The next World Water Forum will take place in Marseille, France in March 2012. Blue Planet Project organizer Anil Naidoo attended a planning meeting for a ‘Water Alter-Forum’ on Saturday October 16 and Sunday October 17 in Paris.
At the last World Water Forum in Istanbul in March 2009, Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow delivered a speech on behalf of Miguel d’Escoto, then president of the United Nations General Assembly. His speech stated that, “The forum’s orientation is profoundly influenced by private water companies. This is evident by the fact that both the president of the World Water Council and the alternate president are deeply involved with provision of private, for-profit, water services.” His speech also noted that future forums should “conduct their deliberations under the auspices of the United Nations.”
More on the recent planning meeting in Paris at http://www.municipalservicesproject.org/news/social-water-forum-planning-meeting-in-paris.
To see Maude Barlow commenting on the last World Water Forum, please go to this Democracy Now! video at http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=251.
