A/RES/49/52 Page 2 Taking into account the existence of bilateral or multilateral agreements governing the non-navigational uses of international watercourses, which should not be affected by the adoption of a new international instrument unless the parties to those agreements have otherwise decided, Also taking into account the fact that, despite the existence of a number of bilateral treaties and regional agreements, the use of international watercourses is still based in part on general principles and rules of customary law, 1. Expresses its appreciation to the International Law Commission for its valuable work on the law of the non-navigational uses of international watercourses, and to the successive special rapporteurs for their contribution to that work; 2. Invites States to submit, not later than 1 July 1996, written comments and observations on the draft articles adopted by the International Law Commission; 3. Decides that, at the beginning of the fifty-first session of the General Assembly, the Sixth Committee shall convene as a working group of the whole, open to States Members of the United Nations or members of specialized agencies, for three weeks from 7 to 25 October 1996, to elaborate a framework convention on the law of the non-navigational uses of international watercourses on the basis of the draft articles adopted by the International Law Commission in the light of the written comments and observations of States and views expressed in the debate at the forty-ninth session; 4. Also decides that the Working Group of the Whole shall, without prejudice to the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, follow the methods of work and procedures outlined in the annex to the present resolution, subject to any modifications which it may deem appropriate; 5. Requests the Secretary-General to arrange for the presence of the Special Rapporteur on the law of the non-navigational uses of international watercourses as an expert during the debates on the topic at its fifty-first session and to submit at that session all relevant documentation; 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session an item entitled "Convention on the law of the non-navigational uses of international watercourses". 84th plenary meeting 9 December 1994 ANNEX Methods of work and procedures The draft articles prepared by the International Law Commission shall be the basic proposal before the Working Group of the Whole. The Working Group of the Whole shall start at once with a discussion of the draft articles on an article-by-article basis, without prejudice to the /...