International Water Law for the 21st Century: The Contribution of the U.N. Convention

In May, 1997, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Law of the Non- Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, a treaty that largely codifies the general principles of international water law. While not entirely free from controversy, the Convention has already been influential and will doubtless continue to be well into the 21st century. This paper provides an overview of the Convention, comments on some of its salient provisions, and considers its future influence