An assessment of the work of the International Law Commission

The United Nations International Law Commission recently completed work on its draft on international watercourses. The draft is significant not only because it was produced by the U.N. body responsible for the codification and progressive development of international law, but also because it will be the basis of efforts to prepare a convention on the subject in the fall of 1996. Being only a framework agreement, the draft leaves a number of issues unaddressed. But it does help clarify the law and thus should promote and strengthen cooperation by states in their use of shared water resources.