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).”
In this regard, the Secretary-General received the following objection:
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (20 December 1999):
"With regard to the authentic English text, the Government of the United Kingdom considers the original text of both article 3 (1) and article 3 (3) of the Amendment to be correct. The Government therefore objects to the proposal to correct the text of these two paragraphs by the addition of the words 'or accession'.
The Government of the United Kingdom respectfully draws the attention of the Secretary-General to article 9, paragraph 5, of the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, and to article 14 of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The effect of these provisions is that amendments to the Protocol are subject to ratification, approval or acceptance. There is no provision for accession to amendments. The Government therefore believes that the addition of the words proposed by the Secretary-General would be inconsistent with the provisions of the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol which apply to the entry into force of amendments to the Protocol.
The Government of the United Kingdom also notes that the existing wording of the authentic English text of article 3 (1) and article 3 (3) of the 1997 Amendment is consistent with the wording used in previous amendments to the Montreal Protocol, namely article 2 of the Amendment to the Montreal Protocol adopted at London in 1990 and article 3 of the Amendment to the Montreal Protocol adopted at Copenhagen in 1992.
The Secretary-General's Depositary Notification refers to errors in the first sentence of article 3 (1) (except French version). The Government of the United Kingdom has not seen the authentic French version ofarticle 3 (1), which was not attached to the Depositary Notification, but would respectfully suggest that the Secretary-General may wish to consider whether there are errors in the French version."
In a communication received on 3 December 2009, the Government of Denmark notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw the declaration, made upon ratification to the Amendment, relating to the territorial exclusion in respect of the Faroe Islands.
See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.
See also note 1 under "New Zealand" regarding Tokelau in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.
On 5 August 2014, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-General that the Amendment would extend to the territory of Gibraltar as follows:
“… the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland wishes the United Kingdom’s Ratification of the [Amendment] be extended to the territory of Gibraltar for whose international relations the United Kingdom is responsible.
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland considers the extension of the [Amendment] to the territory of Gibraltar to enter into force on the day of receipt of this notification by [the depositary] for deposit… ”
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 Amendment shall be understood to take place exclusively within the framework of the internal affairs of Gibraltar and shall not be considered to affectin any way the content of the two preceding paragraphs.
4. The procedure envisaged in the “Arrangements relating to Gibraltar authorities in the context of certain international treaties (2007)”, which were agreed to 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 Amendment.
5. The application of the present Amendment 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.
On 4 August 2020, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-General that its ratification of the Amendment would extend to the territoire of the Bailiwick of Jersey, as follows:
“… the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland hereby extends the application of the United Kingdom's Ratification of the Montreal… [Amendment] to the Montreal Protocol to the territory of the Bailiwick of Jersey for whose international relations the United Kingdom is responsible.
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland considers the extension of the Montreal… [Amendment] to the Montreal Protocol to the territory of the Bailiwick of Jersey to be effective on the day of receipt of this notification…”
On 25 February 2021, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-General that the Amendment would extend to the territory of the Isle of Man as follows:
“... the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland hereby extends the application of the United Kingdom’s ratification of the… Montreal… [Amendment] to the Montreal Protocol to the territory of the Isle of Man for the international relations of which the United Kingdom is responsible.
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland considers the extension of the… Montreal… [Amendment] to the Montreal Protocol to the territory of the Isle of Man to be effective on the day of receipt of this notification...”
On 2 November 2022, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland notified the Secretary-General that the Amendment would extend to the territory of the Bailiwick of Guernsey as follows:
“… the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland hereby
extends the application of the [Montreal Amendment to the Montreal Protocol] to the territory of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, for whose international relations the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is responsible.
The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland considers the extension of the [Montreal Amendment to the Montreal Protocol] to the territory of the Bailiwick of Guernsey to take effect on the date of deposit of this notification.”