[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 468 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 468

   Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the world's 
                         freshwater resources.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2004

 Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Bell, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. 
Wexler, Mr. Stark, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Kucinich, Mr. Owens, Mr. Renzi, Mr. 
 Kind, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Payne, Mr. Brady 
 of Pennsylvania, Ms. Lee, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Towns, Mr. Hinchey, 
   Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Lantos, Ms. Carson of Indiana, Ms. Waters, Mr. 
  McDermott, Ms. McCarthy of Missouri, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. 
  Emanuel, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Jackson of 
  Illinois, and Mrs. Christensen) submitted the following concurrent 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
Relations, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services and 
   Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the world's 
                         freshwater resources.

Whereas freshwater is fundamental for life, a finite natural resource, and 
        belongs to the earth and all species for all time;
Whereas available freshwater represents less than one-half of one-percent of the 
        world's total water stock;
Whereas global consumption of water is doubling every 20 years, more than twice 
        the rate of human population growth;
Whereas 31 countries currently face water shortages with another 17 likely to be 
        added to this list by 2025;
Whereas more than one billion people lack adequate access to safe drinking 
        water; 2.5 billion people have no access to proper sanitation and more 
        than five million people, mostly children, die each year from water-
        related diseases;
Whereas unsustainable practices lead to depletion of aquifers, falling water 
        tables, and ground and surface water pollution;
Whereas indigenous peoples have had the waters on which they depend dangerously 
        polluted and exploited;
Whereas current United Nations' Millennium Development Goals call for reducing 
        by one-half the number of those without safe drinking water and 
        sanitation by the year 2015; and
Whereas the United Nations' Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 
        has adopted the General Comment on the right to water, which states that 
        the human right to drinking water is fundamental for life and health, 
        and sufficient and safe drinking water is a precondition for the 
        realization of all other human rights: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That this resolution may be cited as the ``Water for the World 
Resolution''.
    Sec. 2. The Congress--
            (1) affirms water as a public trust and global public good 
        that should not be treated as a private commodity where this 
        would limit or deny public access to freshwater resources;
            (2) recognizes that government policies should ensure that 
        all individuals have equitable access to water to meet basic 
        human needs and that no one is cut off from water for survival 
        due to economic constraints;
            (3) upholds the principle that governments should engage 
        all members of society, including local civil society 
        organizations, citizens' associations, environmental groups, 
        indigenous peoples, farmers, women, workers and others, in 
        direct and meaningful participation in overseeing decisions 
        about the conservation, distribution, use, and management of 
        water in their communities, localities, and regions;
            (4) asserts that water management priorities should reflect 
        the goals of safeguarding and sustaining water resources;
            (5) recognizes that more sustainable agricultural practices 
        are necessary to protect water resources;
            (6) affirms that the United States Congress firmly commits 
        itself to meet the Millennium Development Goals, especially as 
        they pertain to universal access to water and sanitation;
            (7) recommends that international, regional, and bilateral 
        trade agreements, should not include conditions related to the 
        provision of water for human use that would result in reduced 
        access to water;
            (8) affirms that access to international loans and debt 
        reduction programs should not be conditioned on implementing 
        increased cost recovery policies when those policies would 
        result in significantly increased water rates that reduce 
        access to safe drinking water and sanitation;
            (9) asserts that the United States' Executive Directors of 
        International Financial Institutions should not approve loans 
        that require increased cost recovery, or water privatization or 
        public/private partnerships that would result in significant 
        increases in consumer water fees that would restrict access to 
        water;
            (10) deems that federal funding not be conditioned on the 
        consideration of public/private partnerships or other forms of 
        privatization that would restrict access to water; and
            (11) asserts that Federal policies should ensure that in 
        the United States direct and indirect sources of water 
        pollution, including factories, refineries, commercial 
        agriculture, and wastewater treatment plants, are adequately 
        regulated and those responsible held accountable for the 
        pollution they cause.
                                 <all>