Treaty

General Act of Arbitration (Pacific Settlement of International Disputes)

Parties with reservations, declarations and objections

Party Reservations / Declarations Objections
Australia Yes No
Canada Yes No
Estonia Yes No
France Yes No
Greece Yes No
Italy Yes No

Australia

21-05-1931

1. That the following disputes are excluded from the procedure described in the General Act, including the procedure of conciliation:
(i) Disputes arising prior to the accession in respect of Canada to the said General Act or relating to situations or facts prior to the said accession;
(ii) Disputes in regard to which the parties to the dispute have agreed or shall agree to have recourse to some other method of peaceful settlement;
(iii) Disputes between His Majesty's Government in Canada and the Government of any other Member of the League which is a Member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, all of which disputes shall be settled in such a manner as the parties have agreed or shall agree;
(iv) Disputes concerning questions which by international law are solely within the domestic jurisdiction of States; and (v) Disputes with any Party to the General Act who is not a Member of the League of Nations.
2. That His Majesty in respect of Canada reserves the right in relation to the disputes mentioned in Article 17 of the General Act to require that the procedure prescribed in Chapter II of the said Act shall be suspended in respect of any dispute which has been submitted to and is under consideration by the Council of the League of Nations, provided that notice to suspend is given after the dispute has been submitted to the Council and is given within ten days of the notification of the initiation of the procedure, and provided also that such suspension shall be limited to a period of twelve months or such longer period as may be agreed by the parties to the dispute or determined by a decision of all the Members of the Council other than the parties to the dispute.
3. (i) That, in the case of a dispute, not being a dispute mentioned in Article 17 of the General Act, which is brought before the Council of the League of Nations in accordance with the provisions of the Covenant, the procedure prescribed in Chapter I of the General Act shall not be applied, and, if already commenced, shall be suspended, unless the Council determines that the said procedure shall be adopted.
(ii) That, in the case of such a dispute, the procedure described in Chapter III of the General Act shall not be applied unless the Council has failed to effect a settlement of the dispute within twelve months from the date on which it was first submitted to the Council, or, in a case where the procedure prescribed in Chapter I has been adopted without producing an agreement between the parties, within six months from the termination of the work of the Conciliation Commission. The Council may extend either of the above periods by a decision of all its Members other than the parties to the dispute.

Canada

01-07-1931

1. That the following disputes are excluded from the procedure described in the General Act, including the procedure of conciliation:
(i) Disputes arising prior to the accession in respect of Canada to the said General Act or relating to situations or facts prior to the said accession;
(ii) Disputes in regard to which the parties to the dispute have agreed or shall agree to have recourse to some other method of peaceful settlement;
(iii) Disputes between His Majesty's Government in Canada and the Government of any other Member of the League which is a Member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, all of which disputes shall be settled in such a manner as the parties have agreed or shall agree;
(iv) Disputes concerning questions which by international law are solely within the domestic jurisdiction of States; and (v) Disputes with any Party to the General Act who is not a Member of the League of Nations.
2. That His Majesty in respect of Canada reserves the right in relation to the disputes mentioned in Article 17 of the General Act to require that the procedure prescribed in Chapter II of the said Act shall be suspended in respect of any dispute which has been submitted to and is under consideration by the Council of the League of Nations, provided that notice to suspend is given after the dispute has been submitted to the Council and is given within ten days of the notification of the initiation of the procedure, and provided also that such suspension shall be limited to a period of twelve months or such longer period as may be agreed by the parties to the dispute or determined by a decision of all the Members of the Council other than the parties to the dispute.
3. (i) That, in the case of a dispute, not being a dispute mentioned in Article 17 of the General Act, which is brought before the Council of the League of Nations in accordance with the provisions of the Covenant, the procedure prescribed in Chapter I of the General Act shall not be applied, and, if already commenced, shall be suspended, unless the Council determines that the said procedure shall be adopted.
(ii) That, in the case of such a dispute, the procedure described in Chapter III of the General Act shall not be applied unless the Council has failed to effect a settlement of the dispute within twelve months from the date on which it was first submitted to the Council, or, in a case where the procedure prescribed in Chapter I has been adopted without producing an agreement between the parties, within six months from the termination of the work of the Conciliation Commission. The Council may extend either of the above periods by a decision of all its Members other than the parties to the dispute.

Estonia

03-09-1931

Subject to the following conditions: The following disputes are excluded from the procedures described in the General Act, including the procedure of conciliation:
(a) Disputes resulting from facts prior either to the accession of Estonia or to the accession of another Party with whom Estonia might have a dispute;
(b) Disputes concerning questions which by international law are solely within the domestic jurisdiction of States.

France

21-05-1931

The said accession concerning all disputes that may arise after the said accession with regard to situations or facts subsequent thereto, other than those which the Permanent Court of International Justice may recognize as bearing on a question left by international law to the exclusive competence of the State, it being understood that in application of Article 39 of the said Act the disputes which the parties or one of them may have referred to the Council of the League of Nations will not be submitted to the procedures described in this Act unless the Council has been unable to pronounce a decision under the conditions laid down in Article 15, paragraph 6, of the Covenant.
Furthermore, in accordance with the resolution adopted by the Assembly of the League of Nations "on the submission and recommendations of the General Act", Article 28 of this Act is interpreted by the French Govern ment as meaning in particular that "respect for rights established by treaty or resulting from international law" is obligatory upon arbitral tribunals constituted in application of Chapter III of the said General Act.


14-02-1939

The Government of the French Republic declares that it adds to the instrument of accession to the General Act of Arbitration deposited in its name on May 21st, 1931, the reservation that in future that accession shall not extend to disputes relating to any events that may occur in the course of a war in which the French Government is involved.

Greece

14-09-1931

The following disputes are excluded from the procedures described in the General Act, including the procedure of conciliation referred to in Chapter I:
(a) Disputes resulting from facts prior either to the accession of Greece or to the accession of another Party with whom Greece might have a dispute;
(b) Disputes concerning questions which by international law are solely within the domestic jurisdiction of States and in particular disputes relating to the territorial status of Greece, including disputes relating to its rights of sovereignty over its ports and lines of communication.

Italy

07-09-1931

Subject to the following reservations:
I. The following disputes shall be excluded from the procedure described in the said Act:
(a) Disputes arising out of facts or situations prior to the present accession;
(b) Disputes relating to questions which international law leaves to the sole jurisdiction of States;
(c) Disputes affecting the relations between Italy and any third Power.
II. It is understood that, in conformity with Article 29 of the said Act, disputes for the solution of which a special procedure is provided by other conventions shall be settled in accordance with the provisions of those conventions; and that, in particular, disputes which may be submitted to the Council or Assembly of the League of Nations in virtue of one of the provisions of the Covenant shall be settled in accordance with those provisions.
III. It is further understood that the present accession in no way affects Italy's accession to the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice and to the clause in that Statute concerning the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court.

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