s.1 Nature and Aims of the UN Watercourses Convention, Ch.1 The Choice of a Framework Convention

Subject(s):

Canals — Lakes — Rivers

This chapter provides an overview of the framework convention that was adopted for the UN Watercourses Convention. According to the Convention’s preamble, ‘a framework convention will ensure the utilization, development, conservation, management and protection of international watercourses and the promotion of the optimal and sustainable utilization thereof for present and future generations’. Before discussing this distinctive nature of a framework convention, the chapter considers the relevance of selecting the framework convention model for regulating the uses of international watercourses. In particular, it describes the framework convention as a harmonization tool and its use in response to a practical need. It then examines whether the framework convention is an appropriate technique for the Convention, focusing on the ambiguity of the nature of the Convention vis-à-vis its content and how the uses of international watercourses promote regionalism over universalism.