[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 120 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 120

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 17, 2005

   Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. 
 Hinchey, Mr. McDermott, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Ms. Woolsey, Ms. Kaptur, 
  Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Waters, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
Baird, Ms. Carson, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Payne, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Emanuel, Mr. 
Owens, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Solis, Mr. Rangel, and 
 Mr. Crowley) 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 regard to the world's 
                         freshwater resources.

Whereas the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development 
        established March 22 as World Water Day to promote the international 
        observance of water as a human right;
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 already 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 now call for 
        reducing by one-half the number of those without safe drinking water and 
        sanitation by the year 2015;
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; and
Whereas the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in December 2004 aggravated the 
        already overwhelming water crisis and the World Health Organization 
        projects that without mobilized and coordinated assistance, there could 
        be as many fatalities from diseases, many water borne, as were seen from 
        the actual disaster itself: 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>