Chapter IV. Treaties concerning international law concluded under the auspices of the United Nations and related intergovernmental organizations

Chapter IV

TREATiEs COnCERning inTERnATiOnAl lAW COnCluDED unDER ThE AusPiCEs OF ThE uniTED nATiOns AnD RElATED inTERgOvERnmEnTAl ORgAnizATiOns

1. Treaties concerning international law concluded under the auspices of the united nations

   United .Nations .Convention .on .Jurisdictional .Immunities .of .States . .and .Their .

   Property .Adopted .by .the .General .Assembly .on .2 .December .2004

   The .States .Parties .to .the .present .Convention,

   Considering .that .the .jurisdictional .immunities .of .States .and .their .property .are .generally .accepted .as .a .principle .of .customary .international .law,

   Having in mind .the .principles .of .international .law .embodied .in .the .Charter .of .the . United .Nations,

   Believing .that .an .international .convention .on .the .jurisdictional .immunities .of .States . and .their .property .would .enhance .the .rule .of .law .and .legal .certainty, .particularly .in .dealings .of .States .with .natural .or .juridical .persons, .and .would .contribute .to .the .codification . and .development .of .international .law .and .the .harmonization .of .practice .in .this .area,

   Taking into account .developments .in .State .practice .with .regard .to .the .jurisdictional . immunities .of .States .and .their .property,

   Affirming .that .the .rules .of .customary .international .law .continue .to .govern .matters . not .regulated .by .the .provisions .of .the .present .Convention,

   Have .agreed .as .follows:

   Part .I . Introduction

   Article 1. Scope of the present Convention

   The .present .Convention .applies .to .the .immunity .of .a .State .and .its .property .from .the . jurisdiction .of .the .courts .of .another .State

   Article 2. Use of terms

   1 .For .the .purposes .of .the .present .Convention:

   . Adopted . during . the . 65th . plenary . meeting . of . the . General . Assembly . by . resolution . 59/38 . of . 2 .December .2004

   244 . UNITED .NATIONS .JURIDICAL .YEARBOOK .2004

   (a) .“court” .means .any .organ .of .a .State, .however .named, .entitled .to .exercise .judicial . functions;

   (b) .“State” .means:

   . (i) . the .State .and .its .various .organs .of .government;

   . (ii) . constituent .units .of .a .federal .State .or .political .subdivisions .of .the .State, .which . are .entitled .to .perform .acts .in .the .exercise .of .sovereign .authority, .and .are .acting . in .that .capacity;

   . (iii) . agencies .or .instrumentalities .of .the .State .or .other .entities, .to .the .extent .that .they . are .entitled .to .perform .and .are .actually .performing .acts .in .the .exercise .of .sovereign .authority .of .the .State;

   . (iv) . representatives .of .the .State .acting .in .that .capacity;

   (c) .“commercial .transaction” .means:

   . (i) . any .commercial .contract .or .transaction .for .the .sale .of .goods .or .supply .of .services;

   . (ii) . any .contract .for .a .loan .or .other .transaction .of .a .financial .nature, .including .any . obligation .of .guarantee .or .of .indemnity .in .respect .of .any .such .loan .or .transaction;

   . (iii) . any .other .contract .or .transaction .of .a .commercial, .industrial, .trading .or .professional .nature, .but .not .including .a .contract .of .employment .of .persons

   2 .In .determining .whether .a .contract .or .transaction .is .a .“commercial .transaction” . under .paragraph .1 .(c), .reference .should .be .made .primarily .to .the .nature .of .the .contract .or . transaction, .but .its .purpose .should .also .be .taken .into .account .if .the .parties .to .the .contract . or .transaction .have .so .agreed, .or .if, .in .the .practice .of .the .State .of .the .forum, .that .purpose . is .relevant .to .determining .the .non-commercial .character .of .the .contract .or .transaction

   3 .The .provisions .of .paragraphs .1 .and .2 .regarding .the .use .of .terms .in .the .present . Convention .are .without .prejudice .to .the .use .of .those .terms .or .to .the .meanings .which .may . be .given .to .them .in .other .international .instruments .or .in .the .internal .law .of .any .State

   Article 3. Privileges and immunities not affected by the present Convention

   1 .The .present .Convention .is .without .prejudice .to .the .privileges .and .immunities . enjoyed .by .a .State .under .international .law .in .relation .to .the .exercise .of .the .functions .of:

   (a) .its .diplomatic .missions, .consular .posts, .special .missions, .missions .to .international . organizations .or .delegations .to .organs .of .international .organizations .or .to .international . conferences; .and

   (b) .persons .connected .with .them

   2 .The .present .Convention .is .without .prejudice .to .privileges .and .immunities .accorded . under .international .law .to .heads .of .State .ratione personae

   3 .The .present .Convention .is .without .prejudice .to .the .immunities .enjoyed .by .a .State . under .international .law .with .respect .to .aircraft .or .space .objects .owned .or .operated .by .a . State

   . chapter .IV . 245

   Article 4. Non-retroactivity of the present Convention

   Without .prejudice .to .the .application .of .any .rules .set .forth .in .the .present .Convention . to .which .jurisdictional .immunities .of .States .and .their .property .are .subject .under .international .law .independently .of .the .present .Convention, .the .present .Convention .shall .not . apply .to .any .question .of .jurisdictional .immunities .of .States .or .their .property .arising .in .a . proceeding .instituted .against .a .State .before .a .court .of .another .State .prior .to .the .entry .into . force .of .the .present .Convention .for .the .States .concerned

   Part .II . General .principles

   Article 5. State immunity

   A .State .enjoys .immunity, .in .respect .of .itself .and .its .property, .from .the .jurisdiction .of . the .courts .of .another .State .subject .to .the .provisions .of .the .present .Convention

   Article 6. Modalities for giving effect to State immunity

   1 .A .State .shall .give .effect .to .State .immunity .under .article .5 .by .refraining .from .exercising .jurisdiction .in .a .proceeding .before .its .courts .against .another .State .and .to .that .end . shall .ensure .that .its .courts .determine .on .their .own .initiative .that .the .immunity .of .that . other .State .under .article .5 .is .respected

   2 .A .proceeding .before .a .court .of .a .State .shall .be .considered .to .have .been .instituted . against .another .State .if .that .other .State:

   (a) .is .named .as .a .party .to .that .proceeding; .or

   (b) .is .not .named .as .a .party .to .the .proceeding .but .the .proceeding .in .effect .seeks .to . affect .the .property, .rights, .interests .or .activities .of .that .other .State

   Article 7. Express consent to exercise of jurisdiction

   1 .A .State .cannot .invoke .immunity .from .jurisdiction .in .a .proceeding .before .a .court . of .another .State .with .regard .to .a .matter .or .case .if .it .has .expressly .consented .to .the .exercise . of .jurisdiction .by .the .court .with .regard .to .the .matter .or .case:

   (a) . by .international .agreement;

   (b) . in .a .written .contract; .or

   (c) . by .a .declaration .before .the .court .or .by .a .written .communication .in .a .specific . proceeding

   2 .Agreement .by .a .State .for .the .application .of .the .law .of .another .State .shall .not .be . interpreted .as .consent .to .the .exercise .of .jurisdiction .by .the .courts .of .that .other .State

   Article 8. Effect of participation in a proceeding before a court

   1 .A .State .cannot .invoke .immunity .from .jurisdiction .in .a .proceeding .before .a .court . of .another .State .if .it .has:

   (a) .itself .instituted .the .proceeding; .or

   (b) .intervened .in .the .proceeding .or .taken .any .other .step .relating .to .the .merits .However, .if .the .State .satisfies .the .court .that .it .could .not .have .acquired .knowledge .of .facts .on .

   24 . UNITED .NATIONS .JURIDICAL .YEARBOOK .2004

   which .a .claim .to .immunity .can .be .based .until .after .it .took .such .a .step, .it .can .claim .immunity .based .on .those .facts, .provided .it .does .so .at .the .earliest .possible .moment

   2 .A .State .shall .not .be .considered .to .have .consented .to .the .exercise .of .jurisdiction .by . a .court .of .another .State .if .it .intervenes .in .a .proceeding .or .takes .any .other .step .for .the .sole . purpose .of:

   (a) .invoking .immunity; .or

   (b) .asserting .a .right .or .interest .in .property .at .issue .in .the .proceeding

   3 .The .appearance .of .a .representative .of .a .State .before .a .court .of .another .State .as .a . witness .shall .not .be .interpreted .as .consent .by .the .former .State .to .the .exercise .of .jurisdiction .by .the .court

   4 .Failure .on .the .part .of .a .State .to .enter .an .appearance .in .a .proceeding .before .a .court . of .another .State .shall .not .be .interpreted .as .consent .by .the .former .State .to .the .exercise .of . jurisdiction .by .the .court

   Article 9. Counterclaims

   1 .A .State .instituting .a .proceeding .before .a .court .of .another .State .cannot .invoke . immunity .from .the .jurisdiction .of .the .court .in .respect .of .any .counterclaim .arising .out .of . the .same .legal .relationship .or .facts .as .the .principal .claim

   2 .A .State .intervening .to .present .a .claim .in .a .proceeding .before .a .court .of .another . State .cannot .invoke .immunity .from .the .jurisdiction .of .the .court .in .respect .of .any .counterclaim .arising .out .of .the .same .legal .relationship .or .facts .as .the .claim .presented .by .the . State

   3 .A .State .making .a .counterclaim .in .a .proceeding .instituted .against .it .before .a .court . of .another .State .cannot .invoke .immunity .from .the .jurisdiction .of .the .court .in .respect .of . the .principal .claim

   Part .III . Proceedings .in .which .State .immunity .cannot .be .invoked

   Article 10. Commercial transactions

   1 .If .a .State .engages .in .a .commercial .transaction .with .a .foreign .natural .or .juridical . person .and, .by .virtue .of .the...