Declarations recognizing the jurisdiction of the Court as compulsory

Germany

(Original: English)
 

21 October 2025

Your Excellency,

With reference to Article 36 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice I have the
honour to formulate on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany the following declaration, which
will substitute and update with effect from 30 October 2025 the declaration submitted by the Federal
Republic of Germany on 30 April 2008. The amendments contained in this declaration are without
prejudice and shall not affect proceedings initiated after 30 April 2008 and before 30 October 2025 on
the basis of the original German declaration:

1. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany declares that it recognizes as
compulsory ipso facto and without special agreement, in relation to any other state accepting the same
obligation, the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, in conformity with paragraph 2 of
Article 36 of the Statute of the Court, until such time as notice may be given to the Secretary-General of
the United Nations withdrawing the declaration and with effect as from the moment of such
notification, over all disputes arising after its original declaration dated 30 April 2008, with regard to
situations or facts subsequent to this date other than:

(i) any dispute which the Parties thereto have agreed or shall agree to have recourse to
some other method of peaceful settlement or which is subject to another method of
peaceful settlement chosen by all the Parties;

(ii) any dispute which

(a) relates to, arises from or is connected with the deployment of armed forces
abroad, involvement in such deployments or decisions thereon,
 

(b) relates to, arises from or is connected with the use for military purposes of the
territory of the Federal Republic of Germany, including its airspace, as well as
maritime areas subject to German sovereign rights and jurisdiction;
 

(iii) any dispute in respect of which any other Party to the dispute has accepted the
compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice only in relation to or for
the purpose of the dispute; or where the acceptance of the Court’s compulsory
jurisdiction on behalf of any other Party to the dispute was deposited or ratified less
than twelve months prior to the filing of the application bringing the dispute before
the Court;

 

(iv) any claim or dispute in respect of which the claim or dispute in question has not been
notified to the Federal Republic of Germany by the State or States concerned in
writing, including of an intention to submit the claim or dispute to the Court failing an
amicable settlement, at least six months in advance of the submission of the claim or
dispute to the Court.
 

2. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany also reserves the right at any time, by
means of a notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and with effect 
as from the moment of such notification, either to add to, amend or withdraw any of the foregoing
reservations, or any that may hereafter be added.

Accept, your Excellency, the expression of my highest consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Johann Wadephul

(signed)