Skip to main content
Top

2021 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

2. Freedom of Transit of Landlocked Countries in Light of International Multilateral Agreements

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

Transit is understood as the movement of goods and persons and freedom of transit is the unrestricted movement of goods and persons. Freedom of transit finds its legal roots in the natural law and the Roman principle of ‘servitude’. Advocates of natural law see freedom of transit in light of free access to the sea and believe that access to the high seas is a natural right of all nations and therefore landlocked States should enjoy the freedom of transit in order benefit from it, as free access to the sea can only be established where freedom of transit exists. Similarly, the ancient Roman legal principle of ‘servitude’ provides that the owner of property could enjoy all kinds of rights and actions on the land unless their exercise harmed the fundamental rights of the neighbor’s land.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Footnotes
1
See Melgar (Ch.1, note 2), p. 300, 325.
 
2
Grotius (1916), pp. 9–10; see also Pounds (1959), pp. 257–59.
 
3
Livesey Burdic (2007), pp. 360–364; see also Parisi (Ch.1, note 6); Yianopoulois (1983), p. 520.
 
4
See for example Lesaffer (2005), Castellino and Allen (2003), Lauterpacht (1927), Zhou (2003), pp. 126–179.
 
5
See generally Barcelona Statute.
 
6
See generally (Ch.1, note 13).
 
7
For a detailed list of all international conventions, treaties and agreements governing transit of landlocked countries see Glassner (2001); see also UNCLOS, Question of Free Access to the Sea of Land-Locked Countries, A/CONF.13/29 & Add. 1 (Geneva, 1957).
 
8
Art. 2 Barcelona Statute.
 
9
WTO, Glossary of Terms.
 
10
Ibid.
 
11
Art. 14 Barcelona Statute.
 
12
Ibid., Art. 8.
 
13
Ibid., Art. 7.
 
14
Makil (1970), p. 40; see also Uprety (1994), p. 432.
 
15
UNCTE, Final Act and Related Documents, UN Doc. E/CONF.2/78, U.N. Sales No. II.D.4 (1948); see also UNCTE, Interpretive Note, Annex P to the U. N. Charter, UN Doc. E/CONF.2/78 (1948).
 
16
For the text of the Havana Charter see UNCTE, Final Act and Related Documents, note (15).
 
17
Ibid., 111.
 
18
WTO, Glossary of Terms.
 
19
See Uprety (1994), pp. 441–42.
 
20
See generally New York Convention, chp.1 (note 13).
 
21
See UNCTAD, UN ESCOR, 35th plen. mtg. UN Doc. E/CONF. 46/141, Vol. VI, 3 (1964); for literature review see Uprety (1994), pp. 441–42.
 
22
See generally New York Convention, chp.1 (note 13).
 
23
Ibid., princ. VII & Art. X.
 
24
Ibid.
 
25
See Uprety (1994), p. 449.
 
26
Ibid., 485–86.
 
27
See generally TIR Convention.
 
28
See UNECE, TIR Handbook, UN Doc. ECE/TRANS/TIR/6/REV.11 (2018); for more information see also UNECE Website, http://​www.​enece.​org/​trans/​conventn/​legalinst_​43_​bcf_​tir_​1975.​html.
 
29
Art. 5 TIR Convention.
 
30
Ibid.; see also Ibid., annex 2 & annex 7.
 
31
Ibid., Art. 6 & annex 9.
 
32
See UNECE, Explanatory Note to Article 8, paragraph 3, The TIR Convention 1979, 9 REV. 50, http://​www.​unece.​org/​fileadmin/​DAM/​tir/​handbook/​english/​newtirhand/​TIR-6Rev9EN_​Convention.​pdf. [hereinafter Explanatory Note to TIR Article 8(3)].
 
33
Art. 8 TIR Convention.
 
34
Explanatory Note to TIR Article 8(3), (note 32).
 
35
Art. 9 TIR Convention.
 
36
Ibid., Art. 17.
 
37
Ibid., Art.5.
 
38
Ibid., annex 9, part I.
 
40
Art. 320 UNCLOS.
 
41
See UN, United Nations Oceans and Law of the Sea: Chronological List of Ratification of, Accession and Succession to the Convention and Related Agreements, https://​www.​un.​org/​Depts/​los/​reference_​files/​chronological_​lists_​of_​ratifications.​htm; see also UNOHRLLS, UNCLOS and Landlocked Developing Countries: Practical Implications: Summary Report, 2 (2012).
 
43
Ibid.
 
44
UNGA, 28th Sess., Supple No. 21 & corr.1 & 3, vol. II, annex VI, sect. 5, Draft Articles Relating to Landlocked States, UN Doc. A/AC. 138/93, A/CONF.62/C.2/L.29 at 1 (1973); see also UNCLOS III, 2nd Comm, Revised Draft Articles in keeping with the Declaration of Developing Land-Locked and other Geographically Disadvantaged States, Doc. A/CONF.62/C.2/97 (1974).
 
45
UNCLOS III, Revised Draft Articles, (note 44), draft Art. III.
 
46
Ibid., draft Art. II.
 
47
UNCLOS III, Informal Single Negotiating Text, Official Records 137, 168, UN Doc. A/Conf.62WP.8/Part 11 (1975).
 
48
Art. 87 UNCLOS.
 
49
See Melgar (Ch.1, note 2), 171.
 
50
Art. 18(1) UNCLOS.
 
51
Arts 124, 125, 126 & 131. The equal treatment to vessels flying the flag of landlocked States put an end to traditional understanding of nationality of vessels through port of registration. Previously, since landlocked States did not have any ports under whose names they could register their vessels, their flag flying over their vessels could not present their nationality to coastal States and, therefore, vessels belonging to landlocked States were not allowed to fly flag from these States. See Donald and Stephen (2016), p. 214.
 
52
Art. 125(2) UNCLOS.
 
53
See Herrmann et al. (2015), pp. 48–49.
 
54
ECOSOC, Preparatory Committee of International Conference on Trade and Development, Committee II, Report of the Technical Sub-Committee, UN Doc. E/PC/T/C. II/54/Rev/1, 7–8 (1946); see also Analytical Index of the GATT, Article XXIX, 996–998, https://​www.​wto.​org/​english/​res_​e/​publications_​e/​ai17_​e/​gatt1994_​art29_​gatt47.​pdf; Uprety (1994), pp. 42–45.
 
55
See generally UNCTE, Final Act and Related Documents, (note 15. For list of all GATT documents and its preparatory committees see also the WTO webpages, https://​docs.​wto.​org/​gattdocs/​q/​1946_​50.​htm & https://​docs.​wto.​org/​gattdocs/​q/​1946_​50.​htm; for literature review see for example Neumann (1970), pp. 63–78.
 
56
See Analytical Index of the GATT, Article XXIX (note 54).
 
57
For more information on differences between Article 33 of the Havana Charter and Article V GATT see UNECAFE, Problems of Trade of Landlocked Countries in Asia and the Far East, Report by Secretariat, UN Doc. ECAFE/I & T/Sub.4/2 (1956), paras. 6–16.
 
58
WTO, Glossary of Terms (note3); see also WTO Secretariat, Speeding up Trade: Benefits and Challenges of Implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, World Trade Report (2015), 35.
 
59
See WTO, Ministerial Declaration of 14 November 2001 (Doha Declaration), WT/MIN/(01)/DEC/1, 41 I.L.M. 746 (Nov. 20, 2001); WTO General Council Decision, WT/L/579 (Aug. 1, 2004); WTO, Ministerial Declaration of 7 December 2013 (Bali Declaration), WT/MIN/13/DEC/36 (Dec. 13, 2013); for literature review see Melgar, Ch.1 (note 2), 285; Serra Ayral, TBT and TFA Agreements: Leveraging Linkage to Reduce Trade Costs, WTO, Working Paper ERSD-2016-02 (June 2016), 4; Nora Neofeld, The Long and Widening Road: How WTO Members Finally Reached a Trade Facilitation Agreement, WTO, Working Paper ERSD-2014-06 (April 2014).
 
61
WTO, General Council Decision on Doha Agenda Work Program, Annex D, WT/L/579 (2004), para. 2.
 
62
WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA), Feb. 22, 2017, WT/L/940, section II.
 
63
WTO, Doha Agenda Work Program (note 61), para. 2.
 
64
WTO, Ministerial Declaration of 18 December 2005 (Hong Kong Declaration), WT/MIN/05/DEC (Dec. 18, 2005).
 
65
Negotiating Groupe on Trade Facilitation, WTO Negotiations on Trade Facilitation Compilation of Members’ Textual Proposals, TN/TF/W/43/Rev.19, part F-LDC Provisions (June 30, 2009); for TFA implementation challenges in developing and LDC countries see WTO Secretariat, Speeding up Trade (note 58), 108–132; for literature review see Melgar (Ch.1, note 2), 292–296.
 
Literature
go back to reference Castellino J, Allen S (2003) Title to territory in international law: a temporal analysis Castellino J, Allen S (2003) Title to territory in international law: a temporal analysis
go back to reference Donald R, Stephen T (2016) The international law of the sea, 2nd edn. Hart, p 214 Donald R, Stephen T (2016) The international law of the sea, 2nd edn. Hart, p 214
go back to reference Glassner MI (ed) (2001) Biography on Land-locked States, 5th enlarged & revised edn Glassner MI (ed) (2001) Biography on Land-locked States, 5th enlarged & revised edn
go back to reference Grotius H (1916) The freedom of the seas. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 9–10 Grotius H (1916) The freedom of the seas. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 9–10
go back to reference Herrmann C et al (eds) (2015) Trade policy between law, diplomacy, and scholarship. European yearbook of international economic law. Springer, pp 48–49 Herrmann C et al (eds) (2015) Trade policy between law, diplomacy, and scholarship. European yearbook of international economic law. Springer, pp 48–49
go back to reference Lauterpacht H (1927) Private law sources and analogies of international law Lauterpacht H (1927) Private law sources and analogies of international law
go back to reference Lesaffer R (2005) Argument from Roman law in current international law: occupation and acquisitive prescription. Eur J Int Law 16:25–58 Lesaffer R (2005) Argument from Roman law in current international law: occupation and acquisitive prescription. Eur J Int Law 16:25–58
go back to reference Livesey Burdic W (2007) The principles of roman law and their relation to modern law, 3rd edn. Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, pp 360–364 Livesey Burdic W (2007) The principles of roman law and their relation to modern law, 3rd edn. Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company, pp 360–364
go back to reference Makil R (1970) Transit rights of land-locked countries: an appraisal of international conventions. J World Trade Law 4:40 Makil R (1970) Transit rights of land-locked countries: an appraisal of international conventions. J World Trade Law 4:40
go back to reference Neumann P (1970) The relationship between GATT and the United Nations. Cornell Int Law J 3:63–78 Neumann P (1970) The relationship between GATT and the United Nations. Cornell Int Law J 3:63–78
go back to reference Pounds NJ (1959) A free and secure access to the sea. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 257–259 Pounds NJ (1959) A free and secure access to the sea. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 257–259
go back to reference Uprety K (1994) Landlocked states and access to the sea: an evolutionary study of a contested right. Penn State Int Law Rev 12:432 Uprety K (1994) Landlocked states and access to the sea: an evolutionary study of a contested right. Penn State Int Law Rev 12:432
go back to reference Yianopoulois AN (1983) Predial servitudes. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, p 520 Yianopoulois AN (1983) Predial servitudes. West Publishing Company, St. Paul, p 520
go back to reference Zhou Y (2003) History of international law. Foundation of international law. Source of international law. Law of treaties. Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Netherlands, pp 126–179 Zhou Y (2003) History of international law. Foundation of international law. Source of international law. Law of treaties. Elsevier Science Publishing Company, Netherlands, pp 126–179
Metadata
Title
Freedom of Transit of Landlocked Countries in Light of International Multilateral Agreements
Author
Suhailah Akbari
Copyright Year
2021
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73464-0_2