UN General Assembly

 

Maude Barlow served as Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly (October 2008-2009).

Closing letter by Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd session of the United Nations, about water and Maude’s contribution »

 

 

Media Coverage

• Foro Mundial del Agua: niegan que sea un bien de la humanidad, elmercuriodigital.es (Spain)
• Rinde homenaje a la Madre Tierra Presidente Asamblea General de ONU, Granma (Cuba)
• Acuerda la ONU oficialmente Día de la Tierra, Radio Habana Cuba
• Canadian Maude Barlow battles for water rights at the United Nations. Linda Diebel’s Political Decoder blog with the Toronto Star
• Maude Barlow to support Bolivia's "Mother Earth Day" at UN, Rabble.ca
• Maude Barlow tells United Nations that water crisis poses "urgent" threat, Georgia Straight
• Maude Barlow Addresses UN General Assembly, Common Dreams

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UN President tells World Water Forum that water is a human right

The President of the United Nations General Assembly has told delegates at the World Water Forum in Istanbul that, "We must work quickly to guarantee that access to drinking water constitutes a fundamental right of all peoples..."

Read the Statement of H.E. Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, President of the United Nations General Assembly, to the Fifth World Water Forum delivered by Maude Barlow, Senior Advisor on Water to the President here »

Read the Council of Canadians press release here »

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United Nations General Assembly President endorses the right to water

In his 'Closing remarks at the Inter-Active Panel to Commemorate the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' today, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, the President of the United Nations General Assembly said, "We should recognize that the right to water is a human right, and water cannot therefore be treated as a commodity that is bought and sold. The right to water should unite us in building a new model of sustainable human development."

His full speech can be read here »

Read Maude Barlow's remarks to a UN Human Rights Panel in New York here »

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Press Conference by General Assembly President on Water-related Human Rights

December 9, 2008 - More children died from water-borne disease every day than from HIV/AIDS, war and traffic accidents combined, an entirely preventable situation if parents could afford clean water, Maude Barlow, Senior Adviser to the President of the General Assembly on water issues, said at a Headquarters press conference today. More »

Watch a video of the press conference here » (RealPlayer)

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Maude Barlow to speak at the United Nations

December 8, 2008 - During the 60th anniversary celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the President of the United Nations General Assembly Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann will introduce Council of Canadians National Chairperson Maude Barlow as his new Senior Advisor for Water. Barlow is working to direct a new task force to address the issue of water as a human right. More »

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UN President Appoints Canadian as New Senior Advisor on Water

October 21, 2008 - Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians and founder of the Blue Planet Project, has been appointed as the first Senior Advisor on water issues by Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd session of the United Nations.

Barlow, reacting in Ottawa to the announcement, says she is honoured to be working with someone of President d’Escoto’s calibre. “I am excited for the year ahead, and am pleased to note that President d’Escoto has already adopted the call for water to be recognized as a human right.”

In his letter to Barlow, confirming her appointment as Senior Advisor, President d’Escoto says, “One of the priority issues for my Presidency is the need to achieve the goals of the United Nations Decade "Water for Life" (2005-2015)… Given your outstanding experience, your creativity and your leadership in water issues, I would like to appoint you as my Senior Advisor for this 63rd session of the General Assembly.” More »