Declarations recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory

Latvia, Republic of

24 September 2019

1. The Government of the Republic of Latvia accepts as compulsory ipso facto and without special convention, on condition of reciprocity, the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, in conformity with [the] second paragraph of Article 36 of the Statute of the Court, until such time as notice may be given to terminate the acceptance, over all disputes arising after the date when the Declaration is deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, with regard to situations or facts subsequent to the same date, other than:

(i) any dispute where the Parties have agreed or shall agree to have recourse to some other method of peaceful settlement that entails a binding decision;

(ii) any dispute concerning a treaty, which provides either for recourse to some method of peaceful settlement that entails a binding decision or for a mechanism for monitoring implementation, whether or not they provide for access of Parties or any other persons or entities;

(iii) (any dispute which relates to, arises from or is connected with the deployment of armed forces abroad, involvement in such deployments or decisions thereon, or relates to, arises from or is connected with the use for military purposes of the territory of the Republic of Latvia, including its airspace, as well as maritime areas subject to the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Latvia;

(iv) any dispute in respect of which any other Party to the dispute has accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice only in relation to or for the purpose of the dispute; or where the acceptance of the Court’s compulsory jurisdiction on behalf of any other Party to the dispute was deposited or ratified less than twelve months prior to the filing of the application bringing the dispute before the Court;

(v) any claim or dispute in respect of which the claim or dispute in question has not been notified to the Republic of Latvia by the State or States concerned in writing, including of an intention to submit the claim or dispute to the Court in case of failure to seek a peaceful settlement, at least six months in advance of the submission of the claim or dispute to the Court.

2. The Government of the Republic of Latvia also reserves the right at any time, by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and with effect as from the moment of such notification, either to add to, amend, or withdraw any of the foregoing reservations, or any that may hereafter be added.

3. This declaration replaces the declaration made on behalf of the Latvian Government to the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice on 31 January 1935 that came into effect on 26 February 1935.

DONE at Rīga, this 30 day of August 2019.

(Signed) Edgars Rinkēvičs Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia