Delegates at the World Water Forum in Mexico City are arguing over the document they hope to release at the end of the week-long meeting. The draft says water resources are important but does not declare clean water to be a human right.
The head of the World Water Council, Loic Fouchon, told the French news agency, AFP, that some nations are against declaring water a human right because that could lead to conflicts between countries that share water resources, such as lakes and rivers.
Bolivia has said it will not sign the document unless it states that access to clean water is a fundamental human right.
Forum organizers say almost 22 percent of the world population lacks clean drinking water. They say water shortages affect developing communities the most.
The document will be released Wednesday, which is World Water Day.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
