Andorra
Declaration: The Principality of Andorra accepts as compulsory the means of dispute as described in article 11 paragraph 3 (a) of the Convention: the submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice.
Bahrain13,14
European Union
23 May 1989
Finland
Holy See
Declaration: “In acceding to the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, as well as its four Amendments: London (1990), Copenhagen (1992), Montreal (1997) and Beijing (1999), the Holy See desires to encourage the entire International Community to be resolute in promoting authentic cooperation between politics, science and economics. Such cooperation, as has been shown in the case of the ozone regime, can achieve important outcomes, which make it simultaneously possible to safeguard creation, to promote integral human development and to care for the common good, in a spirit of responsible solidarity and with profound positive repercussions for present and future generations. In conformity with its own nature and with the particular character of Vatican City State, the Holy See, by means of the solemn act of accession, intends to give its own moral support to the commitment of States to the correct and effective implementation of the Treaties in question and to the attaining of the mentioned objectives. To this end, it expresses the wish that by recognizing ‘the signs of [an economic growth] that has not always been able to protect the delicate balances of nature’ (Homily of Pope Benedict XVI at Loreto, 2 September 2007), all actors will intensify the aforesaid cooperation and strengthen ‘the alliance between man and the environment, which must mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and to whom we are bound’(Benedict XVI, After the Angelus, 16 September 2007).”
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
Declaration: "In accordance with article 11, paragraph 3, of the Conven- tion the Kingdom of the Netherlands accepts for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 or paragraph 2 of article 11 of the above-mentioned Convention, both of the following means of dispute settlement as compulsory: (a) Arbitration in accordance with procedures to be adopted by the Conference of the Parties at its first ordinary meeting; (b) Submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice."
Norway
Sweden
For the purpose of entry into force of the [Convention/Protocol] , any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited by a regional economic integration organization shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by member States of that Organization.
The former Yugoslavia had acceeded to the Convention on 16 April 1990. See also note 1 under “Bosnia and Herzegovina”, “Croatia”, “former Yugoslavia”, “Slovenia”, “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and “Yugoslavia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
On 15 February 1994, the Secretary-General received from the Government of Portugal a notification to the effect that it shall extend the Convention to Macao. Subsequently, the Secretary-General received communications concerning the status of Macao from the Governments of the Portugal and China (see also note 3 under “China” and note 1 under “Portugal” regarding Macao in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume). Upon resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Macao, China notified the Secretary-General that the Convention will also apply to the Macao Special Administrative Region.
On 6 and 10 June 1997, the Secretary-General received communications concerning the status of Hong Kong from the Governments of the United Kingdom and China (see also note 2 under “China” and note 2 under “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” regarding Hong Kong in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume). Upon resuming the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, China notified the Secretary-General that the Convention with the reservation made by China will also apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Czechoslovakia had acceded to the Convention on 1 October 1990. See also note 1 under “Czech Republic” and note 1 under “Slovakia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Convention on 25 January 1989. See also note 2 under “Germany” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
See note 1 under “Germany” regarding Berlin (West) in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
On 9 January 2020, the Secretary-General received a communication from the Government of Mauritius relating to the Chagos Archipelago.
See C.N.47.2020.TREATIES-XXVII.2 of 31 January 2020 for the text of the above-mentioned communication.
See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.
For the Kingdom in Europe, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
The instrument of ratification indicates that in accordance with the special relationship which exists between New Zealand and the Cook Islands and between New Zealand and Niue, there have been consultations regarding the Convention between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Cook Islands and between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of Niue; that the Government of the Cook Islands, which has exclusive competence to implement treaties in the Cook Islands, has requested that the Convention should extend to the Cook Islands; that the Government of Niue which has exclusive competence to implement treaties in Niue, has requested that the Convention should extend to Niue. The said instrument specifies that accordingly the Convention shall apply also to the Cook Islands and Niue.
In this regard, on 17 March 2004, the Secretary-General received from the Government of New Zealand, the following communcations:
In respect of the Cook Islands:
"... the Government of New Zealand ratified the Convention on 2 June 1987;
... the Government of New Zealand declared, on ratification, that its ratification extended to the Cook Islands;
... the Cook Islands is a self-governing State in a relationship of free association with New Zealand, and possesses in its own right the capacity to enter into treaties and other international agreements with governments and regional and international organisations;
... the Government of the Cook Islands acceded to the Convention in its own right on 22 December 2003;
... the Government of New Zealand declares that, by reason of the accession to the Convention by the Government of the Cook Islands, it regards the Government of Cook Islands as having succeeded to the obligations under the Convention of the Government of New Zealand in respect of the Cook Islands,
... [the Government of New Zealand] declares that, accordingly, as from the date of the accession to the Convention by the Government of the Cook Islands, theernment of New Zealand ceased to have State responsibility for the observance of the obligations under the Convention in respect of the Cook Islands."
In respect of Niue:
... the Government of New Zealand declared, on ratification, that its ratification extended to Niue;
... Niue is a self-governing State in a relationship of free association with New Zealand, and possesses in its own right the capacity to enter into treaties and other international agreements with governments and regional and international organisations;
... the Government of Niue acceded to the Convention in its own right on 22 December 2003;
... the Government of New Zealand declares that, by reason of the accession to the Convention by the Government of Niue, it regards the Government of Niue as having succeeded to the obligations under the Convention of the Government of New Zealand in respect of Niue,
... [the Government of New Zealand] further declares that, accordingly, as from the date of the accession to the Convention by the Government of Niue, the Government of New Zealand ceased to have State responsibility for the observance of the obligations under the Convention in respect of the territory of Niue."
See also notes 1 under “Cook Islands” and “Niue” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
The instrument of ratification specifies that the said Convention is ratified in respect of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Isle of Man, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Monserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, Saint Helena, Saint Helena Dependencies, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, and United Kingdom Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the island of Cyprus.
In this regard, the Secretary-General received, on 11 September 1987, from the Government of Argentina the following objection, which was reiterated upon its ratification of the Convention:
The Argentine Republic rejects the ratification of the above-mentioned Convention by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with respect to the Malvinas, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands and reaffirms its sovereignty over those Islands, which form a part of its national territory.
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted resolutions 2065 (XX), 3160 (XXVIII), 31/49, 37/9, 38/12 and 39/6 in which it recognizes the existence of a sovereignty dispute concerning the question of the Malvinas and urges the Argentine Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to resume negotiations in order to find as soon as possible a peaceful and definitive solution to the dispute and to their remaining differences relating to the question, through the good offices of the Secretary-General, who is to report to the General Assembly on the progress made. The United Nations General Assembly also adopted resolution 40/21 and 41/40, which again urge the two parties to resume the negotiations.
The Argentine Republic also rejects the ratification of the above-mentioned Convention by the Government of th United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland with respect to what that country calls "British Antarctic Territory".
At the same time, it reaffirms its rights of sovereignty over the Argentine Antarctic Sector located between longitudes 25 o and 74 o W and latitude 60 o S and the South Pole, including its maritime spaces.
It is appropriate to recall, in this connection, the provisions concerning rights of or claims to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica contained in article IV of the Antarctic Treaty.
Subsequently, on 1 August 1988, the Secretary-General received from the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland the following communication concerning the said objection by Argentina:
"The Government of the United Kingdom reject the objection made regarding the application of the Convention by the United Kingdom to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The Government of the United Kingdom have no doubt as to British sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and their consequent right to extend treaties to those territories.
With respect to the objection by the Argentine Republic to the application of the Convention to the British Antarctic Territory, the Government of the United Kingdom have no doubt as to British sovereignty over the British Antarctic Territory, and note the Argentine reference to article IV of the Antarctic Treaty to which both the Government of Argentina andthe Government of the United Kingdom are parties."
Upon its ratification of the Convention, the Government of Argentina objected anew to the declaration of territorial applications in question by the Government of the United Kingdom, which in turn reiterated its position in an additional communication received on 6 July 1990.
Subsequently, the Government of Chile, upon ratification, declared the following:
The Government of Chile [. . .] states that it rejects the declarations made by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland upon ratification of the Convention and by the Argentine Republic in objecting to that declaration, inasmuch as both declarations affect Chilean Antarctic territory, including the corresponding maritime jurisdictions. It once again reaffirms its sovereignty over that territory, including its sovereign maritime spaces, in accordance with the definition established by Supreme Decree 1,747, of 6 November 1940.
By a communication received on 30 August 1990, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-General that the Convention and the Protocol shall extend to the Bailiwick of Guernsey for whose international relations the Government of the United Kingdom is responsible.
The Government of Mauritius, upon acceding to the Convention, made the following declaration:
"The Republic of Mauritius rejects the ratification of [the Con- vention] effected by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 15 May 1987 in respect of the British Indian Ocean Territory namely Chagos Archipelago and reaffirms its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, which form an integral part of its national territory."
Subsequently, on 27 January 1993, the Secretary-General received from the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland the following communication with respect to the declaration made by the Government of Mauritius:
"The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have no doubt as to British sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory and their consequent right to extend the application of the [said] Convention and Protocol to it. Accordingly, the Government of the United Kingdom do not accept or regard as having any legal effect the declarations made by the Government of the Republic of Mauritius.
On 17 April 2015, the Secretary-General received from the Government of Spain the following communication relating to the territorial application by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Gibraltar:
1. Gibraltar is a Non-Self-Governing Territory for whose international relations the Government of the United Kingdom is responsible and which is subject to a process of decolonization in accordance with the relevant decisions and resolutions of the General Assembly.
2. The authorities of Gibraltar are local in character, and exercise competences exclusively over internal affairs that originate in and are based on the powers allocated to and conferred on them by the United Kingdom, in accordance with its domestic legislation and in its capacity as the sovereign State upon which depends the said Non-Self-Governing Territory.
3. Consequently, any involvement by the Gibraltarian authorities in the implementation of this Convention shall be understood to take place exclusively within the framework of the internal affairs of Gibraltar and shall not be considered to affect in any way the content of the two preceding paragraphs.
4. The procedure envisaged in the “Arrangements relating to Gibraltar authorities in the context of Mixed Agreements (2007)” which was agreed by Spain and the United Kingdom on 19 December 2007, together with "Agreed Arrangements relating to Gibraltar authorities in the context of European Union and European Community Instruments and Related Treaties" of 19 April 2000, applies to the present Convention.
5. The application of the present Convention to Gibraltar cannot be interpreted as recognition of any rights or situations involving matters not included in Article 10 of the Treaty of Utrecht of 13 July 1713, signed by the crowns of Spain and Great Britain.
In this regard, the Government of Israel notified the Secretary-General, on 18 July 1990, of the following:
In the view of the Government of the State of Israel such declaration, which is explicitly of a political character, is incompatible with the purposes and objectives of the Convention and Protocol and cannot in any way affect whatever obligations are binding upon Bahrain under general international law or under particular conventions.
The Government of the State of Israel will, in so far as concerns the substance of the matter, adopt towards Bahrain an attitude of complete reciprocity."
On 8 July 2021, the Government of Bahrain notified the Secretary-General of its withdrawal of the following declaration made upon accession:
"The accession by the State of Bahrain to the said Convention shall in no way constitute recognition of Israel or be a cause for the establishment of any relations of any kind therewith."