June 24, 2009: Sharing an Invisible Water Resource for the Common Good: How to Make Use of the UN General Assembly Resolution on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers (TBA)
Seminar at the World Water Week in Stockholm
on 20 August 2009, 14:00 - 17:30
After many years of effort by the UNESCO IHP/IAH led ISARM Programme, a landmark event took place during the 2008 UN General Assembly with the adoption of a Resolution on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers, including in its annex the draft articles that had been prepared by the UN International Law Commission (UNILC) in close cooperation with UNESCO IHP's experts group composed of lawyers and water scientists from different institutions around the world. With this Resolution, the UN General Assembly ‘Encourages Aquifer States to make appropriate bilateral or regional arrangements for the proper management of their transboundary aquifers, taking into account the provisions of these draft articles'. Transposition of these articles to reality is the next step to be undertaken to contribute towards the appropriate governance of transboundary aquifers.
The seminar therefore aims to provide a platform for discussions and considerations on how to make the transition from the adoption of such policies to their implementation into practical, operational actions. The debate will also consider the steps that need to be taken, the positive political implications of taking such steps over ‘invisible' resources management, as well as how the users of such a resource can be assured of water security.
UNESCO-IHP, together with the UN International Law Commission Special Rapporteur on the item of transboundary aquifers, has prepared the draft articles of a new UN international instrument. UNESCO is committed to contribute to the implementation of the resolution.
- Chair: Mr. Wilhelm Struckmeier, BGR, Germany
- Co-chair: Mr. Jan Lundqvist, SIWI, Sweden
- Debate-Facilitator: Mrs. Alice Aureli, UNESCO-IHP
- Rapporteurs: Mr. Shaminder Puri, IAH-IHP/ISARM, and Mrs. Raya Marina Stephan, UNESCO-IHP