2.3.2. Les travaux de la Commission du droit international sur le droit des aquifères transfrontières

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En provenance du cours de University of Geneva

Droit International de l'Eau Douce

18 notes

University of Geneva

Droit International de l'Eau Douce

18 notes

Au cours des dernières décennies, le droit international a connu des développements majeurs afin de tenir compte des multiples facettes que revêt la gestion et la protection des eaux douces. L’adoption d’instruments universels, régionaux et de bassins souligne l’importance d’étudier l’évolution de la réglementation internationale relative à l’eau et d’identifier les grands principes en ce domaine. Aussi, ce cours vise à offrir les bases nécessaires pour appréhender et examiner la régulation qui s’applique eaux douces transfrontières notamment aux fleuves, aux lacs et aux aquifères. Il présente les principes et les normes juridiques qui régissent l’utilisation, le partage, la gestion et la protection de ces ressources. Le MOOC est composé de 5 modules pouvant être visualisés dans un ordre quelconque, car abordant chacun un thème différent. Cependant, l’ordre des modules suit une certaine logique pédagogique et facilite la compréhension du MOOC pour des personnes ne connaissant pas le sujet. Chaque module s’accompagne d’un questionnaire d’évaluation/quiz. Le MOOC suivra un parcours unique donnant droit à un certificat pour les apprenants ayant obtenu une moyenne supérieure à 80% aux quiz. A la fin du cours, l’apprenant sera à même entre autres : 1) de décrire les enjeux liés à la régulation des eaux douces transfrontières ; 2) d’expliquer l’évolution de la réglementation internationale relative aux eaux douces transfrontières ; 3) de rappeler et d’interpréter les principes et les règles qui régissent la régulation des ressources en eau ; 4) de comprendre le rôle des mécanismes de règlement des différends liés aux eaux douces transfrontières dans le développement du droit international de l’eau douce (ou de comprendre le rôle des cours et tribunaux internationaux dans la résolution des conflits sur l’eau douce) Ce MOOC a été développé par la Plateforme pour le droit international de l’eau douce qui fait partie du Pôle Eau de Genève. Il a été accompagné par la Cellule MOOC de l’Université de Genève. A côté des chercheurs et des enseignants de la Plateforme, plusieurs experts internationaux ont également participé. Ce MOOC fait partie des trois cours soutenu par le Pôle Eau Genève et l’Université de Genève en compagnie des MOOCs en « Gestion et politique de l’eau » (www.coursera.org/learn/gestioneau) et en « Services écosystémiques : une méthode pour le développement durable » (www.coursera.org/learn/ecosystem-services). Ce cours est financé par le Programme Global Eau de la Direction du développement et de la coopération suisse (DDC).

À partir de la leçon

Module 2: Évolution de la réglementation internationale de l’eau douce

Ce module retrace les grandes étapes qui ont jalonné l’évolution de la règlementation internationale de l’eau douce. La portée et l’apport de la Convention des Nations Unies sur le droit relatif aux utilisations des cours d’eau internationaux à des fins autres que la navigation (Convention de 1997) et de la Convention sur la protection et l’utilisation des cours d’eau transfrontières et des lacs internationaux de la Commission économique pour l’Europe des Nations Unies (CEE-ONU) de 1992 (Convention de 1992) y sont examinés. La contribution des organisations internationales, des sociétés savantes internationales ainsi que de la société civile dans l’élaboration et la promotion de ces instruments est mise en relief. La spécificité de la règlementation relative aux eaux souterraines est également abordée avec une description des principales caractéristiques du Projet d’articles de la Commission du droit international (CDI) sur le droit des aquifères transfrontières de 2008. L’exemple de bonne pratique de la Convention relative à la protection, à l’utilisation, à la réalimentation et au suivi de la nappe franco-suisse du Genevois de 2008 est enfin présenté. Un quiz clôturera ce module et équivaudra à 20% de la note finale. Pour le réussir, vous devez avoir au moins 80% de réponses correctes.

2.3.1. Les défis liés à la régulation des eaux souterraines7:24

2.3.2. Les travaux de la Commission du droit international sur le droit des aquifères transfrontières9:41

2.3.3. Spécificités du droit relatif aux aquifères transfrontières10:28

2.3.4. Étude de cas : L’aquifère transfrontalier du Genevois (Suisse-France)16:50

Rencontrer les enseignants

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes
Professor
Department of Public International Law and International Organization, Faculty of Law
Makane Moïse Mbengue
Professor
Faculty of Law and Institute of Environmental Sciences
Mara Tignino
Reader
Department of Public International Law and International Organization, Faculty of Law
Komlan Sangbana
Associate Researcher
Faculty of Law and Institute of Environmental Sciences

[MUSIC]

[MUSIC] So I will continue by telling you about the work of

the International Law Commission (ILC) on the law of transboundary aquifers.

So as you saw in the last slide of the previous section,

there are many shared aquifers

- more than 300 - not counting the groundwater masses

of the European Union which are managed by the European Water Framework Directive.

This reflects how this important resource

must be managed on a global scale.

To discuss the work of ILC on

the subject of transboundary aquifers, this sequence has been divided into three parts.

First, I'll discuss the context in which ILC began its work.

Next, I'll talk to you about this work and I will give you

an overview of the current status of the draft articles.

So, what was the context in which the ILC began its work on

transboundary aquifers?

In 1994, the ILC adopted the draft articles on the Law

of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses

which became the 1997 New York Convention,

adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

And as such, the draft articles for international

watercourses were prepared.

In light of its work on the draft articles on international watercourses, the ILC

became interested in groundwater, but this was only

towards the end of the work process and therefore the work was concluded

without a complete consideration of groundwater.

The definition of an international watercourse, in the 1997 Convention,

includes groundwater in a watercourse, where the groundwater

is linked to this watercourse and have the same end point.

So the surface water and groundwater share the same

end point.

In reality, however, this is rarely the case.

Groundwater, even those linked to an international watercourse,

does not necessarily share the same end point.

A river will flow into the sea, for example, whereas the

groundwater will end up in a spring in a mountain.

There are two different end points

And in any case, due to the lack of knowledge about groundwaters

there is a great deal of uncertainty about their spill and

recharge zone.

The Commission therefore recognized, when it adopted the draft articles

on international watercourses in 1994, that it had omitted

to list it as an important global water resource.

To this end, it adopted the 1994 Resolution on Confined

Transboundary Groundwater, in which it advocates the application of

the principles of the 1997 Convention to transboundary groundwaters.

At the same time, the ILC reflected on its

2002 shared natural resources work plan.

In 2003, the Special Rapporteur on shared natural resources

decided to start by looking at transboundary confined groundwaters.

Then it focused on oil and gas

which are also shared natural resources.

In his first report,

the limits of the subject are defined and he announces that he will look at

groundwaters not covered by the 1997 Convention.

At the same time, he consulted hydrogeologists,

groundwater experts, as he believed that he and the members of the ILC,

(as lawyers and professors of international law)

were not experts in water or groundwater.

Following the consultations with the groundwater experts,

a second report was submitted in 2004 which captures an

evolution that impacts

the content of the draft articles.

So first,

the Special Rapporteur decided to drop the term "confined".

Indeed, the consultations with hydrogeologists enabled him

to realise that the term had been used wrongly,

designating groundwater as unrelated to surface water.

In hydrogeology, this term has a completely different meaning,

referring to groundwater that is under pressure,

(where as soon as there is a borehole,

the water gushes out without any mechanical or other force to hold it back).

So to avoid any misunderstanding between hydrologists and lawyers,

this term was dropped.

At the same time, after the consultations with hydrogeologists,

he decided to adopt the term "aquifer".

By adopting the term aquifer, the Special Rapporteur expands the

subject so that it no longer covers only groundwater,

but is extended to cover geological formations

recognising that an aquifer is both groundwater and a geological formation.

The ILC adopted the draft articles in 2008, at a second reading.

The draft articles include a preamble and 19 articles.

It is divided into four parts, introduction, general principles,

protection, preservation and management, and various other provisions.

When the ILC completed its work in 2008,

once it had adopted the draft articles,

the work was referred to the United Nations General Assembly (as required by its statute).

And it made the recommendation to the General Assembly to adopt it

in a resolution in order to ensure that the draft articles could be made available to

States. This was pending discussion on the final version since there was no decision on

this and it was up to the States to decide.

To date, the draft articles have been the subject of three

General Assembly resolutions in 2008, 2011 and 2013.

In accordance with the ILC's recommendation, the General Assembly, in 2008,

included the draft articles as an annex to its resolution

and encouraged concerned States to draw up agreements on their

transboundary aquifers based on the principles of the draft articles.

In 2011, the same terminology was used

even if the draft articles were not annexed.

And finally, in 2013, the General Assembly

changed its terminology, it recommended the

the text of the draft articles on the law of transboundary aquifers to governments and

this resolution included the draft articles in its annex.

In this latest resolution,

you can see that there is an evolution underway within the General Assembly.

Rather than viewing the draft articles as a declaration of principles

they have become viewed as a more binding convention or text.

Indeed, during the debates, the States did not appear to evolve in this direction.

Even if the draft articles had no binding force,

as it was included in a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly,

they did have some influence.

The States of the Guarani aquifer of South America,

shared between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay,

concluded an agreement in 2010 for the management of their shared aquifer.

They referred to this 2010 resolution and to the principles of

the agreement which was heavily influenced by the draft articles.

More recently, the States Parties to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use

of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

from the UNECE

adopted a document

on transboundary groundwaters, intended to facilitate the

the application of the principles of the convention on transboundary aquifers.

This document was based on the draft articles.

So we see that the draft articles,

despite the fact that they are non-binding,

are starting to make their way into international life,

into how States relate to their transboundary aquifers.

The very fact that this instrument

is available is an important step.

It is the only instrument that completely addresses transboundary aquifers

and which is adapted to their specific characteristics.

The fact that it is non-binding is not an obstacle to its application,

since the States that share a transboundary aquifer,

and who wish to enter into an agreement can be inspired

by the articles without entering into heavy processes

such as ratification which would be required for the application of a convention.

[MUSIC] [MUSIC]

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