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*Vacancy announcement: Research Fellow or Senior Research Fellow, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)

Organisational Unit: International Governance for Sustainable Development
Duty Station: Yokohama, Japan
Reference Number: 2009/UNU/IAS/01
Application Deadline: 31 March 2010
Expected Start Date: May 2010
Duration of Appointment: 1 year (with the possibility of renewal)

Information on UNU-IAS is available at www.ias.unu.edu.

Responsibilities:
The Research Fellow or Senior Research Fellow will be expected to be fully involved in the academic activities of UNU-IAS in the area of international governance for sustainable development. Substantial amount of time will be in carrying out research and research supervision of the postdoctoral and doctoral fellows at UNU-IAS, as well as assist in fundraising efforts. The Fellow will report directly to the Director of UNU-IAS.

Required Qualifications:
- Ph.D. (no ABDs), preferably in the areas of social/environmental sciences or international environmental law/international relations, though doctoral graduates from natural sciences, who have worked with international agreements or regimes are also encouraged to apply
- Demonstrated research experience in the area of international agreements or regimes, particularly their relations with development and environmental issues
- A sound record or potential for publication in the area of international agreements and international regimes
- Research management skills and teaching experience are desirable
- Ability to prepare funding proposals
- Fluency in English and a working knowledge of other UN official languages desired,

Remuneration: A monthly stipend can range from JPY 350,000 to 600,000, depending on the candidate’s academic qualifications and years of work experience.

Address applications to:
Director, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS)
1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-8502, Japan
Fax: +81-45-221-2302 or Email: amano@ias.unu.edu
All applications/nominations will be acknowledged

Applications consist of:
- A cover letter describing how your qualifications and experience match the requirements of the position. Please include the vacancy reference number in the letter.
- A UN University Personal History Form (P.11) accessible on the UN University website (www.unu.edu/employment)
- Full Curriculum Vitae with list of publications and names and contacts, including email addresses of three referees (the referees will be contacted directly by UNU-IAS in the event that the candidate is shortlisted)
- Two publication samples (single author articles or book chapters)

Late applications will not be considered. Clearly state the reference number in the subject header.

* Les principes du droit et de l'administration des eaux - Droit interne et droit international, by Dante Caponera

Les principes du droit et de l'administration des eaux - Droit interne et droit international, by Dante Caponera, second edition revised and updated by Marcella Nanni, French version, was published by Editions Johanet, Paris, in November, 2009. The purpose of this book, which was first published in 1992, is to provide a tool for dealing with the legal and institutional aspects of water resources management to those who are called upon to carry out functions within the context of water resources administration and to face the legal issues raised by water management. Given that there have been a number of developments in the field of water law, policy and administration since 1992, year of its first issue (in English), the book has been revised and updated to reflect elements of growing topical importance, such as groundwater management, river basin planning, water quality protection and the participation of stakeholders in decision making. For further information, visit: http://www.editions-johanet.net

*International Conference on ‘Transboundary Aquifers – Challenges and new directions,’ Paris, 6-8 December, 2010

UNESCO has convened an International Conference on ‘Transboundary Aquifers – Challenges and new directions’ in Paris, 6-8 December 2010. The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 63/124 of 11 December 2008, carrying ‘The law of transboundary aquifers’ (see AquaForum No.41) will be central to the Conference. A preliminary announcement has been posted at . Interested members should note that a limited number of travel grants are available from the conference organizers for participants from developing countries whose papers have been accepted by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the conference. The AIDA Executive Council Chairman is a member of such Committee.

* International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, Qawra (Malta), 12-13 February 2010

As previously announced on this site, AIDA was represented at the above meeting by its Honorary Chairman Dominique Michel Alhéritière. Thirty-two States, including all the States of the Mediterranean Basin, were represented, although nor Israel, nor Syria had sent official delegations. Also in attendance were 7 inter-parliamentary organizations, 5 IGOs, and 14 NGOs. More than 50 members of Parliament and 24 Ambassadors were present. The level of the debates was of high quality, both on substance (well documented facts) and on the form (no abusive rhetoric but dignifying statements in spite of the harsh reality and untold sorrow on the ground).

The meeting had been convened jointly by the United Nations and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, with a view to relaunching a constructive dialogue on the permanent status issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, namely: Border, Jerusalem, settlements, refugees and water.

Confronted with the real human tragedy that the local populations endure as well as the severe environmental emergency occuring in the Gaza Strip all the Palestinian and Israeli present, official representatives for the former, individuals for the latter, continued to reaffirm their faith in and to invoke international law (e.g. the various agreements already signed by both parties, the UN General Assembly and Security Council Resolutions, the general principles of international law), particularly on the water resources issue. However, they remained conscious that as long as the colonization of the Palestinian land would continue to expand beyond the borders of 1967 (with minor swaps of land to be agreed by the Parties), no rule, principle, or guideline of international water law would be given a chance to play any useful role. In such a context, the only thing our Association can do is to stand ready.

AIDA's intervention in the Plenary to present the Association and express its readiness to help with its expertise was therefore very well received. In fact, it is the only NGO which has been referred to in the text of the final report of the meeting.

* Research fellowship on the 'Future of the World’s Water'

The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, University of Singapore, offers a research fellowship on the 'Future of the World’s Water'. This fellowship provides an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research on the traditional and non-traditional drivers of change for water management beyond 2020. These drivers include, but are not limited to, population, urbanization, globalization, free trade, HIV/AIDS, technological developments and increasing interrelationships between water, food, energy, and environmental securities. The fellow will collaborate and participate in the research programme on the Future of World’s Water under Prof. Asit K. Biswas and Prof. Cecilia Tortajada of the School's Institute of Water Policy. The Institute was established to undertake research on water policies and governance within Singapore and the region as part of the School’s mission to raise standards of governance and improve the lives of people in the region. The Institute is also a Centre of Excellence for Water Governance under the Asia Pacific Water Forum’s network of Regional Water Knowledge Hubs. The fellowship will have a two-year duration, renewable. The successful candidate will be a researcher able to work in multidisciplinary and multisectoral settings. S/he has broad knowledge of public policies especially in terms of water. Added assets are publications in reputed journals and experience in research collaboration. Specific requirements are: a Ph.D. degree and background on water in relation with engineering, economics, biology, environment, politics or sociology; broad knowledge of public policy formulation and implementation; research experience in collaboration with external organizations; good communication skills in the English language, oral and written. Applicants are invited to submit electronically, to Bernard Tan at sppbtys@nus.edu.sg, their CV, Table 1 (opens a PDF file in a separate page) duly completed and a two-page note on what they think are important water problems in the world. Application should be received by 31 March 2010.

* UNESCO launches a Master programme on Water and Cooperation.

An opportunity to study conflict management in Dundee and Delft has been created by two new and related master programmes that are offered under the aegis of PCCP, UNESCO's programme on water and cooperation: - MSc in Water Management - specialisation Water Conflict Management - LLM in Water Governance and Conflict Resolution The Masters programmes provide the participants the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the theoretical background of scientific, legal and institutional aspects of water management.
For more information access the electronic brochure online:
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/pccp/pdf/msc_llm_flyer.pdf

* Toward a Water Ethic

Last March, AIDA's member Gabriel Eckstein co-chaired the symposium, Common Grounds, Common Waters: Toward a Water Ethic. The program was held at the Santa Clara University School of Law and skillfully organized by the law school’s Journal of International Law, with the support of the Texas Tech Center for Water Law & Policy and the Philosophy of Water Project at the University of North Texas. The proceedings were published late last year in volume 6 of the Journal. The articles, as well as transcripts of the panels and roundtable, can now be accessed on the International Water Law Project website at: http://www.waterlaw.org/bibliography/Ethics

* The Issue of Water between Israel and the Palestinians

In April 2009, the World Bank issued a report carrying "Assessment of restrictions on Palestinian water sector development". The report is available at http://go.worldbank.org/BCE0MYETM0. The report drew immediate, separate responses from the Palestinian Water Authority and from the Israeli Water Authority. These responses - a "statement letter" and a "position paper", respectively - are also available on the same weblink.

* Droit à l’assainissement dans les législations nationales

Henri Smets, chercheur infatigable de réputation mondiale, et Membre de notre Association, vient de publier dans le cadre du programme de travail de l'Académie de l'Eau un ouvrage fondamental réunissant des monographies nationales sur le droit à l’assainissement dans 16 pays développés ou en développement, ainsi que de nombreuses autres contributions, dont plusieurs par Henri Smets lui-même. Parmi les prestigieux collaborateurs à l'ouvrage, on relève les noms de nos Membres Miguel Liber Martin, Vergara Blanco, Embid Irujo, Raya Stephan

Dans la Préface de cet ouvrage, le Président de l'Académie de l'Eau, Prof. Gentilini, expose que “L'assainissement devrait être un droit prioritaire surtout lorsque la pauvreté, la précarité et la promiscuité mettent en danger la Vie”. Selon lui, “L'accès à l'eau potable, sans le droit à l'assainissement, ne constitue pas un progrès satisfaisant”.

Vous pouvez aussi consulter l'ouvrage sur le site du Partenariat Français pour l'Eau à l’adresse :
http://www.partenariat-francais-eau.fr/spip.php?article690&var_mode=calcu

* Prof. McCaffrey criticizes the UNILC Draft Articles on Transboundary Aquifers

The American Journal of International Law (issue No.103 of 2009) hosts an article by Prof. Stephen McCaffrey entitled "The International Law Commission adopts Draft Articles on Transboundary Aquifers". The article carries a critique of the draft Articles which were adopted by the UN International Law Commission in 2008, and which were subsequently acknowledged by the UN General Assembly at its Sixty-third session by Resolution 63/124 adopted on 11 December 2008. The author critizes the Draft Articles on the grounds that they they overlap in part with the provisions of the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses, to the risk of generating confusion as a result. Moreover, Prof. McCaffrey takes exception to the general principle of the sovereignty of aquifer states, enshrined in the Draft Articles.
The final version of this article was originally published in the American Journal of International Law (103 AJIL 272 (2009)).
View the article here

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