2 September 2005
[Translated from French]
Desiring, on the one hand, to reach a peaceful and equitable settlement of all international disputes, including those in which it may be involved, and, on the other hand, to make a contribution to the further development and consolidation of international law, the Republic of Djibouti, in accordance with Article 36 (2) of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, hereby declares that it recognizes as compulsory ipso facto and without special agreement, in relation to any other State accepting the same obligation, the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in all legal disputes concerning:
(a) The interpretation of a treaty;
(b) Any question of international law;
(c) The existence of any fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of an international obligation;
(d) The nature and extent of the reparation to be made for the breach of an international obligation;
with the reservation, however, that this declaration shall not apply to:
1. Disputes in regard to which the parties to the dispute have agreed or shall agree to have recourse to some other method or methods of settlement;
2. Disputes in regard to matters which are exclusively within the domestic jurisdiction of the Republic of Djibouti, under international law;
3. Disputes relating to or connected with facts or situations of hostilities, armed conflicts, individual or collective actions taken in self-defence, resistance to aggression, fulfilment of obligations imposed by international bodies and other similar or related acts, measures or situations in which the Republic of Djibouti is, has been or may in future be involved;
4. Disputes concerning the interpretation or application of a multilateral treaty unless all the parties to the treaty are also parties to the case before the Court or the Government of Djibouti specially agrees to jurisdiction of the Court;
5. Disputes with the government of any State with which, on the date of an application to bring a dispute before the Court, the Government of Djibouti has no diplomatic relations or which has not been recognized by the Government of Djibouti;
6. Disputes with non-sovereign States or territories;
7. Disputes with the Republic of Djibouti concerning or relating to:
(a) The status of its territory or the modification or delimitation of its frontiers or any other matter concerning boundaries;
(b) The territorial sea, the continental shelf and the margins, the exclusive fishery zone, the exclusive economic zone and other zones of national maritime jurisdiction including for the regulation and control of marine pollution and the conduct of scientific research by foreign vessels;
(c) The condition and status of its islands, bays and gulfs;
(d) The airspace superjacent to its land and maritime territory; and
(e) The determination and delimitation of its maritime boundaries.
This declaration is made for a period of five years, without prejudice to the right of denunciation and modification which attaches to any commitment undertaken by the State in its international relations.
It shall take effect on the date of its receipt by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Djibouti, 18 July 2005.
[Signed and sealed] Mahmoud Ali YOUSSOUF,
Minister for Foreign Affairs and
International Cooperation.