Journal of Legal Research

Journal of Legal Research

Review of the ICJ's Judgment in Chile v. Bolivia in Light of International Water Law Principles

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ameneh Moradi 1
Mohamadali Kafaeifar 2
1 PhD Student in Public International Law, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor. Department of Law, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran.
10.48300/jlr.2024.443007.2575
Abstract
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), after six years of proceedings commencing in 2016, rendered its judgment in the case concerning the Dispute over the Status and Use of the Waters of the Silala (Chile v. Bolivia). Rather than issuing a decisive ruling on the substantive legal questions presented, the Court adopted a conciliatory approach, emphasizing areas of agreement between the parties and promoting cooperative solutions. Consequently, the Court refrained from ruling on most of the legal issues put before it. Regarding the Silala River dispute, the Court had both the opportunity and obligation to adjudicate issues concerning "current use" and "vested rights" within the framework of the fundamental equitable and reasonable utilization principle and the obligation of prior notification and consultation concerning planned measures. This study examines whether the ICJ's judgment can foster meaningful transboundary water cooperation. The hypothesis posits that the Court's decision not only fails to assist states in fulfilling their cooperative obligations under international water law but may even undermine such cooperation. Through a doctrinal and analytical methodology, this study concludes that the ICJ failed to adequately resolve fundamental legal issues or provide sufficient jurisprudential guidance to the parties regarding their rights and obligations under international water law.
Keywords
Silala River
International Watercourses
Principle of Equitable and Reasonable Utilization
Principle of No-Harm
Obligation to Cooperate
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Journal of Legal Research
Volume 24, Issue 62
Summer 2025
Pages 137-174