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In 2002, the UN International Law Commission added to its program of work the topic of Shared Natural Resources: transboundary groundwater, oil and gas. Six years later, the UN ILC completed its work on the first sub-topic by adopting at second reading nineteen draft articles on the law of transboundary aquifers. The draft articles were then deferred to the UN General Assembly, which adopted Resolution A/RES/63/124 including the draft articles in annex. In the Resolution, the UN GA "encourages the States concerned to make appropriate bilateral or regional arrangements for the proper management of their transboundary aquifers, taking into account the provisions of these draft articles". The paper will go through the main principles codified in the draft articles. The UN ILC had benefited from a unique cooperation on the science of hydrogeology from UNESCO's International Hydrological Program; hence it considered and covered issues of main importance for hydrogeologists.

This is the first special issue prepared on behalf of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA) under the aegis of its Science, Technology and Publications Committee. These IWRA special issues are intended to complement existing IWRA initiatives. Currently there are three of these: (1) improving understanding of what water quality is sufficient for different uses; (2) promoting smarter water technologies and management practices; and (3) helping bridge the often yawning gaps between science and policy. Here we begin with the first of these, water quality, but with a view to setting the stage for dealing with the others in future issues. IWRA recognizes the need to take action within the three areas listed above and has put them at the core of the organization's activities. First, in collaboration with the former French Commission for Water and the Aquatic Environment (ONEMA, now part of the French Agency for Biodiversity) and the World Water Council, IWRA is producing the report Developing a Global Compendium on Water Quality Guidelines: Which Quality for Which Use? To support this effort IWRA has formed a water quality thematic group consisting of experts in this field among its members. IWRA was the thematic champion for water quality at the 7th World Water Forum in Daegu, Korea, in 2015 and the topic lead for water quality under the biodiversity theme at the 8th World Water Forum in March 2018. Second, in Collaboration with K-Water, the Korean water authority, IWRA is producing a report describing 11 case studies of smart water management around the world. And finally, in collaboration with ONEMA, IWRA produced a report on the science-policy interface in 2016 based on an extensive survey of organizations operating in this interface. IWRA continued to work in this area by making Bridging Science and Policy the overarching theme of its XVI World Water Congress, held in Cancun, Mexico, in May 2017. One of the major outputs of the Congress was the Cancun Declaration (Water International 42(7), 925-927), a call for action to bridge science and water policy-making for sustainable development. This special issue on water quality governance is a continuation of IWRA's work and forms part of its contribution to the 8th World Water Forum, in Brasilia, Brazil, March 18-23, 2018. In the first paper of this volume, Heather Bond provides a more detailed record of IWRA's work in this area and summarizes the results and findings from the report Developing a Global Compendium on Water Quality Guidelines: Which Quality for Which Use?

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