IWRA Proceedings

AbstractThis paper will assess the role that international law plays in promoting good freshwater administration on islands at a domestic level, including in, but not limited to, the Faroe Islands. It will do so by providing an overview of island positions within three different, but interconnected areas of international relations. For each one, it will assess whether international law is advancing or ends up being a hurdle for island positions. By island positions this paper considers both island nations (and SIDS in particular) and sub national island jurisdictions, where possible. The three areas of international relations are the Programme for Action on SIDS, international climate change efforts (including the Under 2 Coalition, a global network of States and regions that includes sub national island jurisdictions), and global efforts to promote good water governance. All these areas at a critical juncture. In May 2024, the Programme for Action on SIDS will launch its fourth tenyear strategy. The international climate change regime appears to have just agreed a deal on loss and damage, which is particularly relevant for islands. Finally, the international water community needs to deliver actions to implement recommendations stemming from the 2023 UN Water Conference.