Letter dated 20 June 1995 from the Ambassador of Qatar, together with Written Statement of the Government of Qatar

Letterdat20 June1995hm theAmbasSado rfof, togethewith
WrittenStatemenoftheGovemmentofQatar EMBASSY OF
THE STATEOF QATAR LIU
LONDON
Ambassador's Office 1 South AudleySrreet.
London W1 Y 5DQ
071 493 2200

H.E.Dr. Eduardo Valenaa-Ospina

Registrar
International Court of Justice
Peace Palace

2517 KJThe Hague
The Netherlands

London, 20June 1995

Re:Leealitvofthe threator ofnuclearweavons (Reauest for Advisorv O~inionl

Sir,

The Embassy of the State of Qatar presents its compliments to the

htemational Court of Justice ana, in pursuance oi Arnci66,paragraph 2, of
its Statute and with reference to the Order of the Court dated 1February
1995, has the honour to transmit to you herewith the Written Statement of

the Government of the State of Qatar covering the points which it would like
to submit for the consideration of the Court in the court's advisory
proceedings on the "Legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons"

requested by Resolution 49-7SK of the General Assembly of the United
Nations dated 15December 1994. The Written Statement issigned by Qatar's
representative,H.E. Dr. Najeeb Al-Nauimi, MinisterLegal Adviser.

Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my highest consideration.

AliM. Jaidah WRiTTENSTATEMENT OFTHEGOVERNMENT OF QATAR

20June 1995

Legality ofthe Threat or Useof NuciearWeapons
(Requestfor AdvisoryOpinion)

1. The questionuponwhichtheadvisoryopinion of the Courthas been
requested was laid before the Court by aetter dated 19Decernber 1994
addressedby theSecretary-Generalof the UnitedNations to theRegism. In
that letterthe Secretary-Generalinformedthe Court of Resolution49/75K
adopted by the General Assernblyof the UnitedNations on 15Decernber
1994, in accordance with Article 96, paragraph 1, of the Charter of the

UnitedNations, bywhichithad decidedto subrnitone questionto the Court
for advisoryopinion1.Thetext of that Resoluisas follows:

"The GeneralAssernbly,
Conscious that the continuing existenceand developrnent of
nuclearweaponsposesenousriskstohurnanity,

Mindfulthat States havean obligationunder the Charter of the
UnitedNationstorefrainfromthettueator useofforceagauistthe
temtorialintegrityorpoliticalindependence of State,
Recallingitsresolutions1653(XVI)of 24 Novernber1961,3317 1
B of 14December1978,34183G of 11 Decernber1979,35/152D
of 12 December 1980, 36/921of 9 December 1981,45159 B of 4

Decernber 1990 and46i37 D of 6 December 1991, in which it
declaredthat the use of nuclear weaponswouldbeaviolationof
the Charteranda crime against humanity,
Welcomingthe progressmade on the prohibitionand elirnination
of weaponsof mass demuction, including theConventionon the
Rohibition of the Development,Production and Stockpilingof
Bacteriological (Biologicaand Toxin Weapons andon Their

Desmiction and the Convention on the Rohibition of the
Developmen~ Production, Stockpilingand Use or Chernical
Weaponsand onTheirDestruction,

lResolutio49/75was adopteby 78votesto43. wit38abstentions. 2 LEGALITY OF THE THREAT ORUSE OFNUCLEAR WEAPONS

Cominced that thecomplete eliminationof nuclear weaponsis the
onlyguaranteeagainstthethreatofnuclearwar,
NotingtheconcemsexpressedintheFourthReviewConferenceof
the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear

Weapons, that insufficientprogress had been made towards the
complete eliminationof nuclear weapons at thearliest possible
time,
Recalling that the General Assembly, convincedof the need to
s~engthenthe rule of law in international relations,has deciared
the period1990-1999 the United NationsDecadeof international

Law,
Noting that Article96, paragra1,of the Charter empowen the
General Assembly torequestthe InternationalCourt of Justice to
give an advisoryopinion onany legalquestion,
Recallingthe recornmendationof the Secretary-General,made in
his report entitl"An Agenda for Peace", that UnitedNations

organs that are authorised to take advantage of the advisory
cornpetenceof the internationalCourtof Justnirnto the Coun
more frequently forsuchopinions,
Welcomingresolution46/40 of 14May 1993 ofthe Assembly of
the World Health Organisation, in which the organisation
requested the internationalCouri of Justice to give an advisory

opinion on whether theuse of nuclear weaponsby a State in war
or other anned conflictwouldbe a breach of irsobligationsunder
internationallaw, includingthe Constitutionof the WorldHealth
Organisation,
Decides, punuant to Articl96,paragraph 1,of the Charterof the
United Nations, to request the international Court of Justice
urgently.torenderits advisory.opinionon-the followingquestion:

'1s the dveat or use of nuclear weapons in any circurnstance
perminedunderinternationallaw?"'.

2. Anicle 65,paragraph1, ofthe Statuteof the Courtis the basisof the
jurisdiaion of the Courtinadvisory proceedings.Itprovidesas follows:

"The Court may give an advisory opinionon anylegal questionat
therequestofwhateverbodymay beauthorisedby or in accordance
withthe Charterof theUnitedNationstornakesucha request". WRITEN STATEMENTOF THE GOVERNMENTOFQATAR 3

Article 96, paragraph 1, of the Charter of the United Nations
providesthat:

"The General Assembly or the SecurityCouncil may requestthe
international Courtof Justice to give an advisory opinion onany
legal question".

By virtueof each of theseprovisions,theCourt iscompetentto give
advisory opinions"on any legal question". The question now before the
Court is alegalonesincethe manerliesinthe interpretationof the Charterof
the United Nations. Ako the question raises legal issues of profound

importance conceming general intemational law, customary international
law,andthe lawoftheUnited NationsSyaem.
The wordiig of Article65 of the Statute - "The Courtmay give an
advisoryopinion" -doesnot impose uponthe Corn the dutyto complywith
a request, i.ethe Court has the discretionarypower to give an advisory

opinion2. But the Court has heldthat "thereply ofthe Court,itselfan 'organ
of the United Nations',represents itsparticipationin the activities of the
Organisation,and, inprinciple,shouldnotbe refused3".Furthemore, "tilt is
well senled in the Court'sjurispmdence tha ...theCourt should entertain the
request and give its opinion unlessthere are'compellingreasons' to the

contmy4". ïhe fact thatsomeStateshavedeniedthecourt'sjurisdictiondoes
not qualie as such a reason. As the Court has held, "As the opinions are
intendedforthe guidanceof theUnitedNations,theconsentof tat tessnota
condition precedent to the competenceof the Court to give them5".The
questionbefore the Courtis not a politicalmaner6even though the present

request for an advisory opinionhas a politicalbackground.Furthemore it
doesnot relateto the conductand positionof a numberof States whichown
nuclearweaponsandhave notgiventheirconsentto the ~oun'sjurisdiction7.
When itexaminesthe proprietyof givingan opinionon the presentsubject,

2
Western Sahara, ICJ Reports 1975, p.21.Application for Review of
JudgmentNo. 333 of the UnitedNationsAdministrativeTribunal,ICIReports 1987,
p.31.
'Interpretation of Peace Treaty with Bulgaria. Hungary and Romcmia
FirstPhase.Advisory Opinion,ICIReports 1950,p.71.
'PrivilegesandImmunities,ICJReports 1989,p.191.
'Ibid.,p188-189.
6See S.Rosennc, TheLaw and PracticeoftheInternationalCourtSecond
Rcvised Edition,ManinusNijhoffPublishers ,985,No.283, pp.702-708.
7EasternCarelia.1923,PCIJSeriesB. No.5,pp. 27-28. 4 LEGALITY OF THE THREATORUSE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

the Court will be unable to fid any circumstanceor compelling reason to
refuseanadvisoryopinion.
Since the request of the General Assemblyclearly falls within the

advisoryjurisdiction of the "principaljudicialorganof the United Nations",
the Courtshould give an opinionon the legaiquestionsubmitted to it by the
General Assembly. ïbe present advisory proceediigs appear "commeun
instrumentde 'diplomatiepréventive,nmoyen privilégiépour la Cour de
désamorcerlestensions etdeprévenirlesconflitsendisant ledroit"'.

Dr.Najeeb IbnMohammedAl-Nauirni
MinisterLegalAdviser

Representativeof theGovernmentof theStateof Qatar

8 Les ressources offerres par la fonction consultativede la Cour

infernarionalede Jusfice.Bilan erperspCornmunicarione M. Mohammed
Bedjaoui,PrésidentlaCourinternationeeJusticeauCongresdesNationsUnies
surledroitinternatilublicNew York,14mars1995.