Amendments to Article 25 of The Convention On The Protection And Use Of Transboundary Watercourses And International Lakes
Source: http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2013/wat/ECE_MP.WAT_41.pdf, downloaded 20140515
Decision VI/3 Accession by non-United Nations Economic Commission for Europe countries
The Meeting of the Parties,
Expressing the firm belief that cooperation among riparian States on transboundary watercourses and international lakes contributes to peace and security and to sustainable water management, and is to everyone’s benefit,
Reconfirming the conviction that the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes is an effective instrument to support cooperation also beyond the region of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (ECE),
Wishing to share the knowledge, practices and experience collected in the 20 years since the adoption of the Convention, and, at the same time, to benefit from the knowledge, practices and experience in other regions of the world,
Also wishing to collectively promote river basin cooperation throughout the world, including by offering a global intergovernmental platform for exchange and debate on transboundary water issues and for supporting the implementation of international water law,
Recalling its decision III/1 of 28 November 2003 to amend the Convention’s articles 25 and 26, as well as the spirit of that decision,
Recognizing the increased interest in the Convention and its activities by many non-ECE countries and their wish to accede to the Convention,
Acknowledging the need for a procedure for accession by non-ECE countries not differing from the procedure for accession by ECE-countries,
Expressing the unanimous desire to enable the accession by non-ECE countries as soon as possible,
1. Expresses its satisfaction that the amendments to articles 25 and 26 adopted by decision III/1 will enter into force on 6 February 2013, in accordance with article 21, paragraph 4, of the Convention, for those States that have accepted them;
2. Urges all the States and organizations that were Parties to the Convention on 28 November 2003 that have not yet done so to ratify the amendments to articles 25 and 26 as soon as possible, and not later than by the end of 2013;
3. Calls for the strengthening of cooperation with non-ECE countries interested in acceding to the Convention, with a view to promoting the mutual exchange of experience as well as the application of the Convention beyond the ECE region;
4. Decides that, for the purposes of the amendment to article 25 of the Convention, adopted by decision III/1, any future request for accession to the Convention by any Member of the United Nations not a member of ECE is welcome and, therefore, shall be considered as approved by the Meeting of the Parties. This approval is subject to the entry into force, for all the States and organizations that were Parties to the Convention on 28 November 2003, of the amendments to articles 25 and 26. A State or organization referred to in article 23 of the Convention that becomes a Party to the Convention between the adoption of this decision and the entry into force of the amended article 25, paragraph 3, for all the States and organizations that were Parties to the Convention on 28 November 2003 shall be notified by the ECE secretariat of this decision and that the State or organization is deemed to have accepted it;
5. Also decides, accordingly, that reference to the present decision will have to be made by any Member State of the United Nations that is not referred to in article 23 of the Convention when submitting its instrument for accession;
6. Requests the secretariat to inform the United Nations Treaty Section about this procedure so that appropriate arrangements can be made, and to disseminate information on the procedure to interested Members of the United Nations that are not members of ECE.
