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Contracting Parties United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Finland

Dates Signature: December 10, 1982 Ratification: June 21, 1996 Entry into force: July 21, 1996

Declarations, Reservations

Objections made on April 28, 2015:
With regard to the interpretative declaration made by the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
"The Government of Finland has carefully examined the contents of the interpretative declaration made by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and is of the view that the interpretative declaration raises certain legal concerns.
The Government of Finland wishes to recall that according to Article 309 no reservations or exceptions may be made to the Convention unless expressly permitted by other articles of the Convention. Article 310 of the Convention further provides that declarations and statements made by a State when signing, ratifying or acceding to it cannot purport to exclude or to modify the legal effect of the provisions of the Convention in their application to the State concerned.
Pursuant to Article 310, the interpretative declaration was formulated too late by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Government of Finland is also of the view that the interpretative declaration does not clearly specify its contents leaving open the extent to which the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is committed to the provisions of the Convention, and consequently, it may in substance constitute a reservation that excludes or modifies the legal effect of the provisions of the Convention in their application to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Therefore, the Government of Finland objects to the interpretative declaration for its late formulation and to the extent that any part of it constitutes a reservation not otherwise permitted by the Convention or purports to exclude or modify the legal effect of any of the provisions in their application to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Government of Finland considers the interpretative declaration devoid of any legal effect.
This objection shall not preclude the continued application of the Convention between Finland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo."

Objections made on October 23, 2013:
With regard to the declaration made by Ecuador upon accession:
"The Government of Finland has carefully examined the contents of the declaration made by the Ecuadorian State to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In view of the Government of Finland, this declaration may in substance constitute a reservation, because certain of its elements are unclear and seem to limit the scope of the Convention in its application to Ecuador, such as statements regarding the freedom of navigation, the establishment of maritime zones and the exercise of jurisdiction and sovereign rights within them.
The Government of Finland wishes to recall that according to Article 309 no reservations or exceptions may be made to the Convention unless expressly permitted by other articles of the Convention. Article 310 of the Convention further provides that declarations and statements made by a State when signing, ratifying or acceding to it cannot purport to exclude or to modify the legal effects of the provisions of the Convention in their application to the State concerned.
Therefore, the Government of Finland objects to the declaration made by Ecuador to the extent that any part of it constitutes a reservation not permitted by the Convention or purports to exclude or modify the legal effects of the provisions of the Convention in their application to Ecuador.
This objection does not preclude the entry into force of the Convention between Finland and Ecuador. The Convention will thus become operative between the two States without Ecuador benefitting from its reservations."

Declaration made upon ratification:
"In accordance with article 287 of the Convention, Finland chooses the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea as means for settlement of disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention as well as of the Agreement relating to the Implementation of its Part XI.
Finland recalls that, as a Member State of the European Community, it has transferred competence to the Community in respect of certain matters governed by the Convention. A detailed declaration on the nature and extent of the competence transferred to the European Community will be made in due course in accordance with the provisions of Annex IX of the Convention."

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon ratification:
"It is the understanding of the Government of Finland that the exception from the transit passage regime in straits provided for in article 35 (c) of the Convention is applicable to the strait between Finland (the Aland Islands) and Sweden. Since in that strait the passage is regulated in part by a long-standing international convention in force, the present legal regime in that strait will remain unchanged after the entry into force of the Convention."

Declaration made upon signature:
"As regards those parts of the Convention which deal with innocent passage through the territorial sea, it is the intention of the Government of Finland to continue to apply the present regime to the passage of foreign warships and other government-owned vessels used for non-commercial purposes through the Finnish territorial sea, that regime being fully compatible with the Convention."