WEEK-LONG TREATY-SIGNING EVENT CONCLUDES AT UN HEADQUARTERS

WEEK-LONG TREATY-SIGNING EVENT CONCLUDES AT UN HEADQUARTERS

Representatives of 78 Countries Affirm Support

For Terrorism-Related and Other International Legal Instruments

The week-long series of treaty-signings at United Nations Headquarters, mainly of terrorism-related instruments, ended today.

There was a total of 175 treaty actions during the period in respect of

41 documents:  110 signatures and 65 accessions, ratifications, acceptances and “consents to be bound”, involving 78 Member States.  Twelve heads of State or government and 56 ministers for foreign affairs -– in New York for the annual general debate of the General Assembly -– took part in the event.

Two treaties reached the required number of ratifications or accession and will shortly come into force:  the 2000 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and the 1995 Agreement on the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (see Press Release L/T/4364 of 13 November).

Last month, Secretary-General Kofi Annan invited heads of State or government and foreign ministers to make use of the opportunity provided by the Assembly's debate to express their opposition to terrorism and their commitment to the international rule of law by undertaking treaty actions relating to the treaties against terrorism deposited with him.

The treaty event opened on 10 November.  Among the treaties that received the highest number of signatures, ratifications and accession were the four United Nations conventions on terrorism, which were a major focus of the event:

The 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism received the highest number of treaty actions:  48 signatures and 8 ratifications, reaching a current total of 119 signatures and 13 ratifications;

The 1997 International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing received 14 ratifications, for a total of 58 signatures and 44 ratifications;

The 1973 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents received 4 ratifications, for a total of 25 signatures and 112 ratifications; and

The International Convention against the Taking of Hostages received 5 ratifications for a total of 39 signatures and 102 ratifications.

Other treaties that received the highest number of actions were:

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which over the same period received 5 signatures for a total of 137 signatures;

The Protocol to that Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunitions, which received 11 signatures for a total of 18 signatures; and

The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which received 7 signatures and 4 ratifications, for a total of 92 signatures and 11 ratifications.

The 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court received 3 ratifications.  The current level of participation is 139 signatories and 46 parties.  It will enter into force following the deposit of the sixtiethinstrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

Actions were also undertaken with regard to human rights treaties:  the 2000 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; the 1999 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (which needs just three more ratifications to enter into force).

In addition, the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty received

3 signatures and 4 ratifications.

Hans Corell, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel said the “actions were a clear expression of the will of the international community to support the rule of law in international relations and in particular to combat terrorism in all its forms".  He said at the conclusion of the event that it was important to remember that the actions undertaken were in addition to the measures already taken by those States that had already signed or become parties to the treaties.

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