FINLAND

CRC OPTIONAL PROTOCOL (ARMED CONFLICT)

RESERVATIONS AND DECLARATIONS

(Unless otherwise indicated, the reservations and declarations were made upon ratification, accession or succession)

Declaration:

"The Government of Finland declares in accordance with Article 3, paragraph 2, of the Optional Protocol that the minimum age for any recruitment of persons into its national armed forces is 18 years. The minimum age applies equally to the military service of men and to the voluntary service of women."

OBJECTIONS MADE TO OTHER STATES PARTIES RESERVATIONS AND DECLARATIONS

(Unless otherwise indicated, the objections were made upon ratification, accession or succession)

(Ed. note: for the text targeted by the following objections, see the Reservations and Declarations of the State which is the subject of the objection)

15 November 2005

With regard to the reservation made by Oman upon accession:

"The Government of Finland has carefully examined the reservations made by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict. The Government of Finland notes that the provisions of the Optional Protocol shall, according to the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, be subject to reservations concerning Islamic and domestic law.

The Government of Finland notes that a reservation which consists of a general reference to religious or other national law without specifying its contents does not clearly define to other Parties to the Convention the extent to which the reserving State commits itself to the Convention and creates serious doubts as to the commitment of the receiving State to fulfil its obligations under the Convention. Such reservations are, furthermore, subject to the general principle of treaty interpretation according to which a party may not invoke the provisions of its domestic law as justification for a failure to perform its treaty obligations.

The Government of Finland therefore objects to the above-mentioned reservations made by the Government of the Sultanate of Oman to the Protocol. This objection does not preclude the entry into force of the Protocol between the Sultanate of Oman and Finland. The Protocol will thus become operative between the two states without the Sultanate of Oman benefiting from its reservations."