Svalbard Treaty
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The Treaty concerning Spitsbergen of February 9 1920 declared the arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen (now called Svalbard) an overseas part of the Kingdom of Norway (article 1). However, as part of the compromise with the signatories, despite Norwegian sovereignty not all Norwegian law applies. The treaty only partly demilitarizes Svalbard. All signatories were given equal rights to engage in commercial activities (mainly coal mining) on the islands. Currently (2007) Norway and Russia are utilising this right.
The original signatories include Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom (including overseas dominions) and the United States. The Soviet Union signed in 1924 and Germany in 1925. There are now over 40 signatories.
Norway took over governorship in 1925 and immediately enacted a series of environmental protection measures.
Under the 1920 agreement signed by 48 countries, all signatories have equal fishing rights near the Spitsbergen Archipelago, but Norway has been allegedly seeking exclusive rights to the area since 1977[citation needed].
[edit] Signatories
According this outdated list (sorted alphabetically):
- Afghanistan 23-11-1925
- Albania 29-04-1930
- Argentina 06-05-1927
- Australia 29-12-1923
- Austria 12-03-1930
- Belgium 27-05-1925
- Bulgaria 20-10-1925
- Canada 29-12-1923
- Chile 17-12-1928
- China 01-07-1925
- Denmark 24-01-1924
- Dominican Republic 03-02-1927
- Egypt 13-09-1925
- Estonia 07-04-1930
- Finland 12-08-1925
- France 06-09-1924
- Germany 16-11-1925
- Greece 21-10-1925
- Hungary 29-10-1927
- Iceland 31-05-1994
- India 29-12-1923
- Italy 06-08-1924
- Japan 02-04-1925
- Monaco 22-06-1925
- Netherlands 03-09-1920
- New Zealand 29-12-1923
- Norway 08-10-1924
- Poland 02-09-1931
- Portugal 24-10-1927
- Romania 10-07-1925
- Russia 07-05-1935
- Saudi Arabia 14-08-1925
- South Africa 29-12-1923
- Spain 12-11-1925
- Sweden 15-09-1924
- Switzerland 30-06-1925
- USA 02-04-1924
- United Kingdom 29-12-1923
- Venezuela 08-02-1928
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Treaty between Norway, The United States of America, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Ireland and the British overseas Dominions and Sweden concerning Spitsbergen signed in Paris 9th February 1920. (In Norwegian, English and French, click "Original tekst".)
- Svalbard – an important arena - Speech by Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs, 15 April 2006.
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es:Tratado de Svalbard fr:Traité du Svalbard lt:Špicbergeno klausimas nl:Spitsbergenverdrag ja:スヴァールバル条約 no:Svalbardtraktaten nn:Svalbardtraktaten pl:Traktat Spitsbergeński pt:Tratado de Svalbard zh:斯瓦尔巴条约
