UK Depositary Status List
Agreement on the Return of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects
launched into Outer Space, London, Moscow and Washington, 22 April 1968
This Agreement entered into force on 3 December 1968
States which signed and ratified or acceded to the agreement at London
State
Date of Signature
Date of Deposit of
Instrument of
Ratification*
Notes
United Kingdom
Russian Federation (formerly
Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics)
United States of America
Australia
Austria
Bulgaria
Cameroon
Chile
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Finland
Hungary
Iceland
Iran
Ireland
Italy
Laos
Nepal
Norway
Poland
Romania
Switzerland
Tunisia
Yugoslavia
New Zealand
Canada
Israel
Lebanon
Argentine Republic
Ghana
Cyprus
Egypt (formerly United Arab
Republic)
Sierra Leone
Vietnam
Malta
Nicaragua
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
3 December 1968
3 December 1968
1, 2, 7
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
22 April 1968
24 April 1968
25 April 1968
26 April 1968
30 April 1968
2 May 1968
6 May 1968
7 May 1968
10 May 1968
3 December 1968
18 March 1986
19 February, 1970
16 April 1969
10 January 1969
20 May 1968
22 May 1968
29 May 1968
13 June 1968
18 February 1969
6 May 1959
10 September 1970
4 June 1969
4 December 1969
21 December 1970
29 August 1968
31 March 1978
15 January 1973
3 February 1969
20 April 1970
14 February 1969
28 June 1971
18 December 1969
15 February 1971
1 March 1971
8 July 1969
20 February 1975
6 January 1970
31 March 1969
26 March 1969
17 December 1970
3
1
1
11, 12
UK Depositary Status List
Agreement on the Return of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects
launched into Outer Space, London, Moscow and Washington, 22 April 1968
State
Date of Signature
Monaco
Morocco
Democratic Republic of Congo
Senegal
Mexico
Jamaica
Jordan
Nigeria
Malaysia
Belgium
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Federal Republic of Germany
Myanmar
Guyana
Turkey
Uruguay
South Africa
San Marino
Greece
Indonesia
13 June 1968
14 June 1968
25 June 1968
26 June 1968
15 July 1968
23 July 1968
24 July 1968
26 July 1968
29 July 1968
14 August 1968
14 August 1968
14 August 1968
20 August 1968
21 August 1968
4 October 1968
29 November 1968
Date of Deposit of
Instrument of
Ratification*
Notes
20 November 1970
11 March 1969
23 March 1973
15 April 1977
17 February 1981
17 February 1972
4
1
30 May 1969
19 December 2006
25 February 1969
24 September 1969
10 August 1970
7 July 1975
27 June 1999
1
5
5
5, 6
5
8
Accessions
State
Date of Accession*
Gambia
Barbados
Botswana
Mauritius
Thailand
Swaziland
Sweden
Iraq
Kuwait
Brazil
Zambia
Pakistan
France
Singapore
Seychelles
Peru
India
Papua New Guinea
2 August 1968
20 February 1969
18 April 1969
21 April 1969
29 May 1969
10 June 1969
21 July 1969
7 May 1970
20 June 1972
27 February 1973
28 August 1973
2 November 1973
31 December 1975
10 September 1976
5 January 1978
3 May 1979
9 July 1979
27 October 1980
Notes
1
UK Depositary Status List
Agreement on the Return of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects
launched into Outer Space, London, Moscow and Washington, 22 April 1968
Japan
People’s Republic of China
Spain
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
20 June 1983
20 December 1988
26 February 2001
20 April 2010
1, 7, 9
10
* Article VII (4) states, "For States whose instruments of ratification or accession are deposited
subsequent to the entry into force of this Agreement, it shall enter into force on the date of the
deposit of their instruments of ratification or accession.
Successions
State
Date of Deposit of Instrument
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
Czech Republic
Fiji
Tonga
Slovenia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
26 January 1989
11 August 1976
29 September 1993
14 August 1972
7 July 1971
27 May 1992
13 May 1999
Notes
1
Acceptance
European Space Agency
EUMETSAT
25 June 1975 (effective from 31 December 1975)
19 December 2005
Notes
1 See Declarations and Objections
2 The United Kingdom ratified in respect of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, the Associated States (Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St ChristopherNevis-Anguilla and St Lucia) and Territories under the territorial sovereignty of the
United Kingdom as well as the State of Brunei, the Kingdom of Tonga and the British
Solomon Islands Protectorate.
3 See entry for Czech Republic.
4 Applied to Netherlands Antilles on 17 February 1981 and to Netherlands Antilles and
Aruba with effect from 1 January 1986.
In a note dated 7 October 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of the
Netherlands notified the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the following:
With effect from 10 October, the Netherlands Antilles will cease to exist as part of the
Kingdom of the Netherlands. From that date onwards, the Kingdom will consist of four
parts: the Netherlands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten will enjoy self-government
within the Kingdom, as Aruba and, up to 10 October 2010, the Netherlands Antilles do.
These changes constitute a modification of the internal constitutional relations within
the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Kingdom of the Netherlands will accordingly
UK Depositary Status List
Agreement on the Return of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects
launched into Outer Space, London, Moscow and Washington, 22 April 1968
Notes
remain the subject of international law with which agreements are concluded. The
modification of the structure of the Kingdom will therefore not affect the validity of the
international agreements ratified by the Kingdom for the Netherlands Antilles. These
agreements, including any reservations made, will continue to apply to Curaçao and Sint
Maarten.
The other islands that have until now formed part of the Netherlands Antilles – Bonaire,
Sint Eustatius and Saba – will become part of the Netherlands, thus constituting ‘the
Caribbean part of the Netherlands’. The agreements that now apply to the Netherlands
Antilles will also continue to apply to these islands; however, the Government of the
Netherlands will now be responsible for implementing these agreements.
5 Signed at Washington.
6 Signed at Moscow.
7 Ceased to apply to Hong Kong with effect from 1 July 1997.
Applies to Hong Kong (SAR) with effect from 1 July 1997.
8 Ratified with Moscow 11 March, 1999.
Place and date of signature unknown.
9 Applies to Macao SAR with effect from 20 December 1999
10 Also acceded at Moscow and Washington, 26 February 2001.
11 As of 4 February 2003, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia became known as Serbia and
Montenegro.
12 As of 3 June, 2006 the Republic of Serbia became the continuation State of Serbia and
Montenegro; in a note dated 12 December 2006, the Government of the Republic of
Montenegro confirmed that this Agreement continues in force for the Republic of
Montenegro with effect from 3 June, 2006.
Declarations and Objections
People’s Republic of
China
Declaration
The Instrument of Accession by the People's Republic of
China contained the statement that the signature and
ratification of the Agreement by the Taiwan authorities
are illegal, and null and void.
Czech Republic
Declaration
In a note dated the 15 September 1993, received on 29
September 1993 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Czech Republic notified the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office of the following:
"In conformity with the valid principles of international
law and to the extent defined by it, the Czech Republic, as
a successor State to the Czech and Slovak Federal
Republic, considers itself bound, as of 1 January, i.e. the
date of the dissolution of the Czech and Slovak Federal
Republic, by the multilateral international treaties to
which the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic was a party
UK Depositary Status List
Agreement on the Return of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects
launched into Outer Space, London, Moscow and Washington, 22 April 1968
Declarations and Objections
on that date, including reservations and declarations to
their provisions made earlier by the Czech and Slovak
Federal Republic.
From among the treaties deposited with the Government
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland this applies to the following:
Agreement on the the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of
Astronauts, and the Return of Objects launched into
Outer Space, done at London, Moscow and Washington,
22 April, 1968.”
Federal Republic of
Germany
Declaration
Declaration (translation):
The Agreement enters into force with respect to Land
Berlin on the same day as for the Federal Republic of
Germany.
Hungary
Objection
Declaration dated 13 September 1972:
"The Hungarian side considers it illegal for the Federal
Republic of Germany to include in its instrument of
ratification in respect of the Agreement on the Rescue of
Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of
Objects Launched into Outer Space a declaration putting
the Agreement into force also for "Land Berlin", because
West Berlin is no part of the Federal Republic of Germany
and the latter's jurisdiction does not extend to the
territory of West Berlin."
Kuwait
Declaration
Understanding:
"In acceding to the Agreement on the Rescue of
Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of
Objects Launched into Outer Space, 1968, the
Government of the State of Kuwait takes the view that its
Accession to the said Agreement does not in any way
imply its recognition of Israel nor does it oblige it to apply
the provisions of the aforementioned Agreement in
respect of the said country."
Mongolia
Objection
Declaration dated 13 September 1972:
Mongolia considers the application of the Convention to
Land Berlin by the Federal Republic of Germany is null and
void since the territory of West Berlin is not part of the
Federal Republic of Germany.
Romania
Declaration
"The Government of the Socialist Republic of Romania
considers as null and void the signing by the Saigon
UK Depositary Status List
Agreement on the Return of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects
launched into Outer Space, London, Moscow and Washington, 22 April 1968
Declarations and Objections
authorities 'for the Republic of Viet-Nam' of the
Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of
Astronauts and the return of Objects Launched into Outer
Space, signed on London on the 22nd of April 1968, as the
only Government entitled to represent South Viet-Nam on
the international plane and to assume obligations on its
behalf is the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the
Republic of South Viet-Nam.”
Turkey
Declaration
Declaration on ratification:
Translation: “The Republic of Turkey declares that it will
implement the provisions of this Agreement only to the
State Parties with which it has diplomatic relations”.
United Kingdom
Declaration
Statement dated 8 May 1968:
"Her Majesty's Government wish to recall their view that
if a regime is not recognised as the Government of a
State, neither signature nor the deposit of any instrument
by it, nor notification of any of those acts, will bring about
the recognition of that regime by any other State."
United Kingdom
Declaration
Declaration on ratification, 3 December 1968:
The provisions of the Agreement shall not apply in regard
to Southern Rhodesia unless and until the Government of
the United Kingdom informs the other depository
governments that it is in a position to ensure that the
obligations imposed by the Agreement in respect of that
territory can be fully implemented."