UNECE Water Convention

The UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) is an important tool promoting cooperation on transboundary waters management in the pan-European region. By facilitating and promoting cooperation the Water Convention aims to protect and ensure the quantity, quality and sustainable use of transboundary water resources.

The UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (UNECE Water Convention) was signed in Helsinki in 1992 and entered into force in 1996. Under the Convention, the Protocol on Water and Health and the Protocol on Civil Liability were adopted in 1999 and in 2003, respectively. Since then, it has provided an overarching framework for transboundary water cooperation across the UNECE region and has proved its effectiveness in different economic, social and environmental conditions.

The Convention provides a legal framework for regional cooperation on shared water resources. Several bilateral and multilateral agreements between UNECE countries are based on the principles and provisions of the Convention, including (in SEE) the Danube River Protection Convention and the Framework Agreement on the Sava River Basin.The entry into force of the amendment makes the Convention a global legal framework for transboundary water cooperation.

In 2003, driven by the aim to share the Convention’s experience and promote transboundary water cooperation worldwide, the Parties amended the Convention to make it possible for any United Nations Member State to accede to this instrument.Since 2009, more and more non-European countries have participated in activities under the Water Convention, recognizing its relevance and role also beyond the UNECE region.

Learn more about the UNECE Water Convention in the UNECE website.