The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) released a guide with a view to improving implementation of the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention).
The guide aims to provide a legal reference in particular for those provisions that may be more difficult to interpret, and outlines minimum implementation requirements, providing examples from the UNECE region of successful application.
September 2013: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) released a guide with a view to improving implementation of the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention).
The guide aims to provide a legal reference in particular for those provisions that may be more difficult to interpret, and outlines minimum implementation requirements, providing examples from the UNECE region of successful application.
The ‘Guide to Implementing the Water Convention’ includes chapters on: rational, objectives and target groups; scope of the guide; advantages of becoming a party; how to become a party and basic requirements for implementation and compliance; general explanations of the main features of the Convention; and explanations and clarifications of selected provisions.
The Guide focuses in particular on Convention articles relating to: definitions; the obligation to prevent, control and reduce pollution causing or likely to cause transboundary impact and to use waters in a reasonable and equitable way; bilateral and multilateral cooperation; holding of consultations; joint programmes for monitoring, and joint or coordinated assessments; exchange of information between riparian parties; warning and alarm systems; mutual assistance; public information; and settlement of disputes. [Publication: Guide to Implementing the Water Convention] [UNECE Press Release]