut capitalist’s inhuman soul. Our cultural upbringing never even allows us to believe their callousness because we can never conceive it through the logic we culturally accustomed with. We can never rationalize their objectives and agendas of working on future drinking water monopoly in global scale because naturally we question “why and for what reason anybody wants to do that?” For us it seems illogical and therefore we do not see any sense in it; but for the west, it is more than logical and make a lot of sense. In future, things are going to be much uglier than we can picture now.
Marx envisioned this situation more than hundred years ago. Although we are boasting about post French revolutionary modern achievements, we can feel that there is a big pitfall along the way of global humanity; and as I said, things are going to get much uglier than we can envision. I even do not believe that avoiding world war three is a possibility. The war is inevitable. My concern is that, most probably this war may fought in Indian Ocean and Sri Lanka will be in the midst of it. Our belief in modern progress has brought us to a dead end in which we can see only conflicts and disasters and ultimate subjugation of humanity by TNCs or else, freedom with enormous sacrifice and cost.
We all were given a beautiful rosy picture of modern progress, and we never knew that we were being herding to our own slavery by a very few of the world. Marshal Berman beautifully tells us a part of the story of modernism like this… “
“There is a mode of vital experience – experience of space and time, of the self and others, of life’s possibilities and perils—that is shared by men and women all over the world today. I will call this body of experience ‘Modernity’. To be modern is to find our selves in an environment that promises adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and the world – and at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we know, everything we are. Modern environments and experiences cut across all boundaries of geography and ethnicity, of class and nationality, of religion and ideology; in this sense, modernity can be said to unite all mankind. But it is a paradoxical unity, a unity of disunity; it pours us all into a maelstrom of perpetual disintegration and renewal, of struggle and contradiction, of ambiguity and anguish To be modern is to be a part of a universe in which, as Marx said, ‘all that is solid melts into air” (Marshal Berman, “All that is solid melts into Air” 1982)
You know Ajith, as an artist, a humanist, and an activist against all sorts of marginality and dominance, I can feel the gravity of your article in its maximum effect not only mentally, but also even physically I can feel it. Because after reading it, I felt almost throwing up by the disgusting feeling of the contempt for knowing the intentions of western administrations’ and the depths to the low levels they prepared to go down to subjugate the rest of global humanity. Their moral bankruptcy is unbelievable.