What does international law say about the sharing of transboundary water resources?
The UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses was adopted May 21, 1997 after 27 years of development. The Global Convention sets out the basis rights and obligations between States relating to the management of international watercourses. While the ten-year anniversary of the Watercourses Convention passed in May 2007, only 16 nations have ratified the Convention. For the Convention to enter into force, 35 are needed. The primary substantive rules of international law is that States must utilize their international watercourses in an equitable and reasonable way and without causing significant harm to their neighbors.
