articles and the commentaries thereto appear in Section C.2 below. 255, Some members commented on the merits of the framework agreement approach and on the meaning of the term “framework agreement”. 256. Members of the Commission who spoke on the first point generally agreed with the framework character of the draft, in accordance with the clecision taken by the Comdssion long ago. 257. On the meaning of the term “framework agreement”, there was no disagreement with the view that B framework agreement was an instrument of a general nature which set forth principles and other general rules, The remark was however made that a framework agreement could reflect rules of customary international law and went in any event beyond a mere recommendation. 258. In his summing up the Special Rapporteur assured the Commission that in propoeing draft articles, it had always been his intention to remain within the f reunework agreement approach. - 116 -2. w 0nG 259. Both this article and article 25 were orally .introduced by the Special Rapportsur at the previous session. A summary of his Introduction may be found in the Commission’e report on the work of that eession. ml 260. There was general agreement that article 24 was well balanced and reflected the fact that any priority that; was once assigned to navigation was no longer justified in View of the many other UReB of international watercourses in the modern world and, in particular, the scarcity of unpolluted frosh water resourcea, 261. Some members doubted whether there had ever existed a universei prefereWi.al regime deriving from the treaties cited in the Special Rapporteur’s fifth report. 262, Qeneral support was expresset3 for the underlying prilrciple of article 24 that, in the absence of agreement to the contrary, no ono ube should have
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing international law and watercourses, specifically the framework agreement approach and the principles and rules that govern them. The language used is technical and formal, suggesting that the text is related to international governance and policy-making.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, International law