Lebanon announced its interest in joining the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) during a national workshop on the Convention, “Key aspects and opportunities for Lebanon”, held in Beirut on 4 and 5 February 2015 under the auspices of the Minister of Energy and Water and hosted by the Council of Ministers.
In his opening speech, the Minister of Energy and Water of Lebanon, Arthur Nazarian, recognized that “the preservation of international transboundary waters over years and generations requires joining international agreements under the United Nations umbrella”. Following this logic, Mr. Nazarian deemed that acceding to the UNECE Water Convention was “essential” for Lebanon.
Despite being a relatively water-rich country for the Middle East, water is an increasingly scarce resource in Lebanon. Transboundary cooperation for the sustainable management of its three transboundary watercourses — the Asi-Orontes, the Nahr al-Kabir and the Hasbani-Wazzani Rivers — as well as the transboundary aquifers shared between Lebanon and neighbouring countries, has become increasingly important.
International water law has already brought benefits for the country: in 1999 Lebanon ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses (United Nations Watercourses Convention), paving the way for a mutually beneficial agreement with Syria on sharing the water resources of the Nahr al-Kabir River in 2002. “International water law is key to resolving disputes over the management of transboundary waters”, underscored Fadi Comair, Director General of Hydraulic and Electrical Resources, noting that “aligning with the principles of equitable sharing and reasonable use of transboundary waters is in the interest of Lebanon and riparian countries”.
Key aspects of the different legal frameworks for cooperation on shared waters were discussed at the workshop, in particular the opportunity that the global opening of the Water Convention represents for Lebanon. Concrete examples of how the Water Convention has supported the development of transboundary water cooperation, even in post-conflict situations such as in the Sava River Basin in South Eastern Europe, were presented. Discussions highlighted the specificities of the UNECE Water Convention, in comparison with the United Nations Watercourses Convention, including its comprehensive institutional framework, which allows for strong ownership by Parties, and its flexibility in responding to emerging challenges, such as climate change. The complementarity of the two agreements was also stressed.
More information can be found at: www.unece.org/env/water/workshop_lebanon2015_waterconvention.html#/
Note to editors:
The Beirut workshop was co-organized by the Ministry of Energy and Water of Lebanon, UNECE and the Global Water Partnership Mediterranean (GWP-Med), with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Since its entry into force in 1996, the UNECE Water Convention has provided an important framework for improving the management of transboundary surface water and groundwater resources in the pan-European region. The Convention has become a global multilateral legal framework for transboundary water cooperation, open to accession by all United Nations Member States. The Water Convention could offer a solid cooperation framework for Lebanon and its neighbouring countries.
The Guide to Implementing the Water Convention published in 2013 (www.unece.org/index.php?id=33657&L=0) constitutes a commentary on the Convention’s provisions, providing explanations of the legal, procedural, administrative, technical and practical aspects of the Convention’s requirements for appropriate implementation.
Contact information:
Chantal Demilecamps, UNECE
Tel.: +41 (0)22 917 2468
E-mail: [email protected]