DECLARATION OF PRESIDENT SCHWEBEL
1 have voted for the Order, but with disquiet. The sensitive issues it
poses have been hastily, if ably, argued. The evidenceintroduced is bare.
The Court's consideration of the issues of law and fact, in the circum-
stances imposed upon it, has been summary.The United Statesmaintains
that no Statehas ever before claimed as Paraguay now does that, because
of lack of consular access under the Vienna Convention on Consular
Relations, the results of a trial, conviction,and appeal should be voided.
Not only has the United States apologized to Paraguay for the uninten-
tional failure of notification to Paraguay's consul of the arrest and trial of
the accused, but it hastaken substantial steps to strengthen what appears
to be a practice in the United States of variable compliance with the obli-
gations imposed upon it .bythe Vienna Convention.
Al1this said, 1 have voted for the Order indicating provisional meas-
ures suggested pursuant to Article 41 of the Statute of the Court. Those
measures ought to be taken to preserve the rights of Paraguay in a situa-
tion of incontestable urgency.
1have so voted essentiallyfor these reasons. There is an admitted fail-
ure by the Commonwealth of Virginia to have afforded Paraguay timely
consular access, that is toSay,there is an admitted breach of treaty. An
apology and Federal provision for avoidance of future such lapses does
not assist the accused,who Paraguay alleges wasor may have been preju-
diced by lack of consular access, a question which is for the merits. It is
of obvious importance to the maintenance and development of a rule of
law among States that the obligations imposed by treaties be complied
with and that, where they are not, reparation be required. The mutuality
of interest of States in the effective observance of the obligations of the
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is the greater in the inter-
mixed global community of today and tomorrow (and the citizens of no
State have a higher interest in the observance of those obligations than
the peripatetic citizens of the United States). In my view, these consid-
erations outweighthe serious difficultieswhich this Order imposes on the
authorities of the United States and Virginia.
(Signed) Stephen M. SCHWEBEL.
DECLARATION OF PRESIDENT SCHWEBEL
1 have voted for the Order, but with disquiet. The sensitive issues it
poses have been hastily, if ably, argued. The evidenceintroduced is bare.
The Court's consideration of the issues of law and fact, in the circum-
stances imposed upon it, has been summary.The United Statesmaintains
that no Statehas ever before claimed as Paraguay now does that, because
of lack of consular access under the Vienna Convention on Consular
Relations, the results of a trial, conviction,and appeal should be voided.
Not only has the United States apologized to Paraguay for the uninten-
tional failure of notification to Paraguay's consul of the arrest and trial of
the accused, but it hastaken substantial steps to strengthen what appears
to be a practice in the United States of variable compliance with the obli-
gations imposed upon it .bythe Vienna Convention.
Al1this said, 1 have voted for the Order indicating provisional meas-
ures suggested pursuant to Article 41 of the Statute of the Court. Those
measures ought to be taken to preserve the rights of Paraguay in a situa-
tion of incontestable urgency.
1have so voted essentiallyfor these reasons. There is an admitted fail-
ure by the Commonwealth of Virginia to have afforded Paraguay timely
consular access, that is toSay,there is an admitted breach of treaty. An
apology and Federal provision for avoidance of future such lapses does
not assist the accused,who Paraguay alleges wasor may have been preju-
diced by lack of consular access, a question which is for the merits. It is
of obvious importance to the maintenance and development of a rule of
law among States that the obligations imposed by treaties be complied
with and that, where they are not, reparation be required. The mutuality
of interest of States in the effective observance of the obligations of the
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations is the greater in the inter-
mixed global community of today and tomorrow (and the citizens of no
State have a higher interest in the observance of those obligations than
the peripatetic citizens of the United States). In my view, these consid-
erations outweighthe serious difficultieswhich this Order imposes on the
authorities of the United States and Virginia.
(Signed) Stephen M. SCHWEBEL. DÉCLARATION DE M. SCHWEBEL, PRÉSIDENT
[Traduction]
J'ai votépour l'ordonnance, mais non sans appréhension. Les ques-
tions délicates qu'elle soulèvont étédébattues à la hâte, bien qu'avec
beaucoup de talent. Les moyens de preuve produits sont extrêmement
succincts.La Cour n'a pu procéderqu'à uneanalyse sommaire des points
de droit et de fait dans lescirconstances qui lui avaient été imposL.es
Etats-Unis soutiennent qu'aucun Etat n'ajamais prétendu,comme le fait
maintenant le Paraguay, que le droit de communication avec les fonc-
tionnaires consulaires prévupar la convention de Vienne sur les relations
consulaires n'ayant pas étérespectéles décisionsse rapportant à une
procédure judiciaire, unedéclarationde culpabilité etun appel doivent
êtreannulés.Les Etats-Unis ont non seulement présenté desexcuses au
Paraguay pour avoir omis involontairement de notifier à son consul l'ar-
restation et le jugement de l'accusé, mais ilsont aussi pris des mesures
concrètespour renforcer le respect, qui semble êtreassez inégalsur leur
territoire, des obligations que leur impose la convention de Vienne.
Cela étantdit, j'ai votéen faveur de l'ordonnance indiquant des me-
sures conservatoires en application de l'article du Statut de la Cour.
Ces mesures doivent êtreprises pour sauvegarder les droits du Paraguay
dans une situation d'urgence incontestable.
Je me suis prononcéen faveur de l'ordonnance essentiellementpour les
raisons suivantes:1'Etatde Virginieayant admis qu'il avaitomis d'accor-
der au consulat du Paraguay la possibilitéde communiquer en temps utile
avec l'accuséi,l est reconnu que le traité violé.Le fait que des excuses
ont été présentéesqeu te des dispositions ont étéprises au niveau fédéral
pour éviterque de telsmanquements ne sereproduisent ne présenteaucune
utilitépour l'accuséqui, selon le Paraguay, a subi ou a pu subir un préju-
diceparce qu'il n'apu communiquer avecson consulat, ce qui soulèveune
question relevantdu fond.Il est évidemmentimportant pour lemaintien et
ledéveloppementdela primauté du droit entre lesEtats que lesobligations
conventionnellessoient respectées etque si elles nele sont pas une répara-
tion soit demandée.L'intérêt réciproqu des Etats au respect effectif des
obligations découlant de la convention deVienne sur les relations consu-
laires estd'autant plus grand dans lemonde d'aujourd'huioù lesindividus
semélangentet leferont encoreplus demain (et lesressortissantsdesEtats-
Unis qui se déplacent à l'étrangeront plus que les ressortissants de
n'importe quelautre Etat intérêatu respect de cesobligations). Selonmoi,
cesconsidérations vont au-delàdes graves difficultque cette ordonnance
entraînera pour les autoritésdes Etats-Unis et de la Virginie.
(SignéS tephen M. SCHWEBEL.
Declaration of President Schwebel