Declarations recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory

Paraguay

25 September 1996

[Translation from the Spanish]

Whereas the Republic of Paraguay signed the Charter of the United Nations on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco and ratified it on 12 October of that year,

Having seen and examined the text of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, principal judicial organ of the United Nations, whose Article 36, paragraph 2, stipulates that States parties to the Statute may declare at any time and without special agreement that they recognize as compulsory the jurisdiction of the Court,

And whereas the National Congress agreed to recognize this by means of Act No. 913 of 7 August 1996,

Therefore:

I hereby accept on behalf of the Government of Paraguay the compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, with headquarters at The Hague, reciprocally in relation to other States accepting the same obligation in respect of all disputes as provided for in Article 36, paragraph 2, of the Statute of the Court. The present declaration shall apply only to disputes arising subsequent to the date of this declaration.

In witness whereof I hereby sign this declaration, which is sealed with the national Seal and countersigned by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ruben Melgarejo Lanzoni, in the city of Asuncion, capital of the Republic of Paraguay, on 17 September 1996.

(Signed) Juan Carlos WASMOSY,

President,

(Signed) Ruben MELGAREJO LANZONI,

Minister for Foreign Affairs.