WATER ABLAZE - Patagonia Sin Represas

FREQUENTLY-USED ABBREVIATIONS
(WITH COMMENTS)
In relation to water and globalisation, arranged alphabetically
17
ABONG Associação Brasileira de ONGs
(Brazilian Association of NGOs)
ABSA Aguas Bonaerenses S.A.
Public water and wastewater management. In the context of remunicipalisation, the Buenos Aires
provincial state government accepted an offer from SOSBA, the water workers’ union of Buenos
Aires Province, and created Aguas Bonaerenses S.A. in February 2002. Following the social and
economic crisis, the government’s decision to cooperate with the workers remained firm despite
pressure from neoliberal institutions.
ACME Association pour le Contrat Mondial de l’Eau
(Association for the Global Water Contract)
ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
Confederation of 77 states from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Rim; economic cooperation;
treaty with the EU based on unilateral customs preferences; Lomé Agreement, later Cotonou
Agreement.
ACP Groupe des États d’Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique
(African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States)
AKP-Staaten (see: ACP)
ADB Asian Development Bank
ADB African Development Bank
ADES Association Démocratie-Écologie-Solidarité
French Socialist-environmental voters’ alliance, fighting for remunicipalisation.
AFTA Asian Free Trade Agreement
AIG American International Group
Large A m e r i c a n i n s u r a n c e corporation; part of the financial crisis.
AISA Aguas del Illimani S.A.
Company founded in 1997 and based in La Paz, Bolivia; provides drinking water and sanitation
connections in El Alto, La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba; subsidiary of Suez, the world’s largest
water giant; a consortium of the French Suez (55% of shares), Bolivian-Argentine investors (34%
of shares) and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, IFC (9% of shares).
ALBA Alternativa Bolivariana para las Américas
(Bolivian Alternative Plan for the American States) Alternative plan to ALCA.
ALCA Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (Spanish); Área de
Livre Comércio das Américas (Portuguese); American Free Trade Area
(English) Intended to encompass all 34 states of North, South and Central America, as well as the
Caribbean states with the exception of Cuba; initiated in 1991 by former U.S. president, George H.
W. Bush, but not realised to the present day due to existing differences (see: FTAA).
311