International Law Commission Adopts Draft Articles of a Transboundary Aquifers Convention

Abstract

On August 5, 2008, the International Law Commission (ILC) adopted draft articles for an international framework convention on transboundary aquifers. These draft articles represent six years of work by the ILC and constitute a landmark event for the protection and management of groundwater resources, which have been neglected as a subject of international law despite the social, economic, environmental, and strategic importance of groundwater. This ASIL Insight provides some background on groundwater, describes the ILC's work on transboundary aquifers, analyzes the ILC's draft articles, and provides some concluding thoughts on the future of these articles.