| This thesis studies legal aspects and institutional issues of cooperation in utilizing and conserving water of the international Mekong River flowing through six countries in South-East Asia: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Viet Nam before emptying into the South China Sea. Needs for the use of waters of this "giant sleeping river" constitute an important area for cooperation among these countries in particular the four lower Mekong States.;The thesis examines, inter alia, three key international instruments: (1) the '1957 Statute of the Mekong Committee'; (2) the '1975 Joint Declaration of Principles for Utilization of the Waters of the Lower Mekong' operated under the sole body Mekong Committee's mandate at the time and; (3) the present '1995 Agreement on Co-operation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin' undertaken by the Mekong River Commission. Finally the thesis will also discuss the effectiveness of the new agreement on large dam projects. |
