The Ratification of Maritime Conventions
Chapter I.5.190
ATHENS CONVENTION RELATING TO THE CARRIAGE OF PASSENGERS AND THEIR LUGGAGE BY SEA, 1974
ADOPTED: Done at Athens, 13 December 1974
REFERENCE: PAL 1974
ENTERED INTO FORCE: 28 April 1987
DEPOSITARY: IMO, London
SECRETARY: IMO, London
IMPLEMENTATION
SIGNATURE, RATIFICATION, ACCEPTANCE, APPROVAL, ACCESSION
Article XXIII
1. This Convention shall be open for signature at the Headquarters of the Organization until 31 December 1975 and shall thereafter remain open for accession.
2. States may become Parties to this 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 XXIV
1. This Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day following the date on which ten States have either signed it without reservation as to ratification, acceptance, or approval or have deposited the requisite instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
2. For any State which subsequently signs this 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 XXV
1. This Convention may be denounced by a Party at any time after the date on which the Convention entered into force for that Party.
2. Denunciation shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument with the Secretary-General of the Organisation who shall inform all other Parties of the receipt of the instrument of denunciation and of the date of its deposit.
3. A denunciation shall take effect one year after the deposit of an instrument of denunciation, or after such longer period as may be specified in the instrument.
REVISION AND AMENDMENT
Article XXVI
1. A Conference for the purpose of revising this Convention may be convened by the Organisation.
2. The Organisation shall convene a Conference of the Parties to this Convention for revising or amending it at the request of not less than one-third of the Parties.
3. Any State becoming a Party to this Convention after the entry into force of an amendment adopted by a Conference convened in accordance with this Article shall be bound by the Convention as amended.
DECLARATIONS, RESERVATIONS AND STATEMENTS
Argentina
The instrument of accession of the Argentine Republic contained a declaration of non-application of the Convention under article XXII, paragraph 1, as follows (in the Spanish language):
[translation] “The Argentine Republic will not apply the Convention when both the passengers and the carrier are Argentine nationals.”
The instrument also contained the following reservations:
[translation] “The Argentine Republic rejects the extension of the application of the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea, 1974, adopted in Athens, Greece, on 13 December 1974, and of the Protocol to the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea, 1974, approved in London on 19 December 1976, to the Malvinas Islands as notified by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in ratifying the said instrument of 31 January 1980 under the incorrect designation of “Falkland Islands”, and reaffirms its sovereign rights over the said Islands which form an integral part of its national territory.”
“The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reject each and every one of these statements and assertions. The United Kingdom has no doubt as to its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and thus its right to include them within the scope of application of international agreements of which it is a party. The United Kingdom cannot accept that the Government of the Argentine Republic has any rights in this regard. Nor can the United Kingdom accept that the Falkland Islands are incorrectly designated.”
German Democratic Republic
The instrument of accession of the German Democratic Republic was accompanied by the following reservation (in the German language):
[translation] “The German Democratic Republic declares that the provisions of this Convention shall have no effect when the passenger is a national of the German Democratic Republic and when the performing carrier is a permanent resident of the German Democratic Republic or has its seat there.”
USSR
The instrument of accession of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics contained a declaration of non-application of the Convention under article XXII, paragraph 1.