reservation

In international law, a reservation is a statement made by a state when signing or ratifying a treaty. It allows a state to exclude or modify the legal effect of certain treaty provisions in their application to that state, while still accepting the treaty's core obligations.12

Reservations are distinct from interpretative declarations, which do not have binding effects. A state can make a reservation if the treaty permits it and if the reservation is compatible with the treaty's object and purpose. Other states can accept or object to these reservations. If accepted, the treaty enters into force between the states, modified by the reservation. If objected to, the treaty comes into force for all provisions except those affected by the reservation. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) governs these procedures for treaties between states.12