s.1 Nature and Aims of the UN Watercourses Convention, Ch.2 Scope of the Convention (Article 1)

Subject(s):

Canals — Lakes — Rivers

This chapter provides an overview of the scope of the UN Watercourses Convention as stated in Article 1. It first discusses the preparatory works leading to the adoption of the Convention before considering the Convention’s scope and normative impact, focusing in particular on the ‘uses’ of watercourses, as referred to in paragraph 1 of Article 1; the implications of the words ‘protection, preservation and management’ appearing in the same paragraph; the scope and the rationale of the exclusions respectively provided for in paragraph 2 concerning navigation and in the statement of understanding concerning living resources. The chapter then considers Article 1’s relations with other articles of the Convention and concludes with a critical assessment of its impact for grasping the scope and the significance of the Convention.