The Ratification of Maritime Conventions
Chapter I.5.170
CONVENTION RELATING TO CIVIL LIABILITY IN THE FIELD OF MARITIME CARRIAGE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL, 1971
ADOPTED: Done at Brussels, 17 December 1971
REFERENCE: NUCLEAR 1971
ENTERED INTO FORCE: 15 July 1975
DEPOSITARY: IMO, London
SECRETARY: IMO, London
IMPLEMENTATION
SIGNATURE, RATIFICATION, ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL, ACCESSION
Article V
1. The present Convention shall be opened for signature in Brussels and shall remain open for signature in London at the Headquarters of the [International Maritime Organization] . . . until 31 December 1972 and shall thereafter remain open for accession.
2. States Members of the United Nations or any of the Specialized Agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or Parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice may become Parties to the present Convention by:
- (a) signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval;
- (b) signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or
- (c) accession.
3. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument to that effect with the Secretary-General of the Organization.
ENTRY INTO FORCE
Article VI
1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day following the date on which five States have either signed it without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval or have deposited instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the Secretary-General of the Organization.
2. For any State which subsequently signs the present Convention without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval, or deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the Convention shall come into force on the ninetieth day after the date of such signature or deposit.
DENUNCIATION
Article VII
1. The present Convention may be denounced by any Contracting Party to it at any time after the date on which the Convention comes into force for that State.
2. Denunciation shall be effected by a notification in writing delivered to the Secretary-General of the organisation.
3. A denunciation shall take effect one year, or such longer period as may be specified in the notification, after its receipt by the Secretary-General of the Organization.
4. Notwithstanding a denunciation by a Contracting Party pursuant to this Article the provisions of the present Convention shall continue to apply to any damage caused by a nuclear incident occurring before the denunciation takes effect.
RESERVATIONS
Article X
A Contracting Party may make reservations corresponding to those which it has validly made to the Paris or Vienna Convention. A reservation may be made at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
AMENDMENT
Article IX
1. A conference for the purpose of revising or amending the present Convention may be convened by the Organization.
2. The Organization shall convene a Conference of the Contracting Parties to the present Convention for revising or amending it at the request of not less than one-third of the Contracting Parties.
TERRITORIAL APPLICATION
Article VIII
1. The United Nations where it is the administering authority for a territory, or any Contracting Party to the present Convention responsible for the international relations of a territory, may at any time by notification in writing to the Secretary-General of the Organization declare that the present Convention shall extend to such territory.
2. The present Convention shall, from the date of receipt of the notification or from such other date as may be specified in the notification, extend to the territory named therein.
3. The United Nations, or any Contracting Party which had made a declaration under paragraph 1 of this Article may at any time after the date on which the Convention has been so extended to any territory declare by notification in writing to the Secretary-General of the Organization that the present Convention shall cease to extend to any such territory named in the notification.
4. The present Convention shall cease to extend to any territory mentioned in such notification one year, or such longer period as may be specified therein, after the date of the notification by the Secretary-General of the Organization.
DECLARATIONS, RESERVATIONS AND STATEMENTS
Germany, Federal Republic of
The following reservation accompanies the signature of the Convention by the Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany (in the English language):
“Pursuant to article X of the Convention relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear Material, the Federal Republic of Germany reserves the right to provide by national law, that the persons liable under an international convention or national law applicable in the field of maritime transport may continue to be liable in addition to the operator of a nuclear installation on condition that these persons are fully covered in respect of their liability, including defence against unjustified actions, by insurance or other financial security obtained by the operator.”
This reservation was withdrawn at the time of deposit of the instrument of ratification of the Convention.
The instrument of ratification of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany was accompanied by the following declaration (in the German language):
[translation] “that the said Convention shall also apply to Berlin (West) with effect from the date on which it enters into force for the Federal Republic of Germany.”
Italy
The instrument of ratification of the Italian Republic was accompanied by the following statement (in the English language):
- “It is understood that the ratification of the said Convention will not be interpreted in such a way as to deprive the Italian State of any right or recourse made according to the international law for the damages caused to the State itself or its citizens by a nuclear accident.”