Vatten en mänsklig rättighet när kommunen privatiserar?

This study examines the importance of the Human Rights of the UN conventions in one aspect of our daily lives – our constant need for water. The right of all human beings to healthy water is confirmed by General Comment number 15, an annex to the Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, as does the Swedish Constitution, the so called Regeringsformen. The study examines, amongst other matters, if these rights are presently considered at the practical level, that is, in the water management of a local municipality. The crucial matter that is investigated is how these rights should be guaranteed when private, global companies, which have no responsabilities to consider the UN-conventions, enter as new agents in the area of public water administration. The hypothesis, that the privatization of the water administration could be put at risk the right of the citizens to healthy, accessible and affordable water, is therefore examined. Which are the agents that actually have the power over the water adminstration and the application of the Human Rights in this area in Sweden? In order to seek further knowledge in these matters studies of documents were undertaken, as well as a comparative study of the water administration of the municipality of Norrtälje and their private subcontractor, Veolia Water AB, a daugther company of the global multi-utility company Vivendi. The conclusions are several: one is that the municipality experiences certain advantages with the privatization; another that the Swedish water administration is included in a global, commercial network consisting of private agents and therefore sees itself threatened by a potential loss of power; the Swedish state thus defends itself from being dominated creating new laws to protect the municipal control of water administration and to prevent further privatization. Last but not least there are global tendencies towards further cooperation in the area of Human Rights and water administration promotioned by different agents: UN-entities, the private commercial sector, nations and non-governmental organizations. Knäckfrågan som uppsatsen rör sig kring är hur dessa rättigheter skall kunna garanteras när privata globala bolag, som inte har åligganden enligt FN-konventioner, kommer in som nya aktörer inom den kommunala vattenhanteringen. Hypotesen, att privatiseringar av vattenförvaltningen kan innebära risker för medborgarens rätt till tjänligt och tillgängligt vatten till rimlig kostnad, prövas