What is the International Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UNWC)?

The International Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UNWC) is an international agreement that was designed to ensure a balance of interests between all users of an international watercourse. This agreement seeks to balance the need to protect the environment and the need to fairly allocate the water resources. This agreement was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1997 and is legally binding for countries that ratify it. The UNWC sets rules for states that share the same watercourse. It is intended to promote cooperation between states in order to ensure the equitable use, preservation, and management of waters. It also outlines states’ responsibilities to protect the environment and protect vulnerable watercourses from pollution, overuse, and physical damage. The UNWC applies to all types of non-navigational uses, including the use of the waters for water supply, irrigation, hydroelectric power, and navigation. It also has special provisions related to fisheries, preservation of migratory organisms, and the protection of cultural and recreational uses. The UNWC is not directly applicable in Colorado, but Colorado is a party to the Colorado River Compact, which is a regional interstate agreement that seeks to address the same issues as the UNWC. The Compact is a model for how states can work together to cooperatively manage water resources, and it serves as a basis for other interstate water compacts.

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What is the International Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (UNWC)?

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