Summary
The permanent joint Israeli-Palestinian committee for the interim period, established on the signing of the Interim Agreement under the auspices of the CAC, which deals with all water and sewage related issues in the West Bank and decides all of its decisions by consensus (Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), PDF p.145-146).
Details
- Its functions include coordinated management of water resources and of water and sewage systems, protection of water resources and systems, exchange of information on water and sewage laws, overseeing the joint supervision and enforcement mechanism, resolution of water and sewage disputes, arrangements for water supply from one side to the other, and monitoring systems, the existing measurement and monitoring regulations remaining in force until the JWC decides otherwise (Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), PDF p.145-146).
- It is comprised of an equal number of representatives from each side, and “All decisions of the JWC shall be reached by consensus, including the agenda, its procedures and other matters” (Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), PDF p.146).
- Under Schedule 8, all licensing and drilling of new wells and any increase of extraction from any water source, by either side, and all development of water resources and systems, by either side, require the prior approval of the JWC; the additional-water projects of Article 40, paragraph 7 are agreed in principle, only their geo-hydrological and technical details going before the JWC; the JWC was to prepare a schedule of extraction quotas within three months of signing and update it yearly, and plans for new water and sewage systems or modification of existing systems require its prior approval (Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), PDF p.160-161).
- It will develop a Protocol on all aspects of the supply of water from one side to the other, including reliability, quality, schedule of delivery and off-set of debts; water purchases are at the full real cost incurred by the supplier (Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), PDF p.146).
- The Joint Supervision and Enforcement Teams (JSETs) operate under its control and supervision, report to it on forms it develops, and refer disagreements immediately to its two Chairmen for decision (Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), PDF p.161-163).
Related pages
Interim Agreement, Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (28 September 1995), West Bank, Mekoroth