Round Table - "The Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructures During and After Armed Conflicts"

GenevaListPrinciples_image.jpg

9:00-17:00
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
7bis Avenue de la Paix, Room Kruzel, 2nd floor
1211 Geneva (Access map)

Impact

List of Participants

Andrea Aeby

Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations.

 

Fuad Bateh

Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean.

 

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes

Faculty of Law, University of Geneva and Member of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, Geneva Water Hub.

 

Catherine Brölmann

Faculty of Law, University of Amsterdam.

 

Carl Bruch

Environmental Law Institute and Environmental Peacebuilding Association.

 

Lucius Caflisch

Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

 

Natasha Carmi

Geneva Water Hub.

 

Evaristo De Pinho Oliveira

International Committee of the Red Cross.

 

Daniella Dam de-Jong

Faculty of Law, Leiden University.

 

Juan Francisco Escudero Espinosa

Faculty of Law, University of Léon and Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

 

Nadim Farajalla

Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut.

 

Laurent Gisel

International Committee of the Red Cross.

 

Öykü Irmakkesen

Geneva Water Hub and Platform for International Water Law, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva.

 

Elisabeth Koek

Norwegian Refugee Council.

 

Robert Kolb

Faculty of Law, University of Geneva.

 

Amanda Kron

United Nations Environment Programme.

 

Marja Lehto

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and Special Rapporteur of the International Law Commission on the Protection of the Environment in Relation to Armed Conflicts.

 

François Münger

Geneva Water Hub

 

Helen Cecilia Obregon Gieseken

International Committee of the Red Cross.

 

Richard Pearshouse

Amnesty International.

 

Marco Pertile

Faculty of Law, University of Trento.

 

Dominique Porteaud

UNICEF.

 

Madoka Saji

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

Lena Salame

Geneva Water Hub.

 

Komlan Sangbana

Platform for International Water Law, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva.

 

Marco Sassòli

Faculty of Law, University of Geneva.

 

Michael Talhami

International Committee of the Red Cross.

 

Mara Tignino

Geneva Water Hub and Platform for International Water Law, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva.

 

Michel Veuthey

Webster University.

 

Doug Weir

The Conflict and Environment Observatory.

 

List of other experts consulted

Michael Bothe

Faculty of Law, Goethe University Frankfurt.

 

Théo Boutrouche

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

 

Grieve Timothy

UNICEF.

 

Britta Sjostedt

Faculty of Law, Lund University.

 

Jeannie Sowers

College of Liberal Arts, University of New Hampshire.

 

Erika Weinthal/h3>

Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University.

 

This report presents the results of this round table.

This round table generated interest by partners and resulted in the organization of the following events:

The pictures of the event are available below.

The human right to water is well-recognized as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. Access to water can only be ensured through the protection and safe management of water infrastructures. The protection of water infrastructures before, during and after armed conflicts is governed by an elaborate set of provisions contained in instruments of International Humanitarian Law, International Human Rights Law, International Environmental Law and International Water Law. However, the implementation of these protective norms remain a major problem in contemporary international and non-international armed conflicts. The severe consequences caused by the targeting of water infrastructures is further aggravated by the proliferation of urban warfare and prolonged armed conflicts.

Following the 2017 recommendations of the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace, the Geneva Water Hub and the University of Geneva Platform for the International Water Law have started to draft the Geneva List of Principles on the Protection of Water Infrastructures in September 2018. During the drafting process, the Platform has consulted experts coming from academia, international and non-governmental organizations. Moreover, an Geneva Water Hub experts’ Round Table was held in December 2018. 

The Geneva List is a reference document prepared for the use of parties to armed conflicts, international organizations, and other practitioners working in the contexts of armed conflicts, including in pre- and post-conflict situations. It is the first document that systematizes the main rules applicable to the protection of water infrastructures during armed conflicts, specifically in the conduct of hostilities, as well as in pre-conflict and post-conflict situations and set forth good practices.

The programme of the event is available below.