Declarations recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory

New Zealand

22 September 1977

I have the honour, by direction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, to declare on behalf of the Government of New Zealand:

(I) The acceptance by the Government of New Zealand of the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice by virtue of the Declaration made on 1 April 1940 under Article 36 of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice and made applicable to the International Court of Justice by paragraph 5 of Article 36 of the Statute of that Court, is hereby terminated.

(II) The Government of New Zealand accept as compulsory, ipso facto, and without special agreement, on condition of reciprocity, the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in conformity with paragraph 2 of Article 36 of the Court over all disputes other than:

(1) Disputes in regard to which the parties have agreed or shall agree to have recourse to some other method of peaceful settlement;

(2) Disputes 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;

(3) Disputes arising out of, or concerning the jurisdiction or rights claimed or exercised by New Zealand in respect of the exploration, exploitation, conservation or management of the living resources in marine areas beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea of New Zealand but within 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

This Declaration shall remain in force for a period of five years from 22 September 1977 and thereafter until the expiration of six months after notice has been given of the termination of this Declaration provided that the Government of New Zealand reserves the right at any time to amend this Declaration in the light of the results of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in respect of the settlement of disputes.

New York, 22 September 1977.

(Signed) M. J. C. TEMPLETON,

Permanent Representative of

New Zealand to the United Nations.