IV 
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. HIN-
CHEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. KAP-
TUR, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Ms. WATERS, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MAR-
KEY, 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 Inter-
national Relations, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Serv-
ices 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 Environ-
ment 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;
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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 an-
other 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 pollu-
tion; 
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 De-
cember 2004 aggravated the already overwhelming water 
crisis and the World Health Organization projects that 
without mobilized and coordinated assistance, there could
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be as many fatalities from diseases, many water borne, 
as were seen from the actual disaster itself: Now, there-
fore, 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 ac-
cess 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, en-
vironmental groups, indigenous peoples, farmers, 
women, workers, and others, in direct and meaning-
ful participation in overseeing decisions about the 
conservation, distribution, use, and management of 
water in their communities, localities, and regions;
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(4) asserts that water management priorities 
should reflect the goals of safeguarding and sus-
taining water resources; 
(5) recognizes that more sustainable agricul-
tural practices are necessary to protect water re-
sources; 
(6) affirms that the United States Congress 
firmly commits itself to meet the Millennium Devel-
opment 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 condi-
tioned on implementing increased cost recovery poli-
cies 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
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partnerships that would result in significant in-
creases in consumer water fees that would restrict 
access to water; 
(10) deems that Federal funding not be condi-
tioned on the consideration of public/private partner-
ships or other forms of privatization that would re-
strict 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 respon-
sible held accountable for the pollution they cause. 
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