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Cursus: RGMUIER203
RGMUIER203
Capita Selecta Public International Law: International Water Law and the Sustainable Use of Water Resources
Cursus informatie
CursuscodeRGMUIER203
Studiepunten (EC)2,5
Cursusdoelen
After this course:
  • Students will gain knowledge of the general legal framework of international water law, and familiarize themselves with its main principles.
  • They learn to apply this framework in a particular case.
  • Students develop the capacity to write a short memorial, arguing from a particular position and interest, in a limited amount of time.
  • Students learn to familiarize themselves in a short time-span with a new topic of international law. 
Inhoud
Important developments are currently taking place in international water law. The Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, the only truly global convention on international watercourses, finally enters into force. And all over the world, people are becoming aware of the importance of the sustainable utilization and management of shared water resources.  

In the first lecture and working group, students will familiarize themselves with the legal framework of international water law, including the principle of equitable and reasonable use of transboundary waters, and the no-harm rule. We will also briefly introduce the case study of week 3, and divide the perspectives and roles over the students, and explain the assignment to them. This allows the students to start drafting their memorial already in the first week.    
In the second week, these bedrock principles of international water law will be linked to sustainable development. We will look at the relationship between international water law and multilateral environmental agreements, as well as basic principles of sustainable development. How “green” is the Watercourses Convention and international water law?

In the third week, we will focus on a particular case study, a particular international watercourse, and apply what we discussed in weeks 1 and 2. The students all choose the perspective of one of the actors involved in the case study, and write a memorial. The students will also present the argumentation developed in their memorial in the form of oral pleadings.

Some further reading:
  • McCaffrey, Stephen C., The law of international watercourses, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press, 2007.
  • McIntyre, Owen, Environmental protection of international watercourses under international law, Ashgate, 2007
  • Wouters, Patricia, The International Law of Watercourses: New Dimensions, Collected Courses of the Xiamen Academy of International Law, 2011
General information
 
In ‘Capita Selecta – Selected Topics of Public International Law’, students will broaden their knowledge of international law by taking mini-modules which are intertwined with on-going research projects carried out by the lecturers. The course is divided into four sub-periods. During the first sub-period (week 7), students will write a research proposal for their master’s thesis. During the three other periods, students will take five different modules out of a range of options offered. Each module will last for three weeks and have, in principle, 10 contact hours. Within the short period of time, students will familiarize themselves with current topics and challenges that have not been addressed in depth in the General Course or other courses of the specialized tracks. Through the Capita Selecta course, students will further develop their skills to critically analyze case-law and existing literature, write short papers, present findings, and provide feedback to other students.
 
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