Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow and water campaigner Meera Karunananthan write in the Halifax Chronicle Herald today that, “Without a hint of irony, Stephen Harper has decided to position himself as a champion of maternal and child health at this year’s G8 and G20 meetings, including the G8 development ministerial currently underway in Halifax.”
They highlight that, “Canada has prevented the recognition of water as a human right and promotes the privatization of water services while Canadian mining companies destroy watersheds throughout the world.”
WATER AS A HUMAN RIGHT
“While several countries are working to have water recognized as a human right through a covenant at the UN, the Canadian government has opposed it. Such a covenant would provide a legal tool for communities that are denied access. Yet Canada has voted against resolutions to officially enshrine water as a human right at several key UN meetings.”
PRIVATIZATION OF WATER
“Canada is also a strong proponent of water privatization. It funds and plays an active role within the Public Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility which promotes the privatization of drinking water and sanitation systems around the world. Yet experiences around the world show that private water has denied women their basic needs.”
DESTROYING WATER
“The destruction of water resources has had a tremendous impact on women around the world who play a central role in the provision and management of water resources. Within this context of growing water scarcity, Canadian mining companies are notorious for their disregard of the environment and human health.”
They conclude that, “If Stephen Harper is serious about maternal health and child health, he needs to recognize that healthy mothers come from healthy communities. And healthy communities require strong public services and a clean environment.”
To read the full op-ed, please go to http://thechronicleherald.ca/Columnists/1179546.html.
