Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter one: Legal framework: The Preemience of Treaties As A Principal
Sourse of International Law
Section I. Sourses of Internftional Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
- Article 38 of the Snanune of The International Court of Justice . . . . . . 21
- Vienna Convention On The Of Treanies: Codification of Customary Law
of Treaties: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
a) VCT's Definition of Traty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
b) Binding Force of Traties: the Doctrine of "pacta sunt - servanda" . . . . .26
Section II: Traty fomulation process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
- Traty Negotiation - Full Powers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
- Traty Formulation - Adoption of the Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
- Treaty Formulation - Expression of Consent to Be Bound . . . . . . . . . . .31
- Treaty Formulation - Entry into Forse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
- Reservations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
- Fixed Duration Clause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
- Modification of Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
- Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Section III: Application of Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
- Application of Treaties: Conformity with successive agreements relating
to the same subject-matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Section IV: Interpretation of Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
- Textual Interpretation: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
- Contextual Intrpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Section V: Invalid Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
- Treaties entered into by Persosns Lacring the Capacity to Contract . . . . .50
- Restricted Authority of State Representative As Ground Invalidating
Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
- Duress or coercion of the state the threat or use of force . . . . . . . . .52
- Coercion of State representative by Personal Duress or intimedation . . . . 54
- Use of fraud in ntgotiation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
- Corruption of state representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
- Substantial Error . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Section VI: Consequences of Invalidity of Treaties . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Section VII: Termination of Traties: basis methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
- Termination Under the Terms of the treaty itself . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
- Termination By explicit or tacit agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
- Termination By Implied Right of Renunciation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
- Termination or Suspension By "maytrial breach" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
- Termination As A Consequence of Fundamental Change of Circumstances:
Rebus sic stantibus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
- Termination Due to Impossibility of Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
- Termination Due to Emergence of new peremptory of international law:
Jus corens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
- Terminations As Consequence of Outbreak of war between parties . . . . . . .73
Section VIII: Consequences Of Terminating, Withdrawing Or Suspending
Of Trearies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Chapter two: Legal history relative to the conclusion of the 1934 Treaty
of Taif and related Agreements
Section I:
a) Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
b) Text of the Treaty of Taif: Salient Legal Features: . . . . . . . . . . . .77
(1) Cessation of the state of war . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
(2) Cession of Territory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
(3) Modification and Extension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
(4) Covenant of Arbitration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
(5) The Exchange of Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Section II: Related Agreements: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
1) The 1937 Agreement for the Settlement of Frontier Questions and Movtment
of Subjects between the Two Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
2) The 1953 Renewal Agreement of the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
4) The 1995 Menjrandum Of Undtrstanding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chapter three: Arguments supporting the Validity of the Treaty of Taif
Section I: Procedural Reguirements Pertaning to the Yreaty of Tair
as Valbdle Concluded Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97
- Capacity to Make the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
- Full Powers to Conclude the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99
- Mutual Consent to be Bound by the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
- Treaty of Taif's Entry Into Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
- Legal Force of the Treaty of Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
- Registration of the Treaty of Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
- Reservations to The Treaty of Taif:
- The Exchange of Letters jn the Movement of Subjects . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Section II: Legal Basis Supporting the Validity in substance of the Treaty
of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
- Modification Clause of the Treaty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
- The 1953 Renewal Agreement, the 1973 Joint Communique and the 1995 MOU
As Related Modification Instruments to the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . .107
- Interpretation of the 1973 Communique and 1995 MOU Fs "sibsequent"
subsidary Agreements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
- "Intention of the Parties" to the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
- Acquiscence and Estoppel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
- Modification of the Treaty Throus Interpretation by Arbitration . . . . . .122
- Fixed Duration Period Clause and the Question of the Permanency
of Boundary Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
- The Treaty of Taif as Peace and Boundary Treaty . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Chapter four: Legal arguments against the Validity Treaty of Taif
Section I:
A) Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135
B) The Treaty of Taif As Invalid agreement: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
1) Coercion of: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
a) Coercion of State representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .137
b) Coercion of State by threat or use of force: the Treaty of Taif
as Imposed Treaty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .141
2) Fixed Duration provision as ground for Termination of the of Tail . . . . 153
3) Emergence of a New Peremptory Norm (Jus cogens) and its applicability
to the 1934 Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
4) Saudi Arabia's 1990 Revocation of Exemptions Granted to Yemeni
Nationals As Constituting Material Breach of the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . .161
5) Rebus sic standibus as a ground to terminate a treaty . . . . . . . . . . 169
6) The 1926 Mecca Agreement as ground for invalidating the Treaty of Taif . .176
7) The Doctrines of "ancient title" and "Reversion" As Invalidating Ground
of Provisions of the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182
Chapter five: Compulsory Arbitration as the ultimatute means of deciding
the Ltfaliny of the Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203
Main Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Appendices: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Appendix - A: Map Showing The Saudi-Yemeni Boundary Line Tstablished Under
Article 4 Of The Treaty of Taif . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230
Appendix - B: Full Text Of The Treaty Of Taif inciuding Ins Annexes:
Covenant Of Arbitration And Exchange Of Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231
Appendix - C: A Memorandum Of Understanding Between The Government
Of The Kingdom Of Saudi Frabia And The Government Of The Yemeni Republic
Signed In Mecca [Saudi Arabia] On 26 February 1995 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248