Geneva Conventions 1949 - United Kingdom reservation text

Declaration made upon ratification:

"On depositing the instrument of ratification by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the four following Conventions:

"(1) The Convention of August 12, 1949, for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field
"(2) The Convention of August 12, 1949, for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea
"(3) The Convention of August 12, 1949, relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
"(4) The Convention of August 12, 1949, relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War

"I am instructed by Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to make the following declaration:

"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will apply each of the above-mentioned Conventions in the British Protected States of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the Trucial States to the extent of Her Majesty's powers in relation to those territories."

(...) [Reservation to Article 68 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, withdrawn on 15 December 1971]

"I am further instructed by Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to refer to the reservations made on Article 85 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War by the following States:

The People's Republic of Albania, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Bulgarian People's
Republic, the People's Republic of China, the Czechoslovak Republic, the Polish Republic, the
Rumanian People's Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics

and to the reservations to Article 12 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and to Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Civilian Persons in Time of War made by all the above-mentioned States and by the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.

"I am instructed by Her Majesty's Government to state that whilst they regard all the above-mentioned States as being parties to the above-mentioned Conventions, they do not regard the above-mentioned reservations thereto made by those States as valid, and will therefore regard any application of any of those reservations as constituting a breach of the Convention to which the reservation relates."

SOURCE: UNTS, Vol.278, 1957, pp.266-268.

*****

Objection made on 28 March 1985:

"With reference to the reservation made by the Government of the People's Republic of Angola to Article 85 to the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Her Majesty's Government, recalling their previous declaration in relations to similar reservations by other States, wish to state that, whilst they do not oppose the entry into force of the Convention in question between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of Angola, they are unable to accept the reservation because, in the view of the Government of the United Kingdom, this reservation is not of the kind which intending parties to the Convention are entitled to make."

SOURCE: Notification by the depositary addressed to the ICRC on 18 June 1985.

*****

Objection by the United Kingdom in relation with the reservationsmade by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. Notification addressed to the Swiss Government 19 november 1975.

"In relation with the reservations made by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam to Articles 12 and 85 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and in relation with the reservation to Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War made by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recalling their declaration on ratification in relation to similar reservations by other States, wish to state that, whilst they do not oppose the entry into force of the two Conventions in question between the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, they are unable to accept the above-mentioned reservations thereto made by those States because, in the view of the Government of the United Kingdom, these reservations are not of the kind which intending Parties to the Convention are entitled to make.
"The Government of the United Kingdom wish also to place on record that they take the same view of the similar reservations made by the Swiss Minister in London on 8 January 1957, and by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, notified by the Swiss Ambassador in London on 24 August 1957.
"In relation to the reservation made by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to Article 4 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to Article 13 of the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field and Article 13 of the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, the Government of the United Kingdom wish to state that they are likewise unable to accept those reservations."

SOURCE: UNTS, Vol.995, 1976.

*****

With letters dated 13 June 1997, the British Ambassador to Switzerland deposited the following declaration:

"I am instructed by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to refer to the [four Geneva Conventions] (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") which apply to Hong Kong at present.

I am also instructed to state that, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the Government of the United Kingdom will restore Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to have international responsibility for Hong Kong until that date. Therefore, from that date the Government of the United Kingdom will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from application of the Convention to Hong Kong."

Source: Notification by the Swiss Government to the Governments of the States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of War Victims, Berne, 24 June 1997.

Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949.
United Kingdom
Signature	08.12.1949
Ratification / Accession	23.09.1957
Reservation / Declaration	23.09.1957.;19.11.1975.;28.03.1985.;13.06.1997
Reservation / Declaration text Declaration made upon ratification: "On depositing the instrument of ratification by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the four following Conventions: "(1) The Convention of August 12, 1949, for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field "(2) The Convention of August 12, 1949, for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea "(3) The Convention of August 12, 1949, relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War "(4) The Convention of August 12, 1949, relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War "I am instructed by Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to make the following declaration: "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will apply each of the above-mentioned Conventions in the British Protected States of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the Trucial States to the extent of Her Majesty's powers in relation to those territories." (...) [Reservation to Article 68 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, withdrawn on 15 December 1971] "I am further instructed by Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom to refer to the reservations made on Article 85 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War by the following States: The People's Republic of Albania, the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Bulgarian People's Republic, the People's Republic of China, the Czechoslovak Republic, the Polish Republic, the Rumanian People's Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and to the reservations to Article 12 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and to Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Civilian Persons in Time of War made by all the above-mentioned States and by the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia. "I am instructed by Her Majesty's Government to state that whilst they regard all the above-mentioned States as being parties to the above-mentioned Conventions, they do not regard the above-mentioned reservations thereto made by those States as valid, and will therefore regard any application of any of those reservations as constituting a breach of the Convention to which the reservation relates." SOURCE: UNTS, Vol.278, 1957, pp.266-268. *** Objection made on 28 March 1985: "With reference to the reservation made by the Government of the People's Republic of Angola to Article 85 to the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, Her Majesty's Government, recalling their previous declaration in relations to similar reservations by other States, wish to state that, whilst they do not oppose the entry into force of the Convention in question between the United Kingdom and the People's Republic of Angola, they are unable to accept the reservation because, in the view of the Government of the United Kingdom, this reservation is not of the kind which intending parties to the Convention are entitled to make." SOURCE: Notification by the depositary addressed to the ICRC on 18 June 1985. * Objection by the United Kingdom in relation with the reservationsmade by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam. Notification addressed to the Swiss Government 19 november 1975. "In relation with the reservations made by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam to Articles 12 and 85 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and in relation with the reservation to Article 45 of the Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War made by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recalling their declaration on ratification in relation to similar reservations by other States, wish to state that, whilst they do not oppose the entry into force of the two Conventions in question between the United Kingdom and the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, they are unable to accept the above-mentioned reservations thereto made by those States because, in the view of the Government of the United Kingdom, these reservations are not of the kind which intending Parties to the Convention are entitled to make. "The Government of the United Kingdom wish also to place on record that they take the same view of the similar reservations made by the Swiss Minister in London on 8 January 1957, and by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, notified by the Swiss Ambassador in London on 24 August 1957. "In relation to the reservation made by the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to Article 4 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and by the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to Article 13 of the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field and Article 13 of the Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea, the Government of the United Kingdom wish to state that they are likewise unable to accept those reservations." SOURCE: UNTS, Vol.995, 1976. *** With letters dated 13 June 1997, the British Ambassador to Switzerland deposited the following declaration: "I am instructed by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to refer to the [four Geneva Conventions] (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention") which apply to Hong Kong at present. I am also instructed to state that, in accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Hong Kong signed on 19 December 1984, the Government of the United Kingdom will restore Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China with effect from 1 July 1997. The Government of the United Kingdom will continue to have international responsibility for Hong Kong until that date. Therefore, from that date the Government of the United Kingdom will cease to be responsible for the international rights and obligations arising from application of the Convention to Hong Kong." Source: Notification by the Swiss Government to the Governments of the States parties to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of War Victims, Berne, 24 June 1997.