S/PV.8860 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council has before it the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today’s meeting. I thank the Council members for their valuable contributions to this statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among the members of the Council, I shall take it that the members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2021/18. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I take the floor to explain India’s position on presidential statement S/PRST/201/18, just adopted on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. India has historic relations with Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan. We are also cognizant of the significance of the River Nile as the source of livelihood and development for Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan. We also note the progress made in the negotiations based on the agreement on the declaration of principles signed by the three countries in 2015. Since India is an upper, middle and lower riparian State, with several rivers entering and exiting our land, any discussion on matters relating to such issues in the Security Council are of direct interest and importance to us. It is important that that be recognized by all Member States in the Council. We are equally conscious that negotiations on transboundary water-sharing are complex and need considerable data, expertise and time to come to a satisfactory agreement, since it directly involves the lives of people. Such negotiations are best held among experts bilaterally or facilitated by relevant technically qualified institutions. Consequently, India is of the view that the negotiating parties should continue their bilateral engagements, as well as cooperate fully, in a focused manner, to reach a mutually acceptable long-term solution to the relevant issues. Only such a solution will endure and serve the developmental needs of the upper- and lower-riparian basin countries. We also urge other countries concerned to support the efforts of the African Union in that regard. India’s principled position is that, as a general rule, transboundary water issues do not belong to the domain of the Security Council. It is therefore important to place on record, as mentioned in the last paragraph of the presidential statement, that this statement does not set out any principles or precedent for the Council to intervene or adjudicate in any other transboundary water disputes.