UN Watercourses Convention (UNWC) Global Initiative

December 2010 – July 2012

Funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, the aim of the project is to support entry into force of the UNWC, and examine issues around its effective implementation.

The UNWC constitutes a global legal mechanism for facilitating the equitable and sustainable management transboundary rivers and lakes around the world. The project seeks to deepen the evidence base around why more states should support the convention, and what mechanisms need to be in place to ensure its effective implementation.

Activities to be conducted pursuant to the project include publishing a book, The UN Watercourses Convention in Force (Earthscan, Forthcoming) edited by Alistair Rieu‑Clarke & Flavia Loures; organising a Global Symposium and Special Issue of a Peer‑reviewed Journal on the UNWC; conducting assessments of the relevance of the UNWC within particular regions, including Congo, Central Asia, South America, East Africa, and Greater Mekong; and developing a User’s Guide to the UNWC and on‑line support tools. The project team from the IHP‑HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science, includes Dr Alistair Rieu‑Clarke (PI), Prof. Patricia Wouters, Ruby Monyihan, Musa Abseno, Bjoern‑Oliver Magsig, Jing Lee and Dinara Ziganshina.