How Long Has the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement Been in Force?

Abstract

For most of the second half of 2001, by the United Nations Secretariat's "official" tally there were 29 ratifications and accessions of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, one short of the number required under Article 40(1) of the Agreement to bring it into force. However, there had been two ratifications withdrawn and a third not counted. Reviewing the facts in light of the Secretariat's published treaty policy, this article concludes that the better view is that by May 2001, at the latest, the Agreement had received sufficient ratifications and accessions to be considered in force.