Global Journal of Politics and Law Research Vol.5, No.1, pp.50-90, March 2017 Published by European Centre for Research Training and Development UK (www.eajournals.org) 50 Print ISSN: ISSN 2053-6321(Print), Online ISSN: ISSN 2053-6593(Online) COOPERATION IN INTERNATIONAL WATER LAW AND, STATES HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATION TO FULFILL THE HUMAN RIGHT TO WATER Farnaz Shirani 1 ABSTRACT: Water is an issue that has a deep impact on human lives and livelihood. Promoting human rights would provide better protection of individuals within water law. Although, International human rights law sets basic minimum standards for water use, allocation, conservation and dispute resolution, but there is very little research on how human rights law can form the basis of the rights and responsibilities of states with regard to trans-boundary watercourses. States may have obligations to cooperate, in order to uphold their human rights obligations. This area has many disputes how to use water, disputes which will greatly affect the lives of citizens. There is very little research on how these two areas of law can function together to be mutually supportive. In this paper, briefly we are trying to find that how may International human rights law and International water law be made coherent and mutually supportive as regards human rights to water, and explain about Transboundary Water Cooperation between states, in order to fulfill the right to water. KEYWORDS: The Right to Water, International human rights, International trans-boundary waters, Vital Human Need, UNECE Convention, UN Watercourses Convention INTRODUCTION Based on International human rights instruments, all states have the responsibility for the promotion and protection of all human rights. Human rights entail both rights and obligations. States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights. The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of human rights. At the individual level, while we are entitled our human rights, we should also respect the human rights of others 2 . Sometimes, non- fulfillment of human rights obligations by one State is due to its international disputes with the other states to implement obligations which arise from an international treaty. For example, some disputes between countries with transboundary waters, arise from violations of the accepted international rules and principles of international transboundary waters in their treaties, the same as Equity and Reasonable Utilization, the No-Harm Principle, and the Duty to Cooperate, the violation of which can directly or indirectly affect the human rights of people living in river basins. 1 -PhD Candidate, School of Law, Xiamen University. Email: Farnaz.shirani@gmail.com 2 -Available at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/WhatareHumanRights.aspx