Abstract Water diplomacy may be understood broadly as the measures that may be taken to prevent or peacefully resolve conflicts over water resources concerning their availability, allocation or use between and within states. The concept is preventive in nature as well as offering an approach for conflict resolution. Instruments of international water law, among them notably conventions and soft law developed on that basis – which promote equitable and reasonable use of transboundary waters and prevention of transboundary impact – can serve as tools for water diplomacy. The obligation to establish agreements on shared waters and joint bodies to govern them has contributed to gathering important experience, and some of this has been synthesized into the Principles for Effective Joint Bodies which were adopted by the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Water Convention in 2015. The Principles are intended as a resource to increase the effectiveness of joint bodies in transboundary water cooperation. This paper analyses Finland’s cooperation arrangements in the light of the Principles and assesses the extent to which Finland’s transboundary water commissions reflect the good practices specified in the Principles. Taking a wider perspective, the paper also examines the elements of the principles and their practical realisation with a view to understanding better their promotion of water diplomacy. Relevant features include, inter alia, the competency and representation of the joint institution, its accountability and the extent to which public participation is permitted, and the cooperative mechanisms in place. Naturally the underlying transboundary water agreements specify the framework for cooperation between the riparian states to a great extent, but the established joint bodies often play a significant role, specifically in the equitable use and management of the shared water resources, but even beyond, in the prevention and settling of conflicts, and in the general promotion of cooperation and security at a regional level.

中文翻译：

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芬兰在跨界水域管理方面的合作和联合国欧洲经济委员会有效联合机构原则：水外交的价值？

摘要 水外交可以从广义上理解为为防止或和平解决国家之间和国家内部有关水资源可用性、分配或使用的冲突而采取的措施。这个概念本质上是预防性的，同时也提供了解决冲突的方法。国际水法文书，尤其是在此基础上制定的公约和软法——促进公平合理地使用跨界水域和防止跨界影响——可以作为水外交的工具。就共享水域和管理这些水域的联合机构达成协议的义务有助于收集重要的经验，其中一些已被整合到 2015 年联合国欧洲经济委员会水公约缔约方会议通过的有效联合机构原则中。 这些原则旨在作为一种资源，以提高联合机构在跨界水合作中的有效性。本文根据《原则》分析了芬兰的合作安排，并评估了芬兰跨界水资源委员会在多大程度上反映了《原则》中规定的良好做法。从更广泛的角度，本文还考察了这些原则的要素及其实际实现，以期更好地理解其对水外交的促进。相关特征除其他外包括联合机构的能力和代表性，其问责制和允许公众参与的程度，以及现有的合作机制。自然而然，潜在的跨界水资源协议在很大程度上规定了沿岸国之间的合作框架，但已建立的联合机构通常发挥着重要作用，特别是在共享水资源的公平使用和管理方面，甚至更远的领域预防和解决冲突，以及在区域一级普遍促进合作与安全。