United Church Social Policy Positions

Policy decision on "Water: Life before Profit"

That the 39th General Council 2006:

• Receive for information the report "Water: Life before Profit."
• Direct that the report inform the purpose statement(s) to be developed by this General Council.
• Affirm its conviction that water is a sacred gift that connects all life. Its value to the common good must take priority over commercial interests. Privatization turns a common good into a commodity, depriving those who cannot pay and further threatening local ecosystems.
• Encourage United Church congregations to learn more about, and become engaged in, water issues so that members individually, and together as communities of faith, can be better stewards of water, utilizing available resources including "Waters of Life: Issues, Ethics and Actions" prepared by the Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit.
• Encourage United Church members and congregations to participate in that advocacy campaign denominationally and ecumenically based on this statement against the privatization of water.
• Call upon the Government of Canada to act, nationally and internationally, to ensure access to clean water for all, now and for future generations by:
  • Supporting publicly or co-operatively controlled water services that have a genuine community participation, noting the critical need in First Nations communities;
  • Opposing measures in federal, bilateral and multilateral agreements and policies that promote the privatization of water services, and
  • Protecting and preserving natural sources of water.

Additional Policy Decisions Related to Water Issues

That the 39th General Council 2006:

• Through the General Secretary, General Council, The United Church of Canada Water Mission Study be extended for an additional two years;
• Continue, with KAIROS, to pressure the Federal Government to ensure equal access to clean water for all;
• Discourage the purchase of bottled water starting within its courts and congregations where possible;

And through the Executive of General Council,

• Support projects for the construction of communally owned water treatment facilities and pipelines in developing countries.

That the 39th General Council 2006:

• Firmly call upon our federal government to
  • Declare water as a human right, and
  • Resist any attempts by the United States to increase exports of Canadian fresh water under the energy proportional sharing provisions of NAFTA.

General Council: 39th General Council, 2006

Related report

• Download the report Water: Life before Profit [PDF: 5 pp/31 KB]