UN Security Council Resolution of International Water Disputes

Abstract

This Article is the first to identify and analyze the various ways that the UN Security Council has attempted to resolve international water disputes through its ability to create binding obligations on states. These obligations tend to diverge from what international water law provides, thereby creating tension between the UN regime and the treaty regime. The Security Council might want to be more careful before interfering with the freedom to navigate international watercourses in the future, inasmuch as that freedom represents the cornerstone of international water law. With international water disputes on the rise, the Security Council should find ways to bolster this important area of public international law, not undermine it.