1986 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations

VCLT-IO, 1986 VCLT

• International Law Documents
  • General International Law

United Nations

Article 66: Procedures for judicial settlement, arbitration and conciliation

“1. If, under paragraph 3 of article 65, no solution has been reached within a period of twelve months following the date on which the objection was raised, the procedures specified in the following paragraphs shall be followed.

2. With respect to a dispute concerning the application or the interpretation of article 53 or 64:

(a) if a State is a party to the dispute with one or more States, it may, by a written application, submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice for a decision;

(b) if a State is a party to the dispute to which one or more international organizations are parties, the State may, through a Member State of the United Nations if necessary, request the General Assembly or the Security Council or, where appropriate, the competent organ of an international organization which is a party to the dispute and is authorized in accordance with Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations, to request an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in accordance with Article 65 of the Statute of the Court;

(c) if the United Nations or an international organization that is authorized in accordance with Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations is a party to the dispute, it may request an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in accordance with Article 65 of the Statute of the Court;

(d) if an international organization other than those referred to in subparagraph (c) is a party to the dispute, it may, through a Member State of the United Nations, follow the procedure specified in subparagraph (b);

(e) the advisory opinion given pursuant to subparagraph (b), (c) or (d) shall be accepted as decisive by all the parties to the dispute concerned;

(f) if the request under subparagraph (b), (c) or (d) for an advisory opinion of the Court is not granted, any one of the parties to the dispute may, by written notification to the other party or parties, submit it to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the Annex to the present Convention.

3. The provisions of paragraph 2 apply unless all the parties to a dispute referred to in that paragraph by common consent agree to submit the dispute to an arbitration procedure, including the one specified in the Annex to the present Convention.

4. With respect to a dispute concerning the application or the interpretation of any of the articles in Part V, other than articles 53 and 64, of the present Convention, any one of the parties to the dispute may set in motion the conciliation procedure specified in the Annex to the Convention by submitting a request to that effect to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.”

Annex: Arbitration and Conciliation Procedures Established in Application of Article 66

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Annex: Arbitration and Conciliation Procedures Established in Application of Article 66

United Nations Treaty Collection

Article 85: Entry into force

“1. The present Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the date of deposit of the thirty-fifth instrument of ratification or accession by States or by Namibia, represented by the United Nations Council for Namibia.

2. For each State or for Namibia, represented by the United Nations Council for Namibia, ratifying or acceding to the Convention after the condition specified in paragraph 1 has been fulfilled, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State or by Namibia of its instrument of ratification or accession.

3. For each international organization depositing an instrument relating to an act of formal confirmation or an instrument of accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after such deposit, or at the date the Convention enters into force pursuant to paragraph 1, whichever is later.”

1945 Charter of the United Nations

1945 Statute of the International Court of Justice

1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties

1978 Vienna Convention on the Succession of States in Respect of Treaties

United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) accessed on 18/05/2020

Pursuant to Article 85 of this instrument, international organizations which are party to this instrument are not counted for entry into force purposes.