A major research work and policy brief led by our Professor Zeray Yihdego has been published on the Global Water Forum website (https://globalwaterforum.org/2020/04/16/international-law-connotations-of-us-mediated-blue-nile-dam-negotiations-and-outcomes-background/). The four-piece work concerns itself with the challenges arising between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia due to the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the countries' collective struggles to resolve them. Recently the UN Secretary-General commented on the significant issue the three states face and encouraged them to 'persevere with efforts to overcome their differences and reach agreement on the GERD.' (https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/05/1064452 )
The research undertaken by Professor Yihdego has been informed by the work of a global consortium, which he has been heavily involved in. The main objective of the research is 'to encourage Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to continue their negotiations and settle their differences based upon established principles of international law, the equitable and reasonable utilisation, the duty to prevent significant harm and the duty to cooperate. The parties have strong historical and geographical ties and can and should resolve outstanding issues by themselves without involving third parties such as the U.S. but with the possibility of getting help from professional groups or experts.'
The work by Professor Yihdego is generating awareness of what is reasonable among policymakers and the wider public of the countries involved and has been translated into two additional languages of the region.
