Declarations recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory

Philippines

18 January 1972

I, Carlos P. Romulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, hereby declare, under Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, that the Republic of the Philippines recognizes as compulsory ipso facto and without special agreement, in relation to any other State accepting the same obligation, the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in all legal disputes arising hereafter concerning:

(a) the interpretation of a treaty;

(b) any question of international law;

(c) the existence of any fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of an international obligation;

(d) the nature or extent of the reparation to be made for the breach of an international obligation;

Provided, that this declaration shall not apply to any dispute

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

(b) which the Republic of the Philippines considers to be essentially within its domestic jurisdiction; or

(c) in respect of which the other party has accepted the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice only in relation to or for the purposes of such dispute; or where the acceptance of the compulsory jurisdiction was deposited or ratified less than 12 months prior to the filing of the application bringing the dispute before the Court; or

(d) arising under a multilateral treaty, unless (1) all parties to the treaty are also parties to the case before the Court, or (2) the Republic of the Philippines specially agrees to jurisdiction; or

(e) arising out of or concerning jurisdiction or rights claimed or exercised by the Philippines -

(i) in respect of the natural resources, including living organisms belonging to sedentary species, of the sea-bed and subsoil of the continental shelf of the Philippines, or its analogue in an archipelago, as described in Proclamation No. 370 dated 20 March 1968 of the President of the Republic of the Philippines; or

(ii) in respect of the territory of the Republic of the Philippines, including its territorial seas and inland waters; and

Provided, further, that this declaration shall remain in force until notice is given to the Secretary-General of the United Nations of its termination.

Done at Manila this 23rd day of December 1971.

(Signed) Carlos P. ROMULO,

Secretary of Foreign Affairs.