5. Assuring Affordable, Accessible and Quality Public Services for All: Health, Education, Water, Transport and Energy

While the world has all the necessary resources for a life of dignity for all, our common world, the air we breathe, the water we drink, our forests and seas, and hence also our human rights to life, food, shelter and freedom are violated. Neoliberal ideology is the root cause of all major difficulties with universal social services at this point in time. Neoliberalism only believes in market solutions, and has redefined the role of States. This has to stop. Essential for a dignified life are social services: health care, education, water, public transport, housing, communication and so much more, all the things people need for being free of want. Many governments seek solutions through ‘Private Public Partnerships’, that is agreements with private companies. Research has indicated this rarely is in favour of public entities, let alone of workers and citizens, and offers very profitable opportunities to corporations. International trade agreements do the rest. They are no longer primarily about tariffs and quotas, but they act as a type of ‘Trojan horse’ to carry provisions that facilitate privatisation and new rights for multinational investors. Real alternatives can be found in re-municipalisation and in social commons.