OSCE supports Azerbaijan and Georgia talks on shared water resources

Government representatives of Azerbaijan and Georgia met to discuss a draft bilateral agreement on the shared water resources of the Kura River Basin in Baku on 28 November 2011 as part of a joint OSCE-UNECE project under the Environment and Security (ENVSEC) Initiative.

It was the fourth such meeting since 2009 facilitated by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in the framework of the ENVSEC project. The meeting was organized with the support of the OSCE Office in Baku.

The final draft agreement, which was officially submitted in advance of the meeting to Azerbaijan and Georgia for review, has been discussed extensively at the previous consultations. It provides a framework for co-operation between two countries on water pollution prevention and control, conservation of biodiversity, emergency situations, data and information sharing, and public participation. The Draft Agreement also envisages the establishment of a joint commission for the protection and rational use of water resources of the Kura River Basin.

The project on the Implementation of the UNECE Water Convention and Management of Transboundary Watercourses Shared by Georgia and Azerbaijan also provided technical assistance to Georgia in identifying its legal and financial needs for accession to, and implementation of, the UNECE Transboundary Water Convention.

Transboundary water resources are one of the focus areas of the ENVSEC Initiative in the South Caucasus and implementation of the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Water Courses and International Lakes is seen as an important legal mechanism for improving co-operation on water resources in the region. One of the requirements of the Convention for countries is to enter into bilateral or multilateral agreements regarding the prevention, control and reduction of transboundary impacts on water resources.

For further information on the ENVSEC Initiative, please visit: www.envsec.org