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Article 76

Depositaries of treaties

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Abstract

While in the context of bilateral treaties or treaties with a small number of parties the necessary communication between the parties relating to the life of the treaty can be carried out directly between the parties, this is scarcely feasible in the context of multilateral treaties with many parties. Such treaties may be administered more easily by entrusting all necessary functions to a neutral entity, the “depositary”. The VCLT contains, in several articles, the first comprehensive codification of the rules governing the institution of the depositary.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Stoll (1992), pp. 1010–1011; Caddell (2008), para 3.

  2. 2.

    64 CTS 452.

  3. 3.

    Dehaussy (1952), p. 489.

  4. 4.

    Ouguergouz et al (2011), Art 77 MN 4–11.

  5. 5.

    1999 Summary of Practice of the Secretary-General as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties, UN Doc ST/LEG/7/Rev.1, para 12. Before the establishment of the League of Nations, the exercise of depositary functions by international bodies occurred only in exceptional cases; see Dehaussy (1952), p. 492.

  6. 6.

    Rosenne (1967), pp. 923, 925.

  7. 7.

    Waldock I 80–83; Rosenne (1967), pp. 926–927; Ouguergouz et al (2011), Art 77 MN 12–19.

  8. 8.

    See, in particular, [1962-I] YbILC 185–192; Rosenne (1967), pp. 926, 933.

  9. 9.

    UNCLOT I 457–463, 465–468, 485–487.

  10. 10.

    Kearney and Dalton (1970), pp. 495, 560.

  11. 11.

    The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English (2006), p. 384.

  12. 12.

    Waldock I 32.

  13. 13.

    [1965-I] YbILC 307.

  14. 14.

    Rosenne (1967), p. 926.

  15. 15.

    The original term “appointed” was later replaced by “designated”, which the ILC considered more appropriate, corresponding better to the French “désigné”; [1965-I] YbILC 277.

  16. 16.

    According to Art 2 para 10 of the 2007 International Coffee Agreement, the depositary is designated by the decision—taken by consensus—of the International Coffee Council (ICC), a treaty body of the preceding agreement. By ICC Res 436, 25 January 2008, the International Coffee Organization was designated as depositary. This resolution, however, forms an integral part of the Agreement in accordance with its Art 2 para 10.

  17. 17.

    ‘Mixed agreements’ between the EU and its Member States and third countries usually do not contain a reference to the Secretary-General of the Council of the EU as depositary, but nevertheless he or she acts as such; see eg the 2004 Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association between the European Communities and Their Member States, of the One Part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the Other Part [2004] OJ L 304, 39.

  18. 18.

    The depositary functions of the League of Nations were transferred to the UN by UNGA Res 24 (I), 12 February 1946, UN Doc A/RES/24 (I). In operative para 2 of this resolution, the General Assembly “records that those Members of the United Nations which are parties to the instruments referred to above assent by this resolution to the steps contemplated below”, and declares in operative para 3 that “the United Nations is willing […] to assume the exercise of certain functions and powers previously entrusted to the League of Nations”.

  19. 19.

    Waldock I 81; [1962-I] YbILC 185–186.

  20. 20.

    [1965-I] YbILC 190–193, 195–196, 277–278.

  21. 21.

    Art 71 Final Draft.

  22. 22.

    Villiger (2009), Art 76 MN 4, referring to the statement of the UK delegation, UNCLOT I 462.

  23. 23.

    For a contrary opinion: Caflisch (2011), Art 76 MN 16.

  24. 24.

    The Government of the Italian Republic as depositary of the 1957 Treaty Establishing the European Community 298 UNTS 3 asked the EU Council Secretariat for assistance in exercising its depositary functions. The Italian Government formally remained the depositary and continues to sign the documents, but the substantial work is done by the Council Secretariat. It might be questioned whether such substantial assistance may be given without the consent of the other States Parties; in this case, however, implicit consent may be presumed.

  25. 25.

    The restriction to multilateral treaties was proposed by China, UNCLOT I 458.

  26. 26.

    Brought forward by ILC member Rosenne [1965-I] YbILC 193.

  27. 27.

    162 UNTS 205.

  28. 28.

    See eg the 2004 Euro-Mediterranean Agreement Establishing an Association between the European Communities and Their Member States, of the One Part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the Other Part [2004] OJ L 304, 39.

  29. 29.

    For instance, Switzerland is depositary of the 1982 Convention Concerning the Issuance of Certificates in Connection with the Attribution of Different Family Names 1509 UNTS 261 and participated in the negotiations, but neither signed it nor became party.

  30. 30.

    Although concluded by five international organizations, the 1994 Agreement for the Establishment of the Joint Vienna Institute 2029 UNTS 391 may be mentioned in this context. It designates the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria as depositary, although Austria was neither a negotiating nor signatory nor contracting State. However, the Institute was to be located in Vienna and therefore Austria had a certain interest in the treaty. Austria later became party to the amended agreement in 2003.

  31. 31.

    In the example given in n 30, the five organizations requested—and obtained—the written consent of the foreign minister before preparing the original text for signature.

  32. 32.

    See eg Arts 110 and 111 UN Charter conferring depositary functions on the “Government of the United States of America”, and Arts 313 and 314 of the 1957 Treaty Establishing the European Community 298 UNTS 3 on the “Government of the Italian Republic”.

  33. 33.

    Similar Dehaussy (1952), p. 493. Even a more specific determination of the competent organ within the government is possible, eg the foreign minister, if the designated State so agrees (see eg the 1994 Agreement for the Establishment of the Joint Vienna Institute 2029 UNTS 391).

  34. 34.

    Aust (2013), p. 284.

  35. 35.

    480 UNTS 43.

  36. 36.

    729 UNTS 168.

  37. 37.

    Aust (2013), p. 285; Frowein (1967), pp. 533, 538; Horn (1990), pp. 266, 269–271.

  38. 38.

    See the statement by Waldock at the Vienna Conference UNCLOT I 467.

  39. 39.

    UNCLOT I 457–463, 465–468, 485–487.

  40. 40.

    Rosenne (1970), pp. 838, 842–844.

  41. 41.

    Rosenne (1989), p. 420; Aust (2013), pp. 285–286. Aust (2013) nevertheless identifies a more recent example, the 1991 Cambodia Agreement 31 ILM 183, which has France and Indonesia as depositary, apparently because they co-hosted the conference.

  42. 42.

    Art 81 VCLT and 1999 Summary of Practice of the Secretary-General as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties, UN Doc ST/LEG/7/Rev.1, paras 15–26, which contains more examples of split depositary functions.

  43. 43.

    Caflisch (2011), Art 76 MN 24.

  44. 44.

    Some exceptions can be found in the field of air law, where the ICAO itself, and not its Secretary-General, is designated, see eg Art 53 para 5 of the 1999 Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air 2242 UNTS 350.

  45. 45.

    [1962-I] YbILC 186.

  46. 46.

    Art 71 Final Draft.

  47. 47.

    UNCLOT I 458.

  48. 48.

    1999 Summary of Practice of the Secretary-General as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties, UN Doc ST/LEG/7/Rev.1, paras 28–30, with reference to a few exceptions. The consent to assume the depositary functions for League of Nations treaties were transferred to the UN by UNGA Res 24 (I), 12 February 1946, UN Doc A/RES/24 (I).

  49. 49.

    See eg the 1988 International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme Agreement 1518 UNTS 209, which designates the Secretary-General of the ICAO and the Secretary-General of the IMO as depositary, or the 1988 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation 1589 UNTS 474, which designates the Governments of the USSR, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the ICAO.

  50. 50.

    1999 Summary of Practice of the Secretary-General as Depositary of Multilateral Treaties, UN Doc ST/LEG/7/Rev.1, para 16.

  51. 51.

    Final Draft, Commentary to Art 71, 269, para 2.

  52. 52.

    Caflisch (2011), Art 76 MN 30.

  53. 53.

    Aust (2013), p. 287; Caflisch (2011), Art 76 MN 7; Villiger (2009), Art 76 MN 18; see also the discussion at the Vienna Conference, in particular the statement of the UK delegation that the article “clearly reflected established international practice” (UNCLOT I 462, para 53).

  54. 54.

    Tunkin [1962-I] YbILC 186; Rosenne (1967), p. 933.

  55. 55.

    [1965-I] YbILC 277–278; Final Draft, Commentary to Art 71, 269, para 2; UNCLOT I 467.

  56. 56.

    UNCLOT I 457–463, 465–468.

  57. 57.

    Final Draft, Commentary to Art 71, 269, para 2.

  58. 58.

    Aust (2013), p. 288; see also the intervention by Poland at the Vienna Conference, UNCLOT I 465–466.

  59. 59.

    Rapport de politique étrangère, juin 2007, Annexe 2: Le rôle de la Suisse en tant que dépositaire des Conventions de Genève [2001] Feuille fédérale 5257, 5291 et seq, at 5293.

  60. 60.

    Correspondence available at the website of the depositary: https://treatydatabase.overheid.nl/en/Verdrag/Details/009051_w.html. Accessed 22 November 2017.

  61. 61.

    Aust (2013), p. 288; Horn (1990), p. 269.

  62. 62.

    The Drafting Committee took into account an amendment by the Byelorussian SSR and an amendment by Mongolia to what is now Art 77 (functions of a depositary) and added it to Art 76 para 2 for systematic reasons; UNCLOT I 458, 485.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ambassador, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Head of Department I.2 – General Public International Law, Vienna, Austria

    Helmut Tichy

  2. Professor at the Institute of International Law and International Relations, University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    Helmut Tichy

  3. Counsellor, Permanent Representation of Austria to the European Union, Legal Affairs, Brussels, Belgium

    Philip Bittner

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  1. Helmut Tichy
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  2. Philip Bittner
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. European Legal Studies Institute, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany

    Oliver Dörr

  2. Faculty of Law, Department of Public Law/International Law, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    Kirsten Schmalenbach

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Tichy, H., Bittner, P. (2018). Article 76. In: Dörr, O., Schmalenbach, K. (eds) Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55160-8_80

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