s.7 Miscellaneous Provisions, Ch.15 International Watercourses and Installations in Time of Armed Conflicts; the Obligation of Cooperation and Indirect Procedures; Exchange of Information and Protection of Data and Information Vital to National Defence or Security (Articles 29–31)

Subject(s):

Canals — Lakes — Rivers — Armed conflict

This chapter analyses Articles 29–31, which are concerned with, respectively: international watercourses and installations in time of armed conflicts, the obligation of cooperation and indirect procedures, and exchange of information and protection of data and information vital to national defence or security. The discussion begins with an overview of the preparatory works leading up to Articles 29–31, including the process of negotiations held at the International Law Commission (ILC) and the Sixth Committee’s Working Group of the Whole, as well as the modifications in their wording over the years. The chapter then examines the scope, dimensions, and legal value of the three articles, along with their relationship to other provisions of the UN Watercourses Convention. In particular, it considers how Articles 29–31 are linked to other areas of international law, such as international humanitarian law and international environmental law, as well as the role of joint mechanisms.