Additional Protocol to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons which may be deemed to be Excessively Injurious or to have Indiscriminate Effects

Parties

Party	Ratification	Entry into force
Afghanistan	09-08-2017 (R)	09-02-2018
Albania	28-08-2002 (R)	28-02-2003
Algeria	06-05-2015 (R)	06-11-2015
Antigua and Barbuda	23-08-2010 (R)	23-02-2011
Argentina	21-10-1998 (R)	21-04-1999
Australia	22-08-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Austria	27-07-1998 (R)	27-01-1999
Bahrain	11-03-2016 (R)	11-09-2016
Bangladesh	06-09-2000 (R)	06-03-2001
Belarus	13-09-2000 (R)	13-03-2001
Belgium	10-03-1999 (R)	10-09-1999
Benin	27-09-2019 (R)	27-03-2020
Bolivia	21-09-2001 (R)	21-03-2002
Bosnia and Herzegovina	11-10-2001 (R)	11-04-2002
Brazil	04-10-1999 (R)	04-04-2000
Bulgaria	03-12-1998 (R)	03-06-1999
Burkina Faso	26-11-2003 (R)	26-05-2004
Cabo Verde	16-09-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Cambodia	25-03-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Cameroon	07-12-2006 (R)	07-06-2007
Canada	05-01-1998 (R)	30-07-1998
Chile	15-10-2003 (R)	15-04-2004
China	04-11-1998 (R)	04-05-1999
Colombia	06-03-2000 (R)	06-09-2000
Costa Rica	17-12-1998 (R)	17-06-1999
Croatia	25-04-2002 (R)	25-10-2002
Cuba	14-11-2012 (R)	14-05-2013
Cyprus	22-07-2003 (R)	22-01-2004
Czech Republic	10-08-1998 (R)	10-02-1999
Denmark	30-04-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Dominican Republic	21-06-2010 (R)	21-12-2010
Ecuador	16-12-2003 (R)	16-06-2004
El Salvador	26-01-2000 (R)	26-07-2000
Estonia	20-04-2000 (R)	20-10-2000
Finland	11-01-1996 (R)	30-07-1998
France	30-06-1998 (R)	30-12-1998
Gabon	22-09-2010 (R)	22-03-2011
Georgia	14-07-2006 (R)	14-01-2007
Germany	27-06-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Greece	05-08-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Guatemala	30-08-2002 (R)	28-02-2003
Guinea-Bissau	06-08-2008 (R)	06-02-2009
Holy See	22-07-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Honduras	30-10-2003 (R)	30-04-2004
Hungary	30-01-1998 (R)	30-07-1998
Iceland	22-08-2008 (R)	22-02-2009
India	02-09-1999 (R)	02-03-2000
Iraq	24-09-2014 (R)	24-03-2015
Ireland	27-03-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Israel	30-10-2000 (R)	30-04-2001
Italy	13-01-1999 (R)	13-07-1999
Jamaica	25-09-2008 (R)	25-03-2009
Japan	10-06-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Kazakhstan	08-07-2009 (R)	08-01-2010
Kuwait	24-05-2013 (R)	24-11-2013
Latvia	11-03-1998 (R)	11-09-1998
Lesotho	25-04-2016 (R)	25-10-2016
Liberia	16-09-2005 (R)	16-03-2006
Liechtenstein	19-11-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Lithuania	03-06-1998 (R)	03-12-1998
Luxembourg	05-08-1999 (R)	05-02-2000
Madagascar	14-03-2008 (R)	14-09-2008
Maldives	07-09-2000 (R)	07-03-2001
Mali	24-10-2001 (R)	24-04-2002
Malta	24-09-2004 (R)	24-03-2005
Mauritius	24-12-2002 (R)	24-06-2003
Mexico	10-03-1998 (R)	10-09-1998
Moldova	08-09-2000 (R)	08-03-2001
Mongolia	06-04-1999 (R)	06-10-1999
Montenegro	23-10-2006 (Su)	03-06-2006
Morocco	19-03-2002 (R)	19-09-2002
Nauru	12-11-2001 (R)	12-05-2002
Netherlands, the Kingdom of the	25-03-1999 (R)	25-09-1999
New Zealand	08-01-1998 (R)	30-07-1998
Nicaragua	05-12-2000 (R)	05-06-2001
Niger	18-09-2007 (R)	18-03-2008
North Macedonia	19-03-2007 (R)	19-09-2007
Norway	20-04-1998 (R)	20-10-1998
Pakistan	05-12-2000 (R)	05-06-2001
Panama	26-03-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Paraguay	03-12-2008 (R)	03-06-2009
Peru	03-07-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Philippines	12-06-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Poland	23-09-2004 (A)	23-03-2005
Portugal	12-11-2001 (R)	12-05-2002
Qatar	16-11-2009 (R)	16-05-2010
Romania	25-08-2003 (R)	25-02-2004
Russian Federation	09-09-1999 (R)	09-03-2000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	06-12-2010 (R)	06-06-2011
Saudi Arabia	07-12-2007 (R)	07-06-2008
Serbia	12-08-2003 (R)	12-02-2004
Seychelles	08-06-2000 (R)	08-12-2000
Sierra Leone	30-09-2004 (R)	30-03-2005
Singapore	21-09-2023 (R)	21-03-2024
Slovakia	30-11-1999 (R)	30-05-2000
Slovenia	03-12-2002 (R)	03-06-2003
South Africa	26-06-1998 (R)	26-12-1998
Spain	19-01-1998 (R)	30-07-1998
Sri Lanka	24-09-2004 (R)	24-03-2005
Sweden	15-01-1997 (R)	30-07-1998
Switzerland	24-03-1998 (R)	24-09-1998
Tajikistan	12-10-1999 (R)	12-04-2000
Trinidad and Tobago	29-07-2024 (R)	29-01-2025
Tunisia	23-03-2006 (R)	23-09-2006
Türkiye	02-03-2005 (R)	02-09-2005
Ukraine	28-05-2003 (R)	28-11-2003
United Kingdom	11-02-1999 (R)	11-08-1999
United States of America	21-01-2009 (R)	21-07-2009
Uruguay	18-09-1998 (R)	18-03-1999
Uzbekistan	29-09-1997 (R)	30-07-1998

Parties with reservations, declarations and objections

Party	Reservations / Declarations	Objections
Australia	Yes	No
Austria	Yes	No
Belgium	Yes	No
Canada	Yes	No
Germany	Yes	No
Greece	Yes	No
Ireland	Yes	No
Israel	Yes	No
Italy	Yes	No
Liechtenstein	Yes	No
Netherlands, the Kingdom of the	Yes	No
Poland	Yes	No
South Africa	Yes	No
Sweden	Yes	No
Switzerland	Yes	No
United Kingdom	Yes	No
United States of America	Yes	No

Australia

22-08-1997

Declaration:
It is the understanding of the Government of Australia that the provisions of Protocol IV shall apply in all circumstances.

Austria

27-07-1998

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Austria that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Belgium

10-03-1999

Declaration:
It is the understanding of the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium that the provisions of Protocol IV which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Canada

19-10-1998

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Canada that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Germany

27-06-1997

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Germany that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Greece

05-08-1997

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Greece that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Ireland

27-03-1997

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Israel

30-10-2000

Declaration:
With reference to the scope of application defined in Article 1 of the Convention, the Government of the State of Israel will apply the provisions of the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons as well as the Convention and those annexed Protocols to which Israel has agreed to become bound, to all armed conflicts involving regular armed forces of States referred to in article 2 common to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949, as well as to all armed conflicts referred to in Article 3 common to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949.

Italy

13-01-1999

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Italy that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Liechtenstein

19-11-1999

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of Liechtenstein that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Netherlands, the Kingdom of the

25-03-1999

Declaration:
With regard to Article 1:
The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands takes the view that the provisions of Protocol IV which, given their content or nature, can also be applied in peacetime must be observed in all circumstances.

Poland

23-09-2004

The Republic of Poland believes that the provisions of the Additional Protocol should also be applied in peacetime.

South Africa

26-06-1998

Declaration in relation to article 1:
It is the understanding of South Africa that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.

Sweden

15-01-1997

Declarations:
-Sweden intends to apply the Protocol to all types of armed conflict;
-Sweden intends to pursue an international agreement by which the provisions of the Protocol shall be applicable to all types of armed conflict;
-Sweden has since long strived for explicit prohibition of the use of blinding laser which would risk causing permanent blindness to soldiers. Such an effect, in Sweden's view is contrary to the principle of international law prohibiting means and methods of warfare which cause unnecessary suffering.

Switzerland

24-03-1998

Declaration:
It is the understanding of the Government of Switzerland that the provisions of Protocol IV shall apply in all circumstances.

United Kingdom

11-02-1999

Declaration:
In relation to Protocol IV, the Government of the United Kingdom declare that their application of its provisions will not be limited to the situations set out in Article 1 of the [1980] Convention.

United States of America

21-01-2009

It is the understanding of the United States of America with respect to Article 2 that any decision by any military commander, military personnel, or any other person responsible for planning, authorizing or executing military action shall only be judged on the basis of that person’s assessment of the information reasonably available to the person at the time the person planned, authorized or executed the action under review, and shall not be judged on the basis of information that comes to light after the action under review was taken.

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