Virtual Water Trade in the Legal Framework of the World Trade Organization (Original Research)

Document Type : academic

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, International Law Department, Faculty of Law, Centeral Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, International Law Department, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

3 M.A in International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

Abstract

A major part of the State’s water resources is used, in the form of "virtual water", to produce products, especially agricultural products. Today, the smart trade of virtual water is considered a way to resolve the world's water shortage crisis. This research has answered the question of what capacities does the current legal framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have for managing and facilitating virtual water trade? The primary hypothesis is that WTO can facilitate the smart trade of virtual water by removing trade barriers. The results of the studies indicate that only trade liberalization, regardless of the economic value of water in the production process, does not facilitate virtual water trade in line with the management of global water resources. Also, although the management of import and export of goods based on the amount of water consumed in the production process seems to violate the principle of non-discrimination in WTO, some exceptions included in the agreements of this organization can help to virtual water trade and reduce the water crisis. Using the capacities of this organization to remove agricultural subsidies that disrupt the virtual water trade and evaluating the water footprint through the creation of a labelling system are other ways to facilitate the virtual water trade.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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    - Thesis

    1. Antonelli, Marta. “Water Resources, Food Security and Virtual Water ‘Trade’ in the Middle East and North African Region.” The thesis for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, King’s College of London University of London, 2015.

     

    - Documents

    1. Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).
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    - Analytical Websites

    1. Clement Marquet, “Ministerial Declaration of the Fourth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Doha, 20th November 2001 (WTO Doc WT/MIN(01)/DEC/1, WTO Doc No 01-5859)”, Oxford International Organization, 2018, Availabel at: https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/ 337772194_Ministerial_Declaration_of_the_Fourth_World_Trade_Organization_Ministerial_Conference_in_Doha_20th_November_2001_WTO_Doc_WTMIN01DEC1_WTO_Doc_No_01-5859, Accessed 17 July 2022.
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    Web Archive, “2003 International Year of Freshwater”, n.d, Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20061230213824/http://www.wateryear2003.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID%3D5868%26URL_DO%3DDO_ TOPIC %26URL_SECTION%3D201.html, Accessed 16 July 2022.

International Law Review
Volume 40, Issue 71 - Serial Number 71
December 2024
Pages 73-100

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History

  • Receive Date: 20 October 2022
  • Revise Date: 05 May 2023
  • Accept Date: 26 August 2023

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