Online Course

UN

Pho

to/O

livie

r Cha

ssot

International Water Law

For more information: info.ilp@unitar.org

Summary

The International Water Law course is an initiative of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the University of Geneva’s Platform for International Water Law and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

The course’s goal is to provide professionals involved with the negotiation or implementation of treaties related to freshwater resources with advanced knowledge of the principles and norms that govern the use, sharing, management and protection of these resources.The course enables participants to create, interpret and implement effective transboundary water legal frameworks.

Content

The course is composed of five modules, covering the principles and sources of international law (optional module); international regulation on transboundary water resources; principles of the law on transboundary water resources and its relations to environmental law, human rights and international economic law.

The optional module targets selected participants who do not have a legal background.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to describe the principles of international water law and explain the interaction among universal, regional and specific water agreements. They will also be able to recognize the linkages between international economic law, humanitarian law, and human rights on one side, and on the other, the management and protection of freshwater resources.

Participants will analyze concrete situations and apply the major principles and norms of the law on transbounday water resources to identify its relationship with other fields of international law.

Structure

The course lasts 5 weeks. On average participants will have a workload of 10 hours per week for an approximate total of 45 learning hours.

Participants have flexibility to go through the course, accessing contents and learning materials any time. The collaborative activities are time-bound and should be completed in accordance with the course study plan.

Methodology

The course presents interactive lessons and additional resources, such as links to complementary information and a glossary of legal terms, as primary learning method. Videos, discussing specific issues and featuring international legal experts, are a secondary component.

The learning approach is complemented by practical collaborative activities, such as scenario based exercises, guided research assignments, and discussion forums. Throughout the course participants learn from each other and interact with the facilitator who supports their learning process.

Target Audience

Government officials from various ministries and government agencies dealing with transboundary water issues, negotiators, specialists from relevant institutions working in the field of water management, civil society representatives, and academics are the main target audience of the course.

Candidate’s Profile

Applicants should have a background in law, political science, economics or international relations, or relevant work experience in freshwater issues, and be between 25 and 50 years old.

The course is conducted in English; fluency in the language is required, particularly written ability.

Registration

Qualified candidates are to complete an online form when the call for applications is open. Only complete applications will be taken into account in the selection process.

Selection Process

There are limited slots for each session. The criteria for selection are based on background, professional responsibilities, language skills, and age group. Priority will be given for females and qualified applicants from the least developed and developing countries.

Visit the course page! http://www.unitar.org/ksi/international-water-law