Engaging non-state actors in the negotiation and implementation of international watercourse agreements: experiences and lessons learned from Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT Each nation-state has the discretion to decide whether, and to what extent, to engage ‘non-state’ actors in, and incorporate their interests into, the negotiation or implementation of international agreements. Through the prism of Canadian local governments along the Columbia River, we analyze some of the relevant practice in engaging non-state actors in the management of international shared watercourses. This article reviews the valuable role non-state actors can play in the negotiation and implementation of transboundary water agreements.