Contractual Nature of the Optional Clause

Gunnar Törber is Legal Researcher at the University of Münster.

• Introduction I. The Reasons for this Work II. The Course of this Work III. Terminology 1. The Structure of Obligations Under the Optional Clause I. An Obligation Pre Seisin ? II. An Obligation Towards Other States ? 2. The Nature of the Optional Clause I. Unilateral Declarations, Bilateral and Multilateral Treaties II. Article 36 of the Statute III. The Nature of the Optional Clause as Seen by States IV. The Nature of the Optional Clause in Jurisprudence V. Conclusion VI. Excursus: The Applicability of the VCLT 3. The Creation of Obligations Under the Optional Clause I. Freedom to Join or to Abstain II. Accession, Signature, Ratifi cation, and Deposition III. The Moment Declarations Enter into Force IV. The Withdrawal of Reservations V. Result 4. Interpretation of the Optional Clause Declarations I. The Rules for Treaty Interpretation Applied to the Optional Clause .II. The Statute, the Charter and State Practice III. Jurisprudence on the Interpretation of Optional Clause Declarations IV. Result V. Excursus: Interpretation of the Connally Reservation 5. Reservations Under the Optional Clause I. The Notion ‘ Reservation ’ (Article 2(1)(d) VCLT) II. The Effects of Reservations Under the Optional Clause (Article 21 VCLT) III. The Permissibility of Reservations (Article 19 VCLT) IV. The Separability of Optional Clause Declarations and Their Reservations V. The States ’ Objections to Reservations (Article 20 VCLT) VI. Result 6. Withdrawals and Agreements I. Partial Withdrawals and ‘ Amendments ’ of Optional Clause Declarations II. The Right to Unilaterally Withdraw Optional Clause Declarations III. Mutual Amendments and Agreements IV. Result