Press release

The Water Forum denounces secret negotiation of the General Water Law between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Economy and ANEP

In 2006 the Water Forum delivered the first proposal for a "General Water Law" to the Legislative Assembly, yet our country still does not have a regulatory framework governing the different uses of water.

In October 2015, the Water Forum met with the President Salvador Sanchez Ceren and part of his Cabinet, to obtain the position of the Executive government regarding the General Water Law.  At that meeting, it was stated that there was no negotiation with the private sector and it was denied that a new water bill was being planned.

The Water Forum publicly denounces the existence of a proposed “General Water Law” agreed upon by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Economy and representatives National Association for Private Enterprise - ANEP, where the creation of an autonomous water governing body made up of 3 representatives of the public sector, 2 representatives of the ANEP(private sector) and 2 of COMURES(municipal) is proposed and where the gender and sustainability perspectives of our proposed law is eliminated.

As Water Forum we appeal to the President Salvador Sanchez Ceren to honor his word to ensure a general water law that guarantees public, sustainable and community oriented water management that ensures the true enjoyment of the human right to water for the entire salvadorean population, without discrimination.

We reiterate that for more than a decade the Water Forum has been a proponent of the General Water Law, therefore we demand to be included in the discussion.

The Water Forum reaffirms its commitment to the struggle for public and sustainable water management and rejects any form of water privatization in El Salvador.

San Salvador, September 13, 2016