Introduction
Valuing the increasing need of the
Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the
Republic of the Sudan for their over-border water sources, and realizing the
importance of the Nile River as a source of life and a vital source for the
development of the people of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan, the three countries
have committed themselves to the following principles concerning the Grand
Ethiopian Renaissance Dam:
1. Principle of cooperation:
- Cooperation based on mutual
understanding, common interest, good intentions, benefits for all, and the
principles of international law.
- Cooperation in understanding the
water needs of upstream and downstream countries across all their lands.
2. Principle of development,
regional integration and sustainability:
- The purpose of the Renaissance Dam
is to generate power, contribute to economic development, promote cooperation
beyond borders, and regional integration through generating clean sustainable
energy that can be relied on.
3. Principle of not causing
significant damage:
- The three countries will take all
the necessary procedures to avoid causing significant damage while using the
Blue Nile (the Nile’s main river).
- In spite of that, in case
significant damage is caused to one of these countries, the country causing the
damage [...], in the absence of an agreement over that [damaging] action, [is
to take] all the necessary procedures to alleviate this damage, and discuss
compensation whenever convenient.
4. Principle of fair and appropriate
use:
- The three countries will use their
common water sources in their provinces in a fair and appropriate manner.
- To ensure fair and appropriate
use, the three countries will take into consideration all guiding elements
mentioned below:
a. The geographic, the geographic
aquatic, the aquatic, the climatical, environmental elements, and the rest of
all natural elements.
b. Social and economic needs for the
concerned Nile Basin countries.
c. The residents who depend on water
sources in each of the Nile Basin countries.
d. The effects of using or the uses
of water sources in one of the Nile Basin countries on another Nile Basin
country.
e. The current and possible uses of
water sources.
f. Elements of preserving,
protecting, [and] developing [water sources] and the economics of water
sources, and the cost of the procedures taken in this regard.
g. The extent of the availability of
alternatives with a comparable value for a planned or a specific use.
h. The extent of contribution from
each of the Nile Basin countries in the Nile River system.
i. The extent of the percentage of
the Nile Basin’s space within the territories of each Nile Basin country.
5. The principle of the dam’s
storage reservoir first filling, and dam operation policies:
- To apply the recommendations of
the international technical experts committee and the results of the final
report of the Tripartite National Technical Committee during different stages
of the dam project.
- The three countries should
cooperate to use the final findings in the studies recommended by the
Tripartite National Technical Committee and international technical experts in
order to reach:
a. An agreement on the guidelines
for different scenarios of the first filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance
Dam reservoir in parallel with the construction of the dam.
b. An agreement on the guidelines
and annual operation policies of the Renaissance Dam, which the owners can
adjust from time to time.
c. To inform downstream countries,
Egypt and Sudan, on any urgent circumstances that would call for a change in
the operations of the dam, in order to ensure coordination with downstream
countries’ water reservoirs.
- Accordingly the three countries
are to establish a proper mechanism through their ministries of water and
irrigation.
- The timeframe for such points
mentioned above is 15 months from the start of preparing two studies about the
dam by the international technical committee.
6. The principle of building trust:
- Downstream countries will be given
priority to purchase energy generated by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.
7. The principle of exchange of
information and data:
- Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan will
provide the information and data required to conduct the studies of the
national experts committees from the three countries in the proper time.
8. The principle of dam security:
- The three countries appreciate all
efforts made by Ethiopia up until now to implement the recommendations of the
international experts committee regarding the safety of the dam.
- Ethiopia will continue in good
will to implement all recommendations related to the dam’s security in the
reports of the international technical experts.
9. The principle of the sovereignty,
unity and territorial integrity of the State:
The three countries cooperate on the
basis of equal sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the state,
mutual benefit and good will, in order to reach the better use and protection
of the River Nile.
10. The principle of the peaceful
settlement of disputes:
The three countries commit to settle
any dispute resulting from the interpretation or application of the declaration
of principles through talks or negotiations based on the good will principle.
If the parties involved do not succeed in solving the dispute through talks or
negotiations, they can ask for mediation or refer the matter to their heads of
states or prime ministers. Source ( Al-Ahram On line )
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