Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN (Photo: VNA)In his remarks at the event, AmbassadorDang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, expressed concernabout the unsustainable exploitation of international flows, and the lack of assurance oflegitimate interests of involved relevant parties, especially downstreamcountries.
Quy said that the use of water sources for development purposes is a legalright, but the use of international water sources must be in accordance withinternational law and commitments of concerned countries on the basis ofharmonising the interests of riparian countries to ensure sustainable use andequitable sharing of water resources.
He underlined the importance of strengthening the codification and developmentof international law relating to sustainable use of trans-boundary water resources, including via the implementation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Non-navigationalUses of International Watercourses.
Regarding GERD, the diplomat called on countries to continue making efforts andpromoting achieved results, especially in implementing the Declaration ofPrinciples for GERD construction (DoPs 2015), thus contributing to thedevelopment in the region.
Disputes should be resolved by peaceful means through dialogue and negotiation,in which the parties need to take into account views and legitimate interestsof each country in the spirit of friendly neighbourliness and goodwill, and inaccordance with international law and the agreement on DoPs 2015.
Vietnam supports the role and responsibility of the African Union (AU) inpromoting negotiations and mediating regional issues, Quy said, adding that theunion needs to make more efforts to assist the parties in resolving outstandingissues, including legal and technical issues.
He also called on stakeholders to refrain from actions that could escalatetensions and affect chances of reaching a resolution in this issue.
During the meeting, rapporteurs warned of negative impacts on the environment,security and stability in the region if the parties do not agree on thesustainable exploitation and use of Nile water. They requested countries tocontinue dialogues and share information towards reaching consensus and commonunderstanding on the use of water resources.
Representatives from UNSC membernations conveyed a message calling on Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to holddialogue in the spirit of cooperation and goodwill to soon find a satisfactoryand acceptable solution for all the parties.
GERD is a hydroelectric project launched in 2011on the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia and two downstream countries, Sudanand Egypt, have been working to discuss technical and legal issues relating tothe project since 2012 but are yet to come to an agreement.
In March 2015, the threecountries adopted the DoPs 2015./.
VNA
