Frequently Asked Questions on the 1992 Water Convention

The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) is a unique legal and intergovernmental platform which promotes sustainable use of transboundary waters.

Originally adopted as a regional treaty in 1992, it became a global instrument in 2016. Many countries outside the pan-European region are now in the process of accession to the Convention.

A new UNECE publication provides clarifications on the added value of the Water Convention at global, transboundary and national levels, its obligations and its global opening. This publication explains the obligations under the Water Convention and the way in which its institutional platform works, as well as the advantages for States to become Party to the Convention. It also addresses the relationship between the Water Convention and the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-navigational Uses of International Watercourses.

• Access the publication Frequently Asked Questions on the 1992 Water Convention.