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861 multilateral conventions on Environmental Law, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law and Law of the Sea

Protocol on blinding laser weapons (Protocol IV to the 1980 Convention), 13 october 1995

Entry into force: Friday, July 3, 1998

Signed by 0 countries, ratified by 99 countries

See the convention Ratifications evolution
Signatory countries
Country Signature date Ratification date * Reservation / Declaration Comments
Albania

-

Aug 28, 2002

-


Antigua and Barbuda

-

Aug 23, 2010

-


Argentina

-

Oct 21, 1998

-


Australia

-

Aug 22, 1997

Declaration:

"It is the understanding of the Government of Australia that the provisions of Protocol IV shall apply in all circumstances."


Austria

-

Jul 27, 1998

[Same declaration, mutatis mutandis, as the one made by Ireland.]

Declaration in relation to article 1:

"It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times."


Bangladesh

-

Sep 6, 2000

-


Belarus

-

Sep 13, 2000

-


Belgium

-

Mar 10, 1999

Declaration:

It is the understanding of the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium that the provisions of Protocol IV which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times.
Bolivia

-

Sep 21, 2001

-


Bosnia and Herzegovina

-

Oct 10, 2001

-


Brazil

-

Oct 4, 1999

-


Bulgaria

-

Dec 3, 1998

-


Burkina Faso

-

Nov 26, 2003

-


Cabo Verde

-

Sep 16, 1997

-


Cambodia

-

Mar 25, 1997

-


Cameroon

-

Dec 7, 2006

-


Canada

-

Jan 5, 1998

[Same declaration, mutatis mutandis, as the one made by Ireland.]

Declaration in relation to article 1:

"It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times."


Chile

-

Oct 15, 2003

-


China

-

Nov 4, 1998

-


Colombia

-

Mar 6, 2000

-


Costa Rica

-

Dec 17, 1998

-


Croatia

-

Apr 25, 2002

-


Cyprus

-

Jul 22, 2003

-


Czech Republic

-

Aug 10, 1998

-


Denmark

-

Apr 30, 1997

-


Dominican Republic

-

Jun 21, 2010

-


Ecuador

-

Dec 16, 2003

-


El Salvador

-

Jan 26, 2000

-


Estonia

-

Apr 20, 2000

-


Finland

-

Jan 11, 1996

-


France

-

Jun 30, 1998

-


Gabon

-

Sep 22, 2010

-


Georgia

-

Jul 14, 2006

-


Germany

-

Jun 27, 1997

Declaration:

The Federal Republic of Germany declares that it will apply the provisions of Protocol IV under all circumstances and at all times.


Greece

-

Aug 5, 1997

[Same declaration, mutatis mutandis, as the one made by Ireland.]

Declaration in relation to article 1:

"It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times."


Guatemala

-

Aug 30, 2002

-


Guinea-Bissau

-

Aug 6, 2008

-


Holy See

-

Jul 22, 1997

-


Honduras

-

Oct 30, 2003

-


Hungary

-

Jan 30, 1998

-


Iceland

-

Aug 22, 2008

-


India

-

Sep 2, 1999

-


Ireland

-

Mar 27, 1997

Declaration in relation to article 1:

"It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times."


Israel

-

Oct 30, 2000

Declaration:

"With reference to the scope of application defined in Article 1 of the Convention, the Government of the State of Israel will apply the provisions of the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons as well as the Convention and those annexed Protocols to which Israel has agreed to become bound, to all armed conflicts involving regular armed forces of States referred to in article 2 common to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949, as well as to all armed conflicts referred to in Article 3 common to the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949."


Italy

-

Jan 13, 1999

Declaration:

[Same declaration, mutatis mutandis, as the one made by Ireland.]

Declaration in relation to article 1:

"It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times."
Jamaica

-

Sep 25, 2008

-


Japan

-

Jun 10, 1997

-


Kazakhstan

-

Jul 8, 2009

-


Latvia

-

Mar 11, 1998

-


Liberia

-

Sep 16, 2005

-


Liechtenstein

-

Nov 19, 1997

Declaration:

[Same declaration, mutatis mutandis, as the one made by Ireland.]

Declaration in relation to article 1:

"It is the understanding of Ireland that the provisions of the Additional Protocol which by their contents or nature may also be applied in peacetime, shall be observed at all times."


Lithuania

-

Jun 3, 1998

Déclaration:

[Même déclaration, mutatis mutandis, que celle faite par l'Irlande.]


Déclaration:

L'Irlande entend que les dispositions du Protocole aditionnel qui peuvent aussi, par leur objet ou leur nature, s'appliquer en temps de paix doivent être respectées en tout temps.


Luxembourg

-

Aug 5, 1999

-


Madagascar

-

Mar 14, 2008

-


Maldives

-

Sep 7, 2000

-


Mali

-

Oct 24, 2001

-


Malta

-

Sep 24, 2004

-


Mauritius

-

Dec 24, 2002

-


Mexico

-

Mar 10, 1998

-


Mongolia

-

Apr 6, 1999

-


Montenegro

-

Oct 23, 2006

-


Morocco

-

Mar 19, 2002

-


Nauru

-

Nov 12, 2001

-


Netherlands

-

Mar 25, 1999

Declaration:

With regard to Article 1:

"The Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands takes the view that the provisions of Protocol IV which, given their content or nature, can also be applied in peacetime must be observed in all circumstances."


New Zealand

-

Jan 8, 1998

-


Nicaragua

-

Nov 5, 2000

-


Niger

-

Sep 18, 2007

-


Norway

-

Apr 20, 1998

-


Pakistan

-

Dec 5, 2000

-


Panama

-

Mar 26, 1997

-


Paraguay

-

Dec 3, 2008

-


Peru

-

Jul 3, 1997

-


Philippines

-

Jun 12, 1997

-


Poland

-

Sep 23, 2004

Declaration:

The Republic of Poland believes that the provisions of the Additional Protocol should also be applied during peacetime.


Portugal

-

Nov 12, 2001

-


Republic of Moldova

-

Sep 8, 2000

-


Romania

-

Aug 25, 2003

-


Russian Federation

-

Sep 9, 1999

-


Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

-

Dec 6, 2010

-


Saudi Arabia

-

Dec 7, 2007

-


Serbia

-

Aug 12, 2003

-


Seychelles

-

Jun 8, 2000

-


Sierra Leone

-

Sep 30, 2003

-


Slovakia

-

Nov 30, 1999

-


Slovenia

-

Dec 3, 2002

-


South Africa

-

Jun 26, 1998

Declaration:

According to the interpretation of the Government of the Republic of South Africa, the provisions of Protocol IV shall apply in all cases.


Spain

-

Jan 19, 1998

-


Sri Lanka

-

Sep 24, 2004

-


Sweden

-

Jan 15, 1997

Declarations:

"- Sweden intends to apply the Protocol to all types of armed conflict;

-Sweden intends to pursue an international agreement by which the provisions of the Protocol shall be applicable to all types of armed conflict;

-Sweden has since long strived for explicit prohibition of the use of blinding laser which would risk causing permanent blindness to soldiers. Such an effect, in Sweden's view is contrary to the principle of international law prohibiting means and methods of warfare which cause unnecessary suffering."


Switzerland

-

Nov 9, 2009

[Same declaration, mutatis mutandis, as the one made by Australia.

Declaration:

"It is the understanding of the Government of Australia that the provisions of Protocol IV shall apply in all circumstances."
Tajikistan

-

Oct 12, 1999

-


The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

-

Mar 19, 2007

-


Tunisia

-

Mar 23, 2006

-


Turkey

-

Mar 2, 2005

-


Ukraine

-

May 28, 2003

-


United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

-

Feb 11, 1999

Declaration:

"In relation to Protocol IV, the Government of the United Kingdom declare that their application of its provisions will not be limited to the situations set out in Article 1 of the [1980] Convention."
United States of America

-

Jan 21, 2009

Reservation / Declaration :

Understanding

“It is the understanding of the United States of America with respect to Article 2 that any decision by any military commander, military personnel, or any other person responsible for planning, authorizing or executing military action shall only be judged on the basis of that person’s assessment of the information reasonably available to the person at the time the person planned, authorized or executed the action under review, and shall not be judged on the basis of information that comes to light after the action under review was taken.”


Uruguay

-

Aug 18, 1998

-


Uzbekistan

-

Sep 29, 1997

-


Total : 99