Digital publication of the opening lecture in English by Pr Laurence Boisson de Chazournes

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes

Water in International Law: Between Singularity and Plurality

Essential to human life and activity, freshwater is increasingly becoming a concern of international law. Its regulation, initially focused on rivers shared by several States, has gradually shifted to other sources of water. Today, its scarcity, the need for sustainable distribution of its uses, its use as a weapon of war, its vulnerability to environmental degradation and the prevention of disputes are all issues that call for the mobilization and reinforcement of international law.

Boisson de Chazournes L., Water in International Law: Between Singularity and Plurality, translation by Pieter Jan Kuijper and Jason Rudall, Paris, Collège de France, Inaugural Lectures, 2024.

This book was published with the support of the Fondation du Collège de France.

Laurence Boisson de Chazournes is Professor of International Law and International Organizations at the University of Geneva. Involved as an expert in numerous official bodies, she also acts as arbitrator and counsel before the International Court of Justice. She is a visiting professor at the Collège de France, where she holds the annual Sustainable Common Future (2022-2023).