Transboundary aquifers and International Law UNESCO-IHP cooperation with the UN ILC
In 2002, the International Law Commission of the United Nations (UN ILC) has included in its work programme the topic of “shared natural resources”. Under this topic, it has chosen to cover transboundary groundwater, and then oil and gas.
Since 2003, at the request of the Special Rapporteur on the topic, close cooperation with UNESCO’s International Hydrological Program (IHP) and the UN ILC has been established. The IHP committed itself to provide the ILC with scientific and technical support on the issue of transboundary groundwater.
In this process, and within the framework of its ISARM (International Shared Aquifer Resources management) project, UNESCO-IHP has since the year 2003 provided scientific and technical advice to the Special Rapporteur and the ILC, inviting, coordinating and supporting the contributions of international experts, international and national institutions, including centres on groundwater resources, the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), Food and Agricultural Organization, Organization of American States (OAS), International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and others.
A multidisciplinary ad-hoc task force of groundwater experts was set up, and met regularly with the Special Rapporteur and his team, in Paris and in Tokyo in view of the preparation of the reports that were submitted every year to the ILC. Working group sessions and briefings were also organized in Geneva with the members of the ILC, and in New York for the delegates of the 6th Committee of the UN General Assembly.
It is in the frame of this process that UNESCO IHP organized two regional meetings.
The first one was focused on arid regions : the Middle East and North Africa, and the second one on the Americas. The objectives of these meetings were to gather groundwater experts, hydrogeologists and lawyers, from these specific regions in order to identify regional groundwater characteristics and State practice (domestic and transboundary) regarding groundwater. Their ultimate goal is to create a common language between hydrogeologists and lawyers. The meetings were also an opportunity for the participants to present comments and observations on the draft articles prepared by the Special Rapporteur.
All presentations, contributions and papers (non edited) submitted during the meetings, as well as the meetings report are included in this CD.
Raya Marina Stephan Water Law Specialist Consultant UNESCO-IHP
