Romania

Upon signature:

       The Government of the Socialist Republic of Romania declares that the provisions of article 48, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are at variance with the principle that all States have the right to become parties to multilateral treaties governing matters of general interest.(a) The State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania considers that the provisions of article 48 (1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights are inconsistent with the principle that multilateral international treaties whose purposes concern the international community as a whole must be open to universal participation.(b) The State Council of the Socialist Republic of Romania considers that the maintenance in a state of dependence of certain territories referred to in article 1 (3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is inconsistent with the Charter of the United Nations and the instruments adopted by the Organization on the granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples, including the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, adopted unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 2625 (XXV) of 1970, which solemnly proclaims the duty of States to promote the realization of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples in order to bring a speedy end to colonialism.

Romania

20 May 2019

With regard to the reservations and statements made by Qatar upon accession:

       “Romania has examined the reservation and the declaration made upon [accession] by the State of Qatar to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (New York, 1966).

       Romania considers that the declaration aiming to interpret the term ‘punishment’ in Article 7, as well as the provisions of Articles 18.2, 22 and 23.2 of the Covenant in the light of the Islamic sharia and the national legislation respectively amounts to reservations of undefined character, inadmissible under the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. The same character has the reservation made in relation to Article 23.4 of the Covenant. In accordance with Article 27 of Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, it is the duty of States Parties to a treaty to ensure that their internal law allows the application and observance of the treaty.

       Moreover, the general nature of these reservations limits the understanding as to the extent of the obligations assumed by State of Qatar under International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

       Therefore, Romania objects to these reservations formulated by State of Qatar to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as being incompatible with the scope and purpose of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as required by the Article 19 ( c) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

       This objection shall not affect the entry into force of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights between Romania and State of Qatar.”