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Statement transmitted upon ratification:

"(...)I am instructed by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia to refer to the reservations made to Article 85 of the Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War by the following:

"The People's Republic of Albania
"The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic
"The Bulgarian People's Republic
"The Czechoslovak Republic
"The Hungarian People's Republic
"The Polish Republic
"The Romanian People's Republic
"The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
"The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

and to the reservations to Article 12 of the Geneva 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 and by the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.

"I am instructed by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia to state that whilst they regard all the above-mentioned as being parties to the above-mentioned Conventions they do not regard the above-mentioned reservations 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.

"I am further instructed by the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia to refer to notifications concerning the "German Democratic Republic", the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea", the "Democratic Republic of Viet-Nam" and the "People's Republic of China". While the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia does not recognise any the foregoing it has taken note of their acceptance of the provisions of the Conventions and their intention to apply them. The position of the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia towards the reservations referred to above applies equally in relation to the similar reservations attached to such acceptance."

SOURCE: UNTS, Vol.314, 1958, pp.334-336.
04.01.1950

14.10.1958

14.10.1958