Treaties in Motion: The Evolution of Treaties from Formation to Termination

426 Pages·2020·3.882 MB·English

by  Malgosia Fitzmaurice, Panos Merkouris

TREATIES IN MOTION
Thelawoftreatiesisinconstantmotion,understoodnotonlyaslocomo-
tion, but also as motion through time and as change. Thus, kinesis and
stasis,twosidesofthesameconceptof‘motion’,arethecentralthemesof
TreatiesinMotion.
Theconceptofmotionadoptedinthisbookisbasedonthephilosophy
ofAristotle.Heidentifiedsixtypesofmotion:creation(genesis),increase
(auxesis),diminution(meiosis),alteration(alloiosis),destruction(phthora),
andchangeofplace(katatoponmetabole),whichhasbeenamendedbythe
authors to change in space-time (kata topon kai chronon metavole) to
reflectourmodernscientificunderstandingoftimeasadimensionthrough
whichmotionandchangeoccurs.
Each chapter’s analysis proceeds by focusing on a specific area of a
treaty’s ‘life-cycle’, where each type of motion shines through and is
describedthroughthreedifferentframesofreference: treaties,theVienna
ConventionoftheLawofTreaties,andcustomarylaw.
  is Professor of International Law at the
School of Law, Queen Mary University of London and an associate
memberoftheInstitutdeDroitInternational.Shehasdeliveredlectures
at The Hague Academy of International Law, was involved in a multi
stakeholder project funded by the EU Commission on environmental
crime,isEditorinChiefofInternationalCommunityLawReviewjournal
(ICLR)andQueenMaryStudiesinInternationalLaw,andhasadvisedas
expertonlawoftreaties.
isProfessorattheUniversityofGroningen.In2017
hewasawardedtheprestigiousERCStartingGrantforhis5-yearproject
TRICI-Law (The Rules of Interpretation of Customary International
Law).Hehaswrittenextensivelyonlawoftreatiesandoninterpretation,
has been cited in international reports and cases, and has advised as
expertontheseissues.
CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN INTERNATIONAL
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TREATIES IN MOTION
The Evolution of Treaties from Formation
to Termination
MALGOSIA FITZMAURICE
QueenMaryUniversityofLondon
PANOS MERKOURIS
UniversityofGroningen
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www.cambridge.org
Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9781108495882
DOI:10.1017/9781108863407
©MalgosiaFitzmauriceandPanosMerkouris2020
Thispublicationisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewritten
permissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2020
AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Names:Fitzmaurice,Malgosia,1957–author.|Merkouris,Panos,author.
Title:Treatiesinmotion:theevolutionoftreatiesfromformationtotermination/Malgosia
Fitzmaurice,QueenMary,UniversityofLondon;PanosMerkouris,UniversityofGroningen
Description:Cambridge,UnitedKingdom;NewYork,NY,USA:Cambridge
UniversityPress,2020.|Series:Cambridgestudiesininternationalandcomparativelaw|
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
Identifiers:LCCN2019057481(print)|LCCN2019057482(ebook)|ISBN9781108495882
(hardback)|ISBN9781108797924(paperback)|ISBN9781108863407(epub)
Subjects:LCSH:Treaties.
Classification:LCCKZ1301.F582020(print)|LCCKZ1301(ebook)|DDC341.3/7–dc23
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LCebookrecordavailableathttps://lccn.loc.gov/2019057482
ISBN978-1-108-49588-2Hardback
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CONTENTS
List of Figures x
List of Tables xi
Acknowledgements xii
List of Abbreviations xiii
Table of Cases xix
Table of Treaties xxxiii
1 Motion as a Notion 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 TheForceThatSetThingsinMotion 2
1.3 NotionofMotion 3
1.4 MotionasChange 7
1.5 MotionthroughTime 9
1.6 MotionDependentonFramesofReference 13
1.7 MotioninTreatiesinMotion 14
2 Treaty Genesis: Concept of a Treaty in International Law,
Including Its Formation and Motion 23
2.1 Introduction 23
2.2 DefinitionofaTreatyinthe1969VCLT 28
2.2.1 Introduction 28
2.2.2 ‘LegalObligation’and‘GovernedbyInternationalLaw’ 29
2.2.3 FormandSubstanceoftheTreatyinTheirInfinite
Variety 32
2.2.3.1 PreliminaryRemarks 32
2.2.3.2 FormandSubstanceofaTreatybeforeInternational
CourtsandTribunals 35
2.2.4 RegistrationoftheTreaty(Article102oftheUN
Charter) 56
2.2.5 Conclusions 57
2.3 MemorandaofUnderstanding 59
2.4 UnilateralActsofStates 63
2.4.1 Introduction 63
v
vi 
2.4.2 UnilateralActs:TheirContentandFormandtheLawof
Treaties 64
2.5 SoftLaw 68
2.5.1 States’ObligationsandClimateChangeTreaties 82
2.5.2 Conclusions 87
2.6 ReflectionsontheRoleofGoodFaith 92
2.7 Conclusions 93
3 Consent to Be Bound: The Force behind the Motion of
Treaties 96
3.1 Introduction 96
3.2 ClassicalMethodsoftheConsenttoBeBoundandtheVCLT 98
3.3 ModificationofStates’ConsentthroughReservationsto
Treaties 101
3.3.1 IntroductoryObservations 101
3.3.2 RegimeoftheViennaConvention:GapsandConfusion 104
3.4 EvolutionofConsenttoBeBoundintheEnvironmentalLaw
Context 111
3.5 TheorisingConsentinInternationalLaw 113
3.6 ConsenttoBeBoundandClassificationofTreaties 116
3.7 Conclusions 120
4 Treaty Interpretation and Its Rules: Of Motion through
Time, ‘Time-Will’, and ‘Time-Bubbles’ 121
4.1 Introduction 121
4.2 ContemporaneousInterpretationvEvolutiveInterpretation:Content
StasisvContentMotion 123
4.2.1 InterpretativeMotionthroughTime:IntertemporalityandIts
ConnectiontoInterpretation 123
4.2.2 PrincipleofContemporaneityandEvolutiveInterpretation:
StasisorKinesis? 128
4.2.2.1 ContemporaneousvEvolutiveInterpretation 128
4.2.2.2 EvolutiveInterpretationandSubsequentAgreements
andPractice 133
4.2.2.3 ChoosingbetweenStatic(Contemporaneous)and
EvolutiveInterpretation 135
4.2.2.4 LimitsofEvolutiveInterpretation 141
4.3 MotionthroughTimeoftheRulesonInterpretation 147
4.3.1 ClaimThatRulesofInterpretation,DespitethePassage
ofTime,AreImmutable 158
4.3.1.1 VeryExistenceofRulesofInterpretation 158
4.3.1.2 VariousFormsofRulesofInterpretation 162
4.3.1.3 InterpretationofRulesofInterpretation 168
 vii
4.3.1.4 LogicalFallaciesoftheImmutabilityofRulesof
Interpretation 172
4.3.2 MutabilityofRulesofInterpretationLeadstoIntertemporal
Concerns 174
4.3.2.1 EffectofTimeonRulesofInterpretation 174
4.3.2.2 Scenarios(Dis)Allowing‘Time-Travelling’Rulesof
Interpretation 175
4.4 ForwardandBackwardMotionthroughTime:Rulesof
Interpretationas‘Time-Travellers’ 179
5 Amendment/Modification/Revision of Treaties: Motion as
Change 182
5.1 Introduction 182
5.2 DraftingHistoryofArticle39-41VCLT 183
5.2.1 CharacteristicsandDefinitionsofRulesRelating
toA/M/R 183
5.2.1.1 NeedforA/M/RArticlesintheVCLT 183
5.2.1.2 DefinitionalIssuesofA/M/R 187
5.2.2 CriticalIssuesRelatingtotheProcessofA/M/Rin
theVCLT 188
5.2.2.1 RightsandObligationsofStatesduringA/M/R
Procedures 189
5.2.2.2 UnanimityRule 190
5.3 TrendsandIssuesinA/M/RofTreaties 192
5.3.1 Introduction 192
5.3.2 TacitAcceptanceProcedure 193
5.3.2.1 TacitAcceptanceProcedureinInternational
Treaties 194
5.3.2.2 LegalityandTelosoftheTacitAcceptance
Procedure 196
5.3.2.3 Raisond’ÊtreoftheTacitAcceptanceProcedure:
TheIMOExample 197
5.3.2.4 CharacterisationoftheTacitAcceptance
Procedure 201
5.3.3 COPs/MOPsinMEAsandAmendment/Modification
Thereof 202
5.3.3.1 LegalCharacterisationofCOPs/MOPs 202
5.3.4 LegitimacyofA/M/RbyCOPs 211
5.3.5 JuxtapositionofA/M/RwithInterpretation 215
5.3.5.1 InterconnectivityofA/M/RwithOtherAspectsof
the‘Life-Cycle’ofTreaties 215
5.3.5.2 A/M/RandInterpretation 216
5.3.5.3 TheDifferencebetweenA/M/Rand
Interpretation 221
5.3.6 SubsequentCustomaryLawandTreatyModification 231
viii 
5.4 EmpiricalAnalysisofA/M/RProvisionsinMultilateral
Treaties 232
5.4.1 DataonA/M/RProvisions 232
5.4.2 A/M/RProvisionsinMultilateralTreaties 236
5.4.3 AdoptionandEntryintoForceofProposedA/M/Rsof
MultilateralTreaties 241
5.4.3.1 Adoption 244
5.4.3.2 EntryintoForce 252
5.4.4 AmendmentofAmendmentProcedures 263
5.5 Conclusions 268
6 Treaties and Their Phthora: Withdrawing from and
Terminating/Suspending Treaties 270
6.1 Introduction 270
6.2 WithdrawingfromaTreatywithoutaWithdrawalProvision 272
6.2.1 NegativeorPositivePresumption 273
6.2.2 TheNatureoftheTreaty 275
6.3 WritingontheWall(andItsSubsequentErasing):Withdrawaland
WithdrawingtheWithdrawal 278
6.3.1 UKandEU:A‘Half-HeartedRelationship’ 279
6.3.2 WithdrawalMechanism 281
6.3.3 WightmanPetitioninUKCourts 283
6.3.4 WithdrawaloftheNotificationofWithdrawal 285
6.4 AnomalousTermination/SuspensionofaTreaty 293
6.4.1 Praeter-VCLTGroundsforTreatyTermination/Suspensionor
Non-Performance 295
6.4.1.1 Desuetude 295
6.4.1.2 ExceptioInadimpletiContractus 301
6.4.2 Intra-VCLTGroundsforTreatyTermination/
Suspension 307
6.4.2.1 SuperveningImpossibilityofPerformance 307
6.4.2.2 FundamentalChangeofCircumstances 309
6.4.2.3 MaterialBreach 313
6.5 Relative‘Motion’ofGroundsforTreatyTermination 319
6.5.1 Relative‘Motion’ofPraeter-VCLTGroundstoIntra-VCLT
Grounds 320
6.5.1.1 DesuetudeandFundamentalChangeof
Circumstances 320
6.5.1.2 ExceptioInadimpletiContractusandMaterial
Breach 321
6.5.2 Relative‘Motion’ofIntra-andPraeter-VCLTGroundstoState
Responsibility 325
6.5.2.1 SuperveningImpossibilityofPerformanceandState
Responsibility 326
 ix
6.5.2.2 MaterialBreach(andExceptio)andState
Responsibility 328
6.6 Conclusions 333
7 Concluding Remarks 334
Bibliography 340
Index 372