*Seminar on "Transboundary Aquifers and International Law: The Experience of the Guarani Aquifer System", University of Surrey, Guildford, UK, 31 August, 2010 This seminar will bring together an interdisciplinary group of international water experts to discuss the experience gained by the Guarani Aquifer System states in the light of the current developments on international law of transboundary aquifers. Speakers will include experts who have collaborated with the United Nations International Law Commission in the work that has led to the adoption by the UN General Assembly of the Draft Articles on the law of transboundary aquifers, and experts whose work focuses on the Guarani Aquifer System.
The seminar will be organized by the Environmental Regulatory Research Group (ERRG) of the University of Surrey, UK, and is part of the Group project “The Environmental Protection of the Guarani Aquifer: A Legal Perspective”. The seminar contributes to the UNESCO-IHP ISARM (Internationally Shared Aquifers Resource Management) Programme, and it will constitute the official launch of the Surrey Centre for the Regulation of Transboundary Aquifers (SCERTA).
The final programme may be found at http://www2.surrey.ac.uk/errg/pdf/Flyer.pdf
* Council of the European Union - Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton,
on behalf of the EU to commemorate the World Water Day, 22nd March, 2010 (7810/10 - Presse 72)
‘The EU reaffirms its commitment to the full realisation of all human rights, considering that all human rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person. As an example of its firm commitment to the promotion and protection of the economic, social and cultural rights, the EU celebrates the European Water Day and commemorates World Water Day.
On World Water Day, the European Union reaffirms that all States bear human rights obligations regarding access to safe drinking water, which must be available, physically accessible, affordable and acceptable.
The EU also recognises that the human rights obligations regarding access to safe drinking water and to sanitation are closely related with individual human rights - as the rights to housing, food and health.
…
But even more than being related to individual rights, access to safe drinking water is a component element of the right to an adequate standard of living and is closely related to human dignity.
The EU acknowledges the fact that several United Nations bodies, civil society organisations, experts, practitioners, governments and others call for a broader recognition of the human right to water.
…
The EU commemorates the 13th World Water Day and celebrates this year the 1st European Water Day. For the EU, 22nd March is a unique occasion to remind us all that solutions are possible and also that human rights have a decisive contribution to putting these solutions in place. The principles of participation, non-discrimination and accountability are, in fact, central to empowering the most marginalized sections of society and demonstrating that these crucial matters are no longer an issue of charity.
This year’s World Water Day’s theme is “Clean Water for a healthy world”. Water for personal and domestic uses must be safe, therefore free from substances constituting a threat to a person’s health. Access to adequate and safe sanitation constitutes one of the principal mechanisms for protecting the quality of drinking water.
The EU applauds the efforts taken by some countries - including a number of EU member states - to improve this tragic situation by taking specific measures, including legislative ones, at the national and international levels to improve access to safe drinking water and to sanitation.
The Candidate Countries Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia align themselves with this declaration.’
* SECOND EDITION of 'Les principes du droit et de l'administration des eaux - Droit interne et droit international' by Dante Caponera, revised and updated by Marcella NanniLes 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
*Recently released - vient de paraitre - acaba de salir! The Code de l'eau The Code de l'eau (Water Code), second edition, authored by AIDA members Jacques Sironneau and Bernard Drobenko, is now available from Editions Johanet, Paris. The Code, consisting of nearly 1,800 pages, carries the annotated text of the water laws of France and of the European Union, and of salient international water law instruments. The texts are accompanied by a rich commentary, which includes doctrinal and case law references. The Code spans the full spectrum of water resources management, incuding in particular the uses of the resource, both for economic and for recreational purposes, the delivery of drinking water supplies, and mineral waters. The Code also provides users with access to a dedicated website where the full text of the innumerable domestic, EU and international legal instruments cited, and of the most significane cases also cited, can be located. The Code can be ordered from www.editions-johanet.com .
*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.
*International Conference on ‘Transboundary Aquifers – Challenges and new directions,’ Paris, 6-8 December, 2010UNESCO 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 2010As 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 EthicLast 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
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