The Bellagio Draft Treaty was developed by a group of experienced legal practitioners and scientists from many parts of the world who came together to identify basic requirements for protection and use of international groundwater supplies. Treaty provisions and international agencies with jurisdiction over groundwater are limited in scope and often unable to address the issues. The goal of the draft treaty is to provide mechanisms for dealing with uncontrolled drawdown, depletion, drought reserves, water quality, protection of recharge areas, and public health emergencies, along with procedures for settling disputes.

The work began upon the joint initiative of Professor Al Utton and Mexican Ambassador Cesar Sepulveda in 1977 who convened a group to study the issues. Many proposals and drafts were circulated over the years and in 1987, a conference was convened in Bellagio, Italy. The notes and tapes from the 1987 meeting became a principal basis for the preparation of the Bellagio Draft Treaty, authored by Professors R.D. Hayton, G. E. Radosevich and Albert E. Utton.

English ( PDF document )

Revised and Augmented by ROBERT D. HAYTON and ALBERT E. UTTON
Transboundary Groundwaters: The Bellagio Draft Treaty

Spanish ( PDF document )

Revisado y aumentado por ROBERTO D. HAYTON y ALBERT E. UTTON
Traducción por Carmen l. de Campoy y Raquel L. de Barbuzza Aguas Subterráneas
Transfonterizas: Anteproyecto de Tratado “Bellagio”