Article 54: Termination Of Or Withdrawal From A Treaty Under Its Provisions Or By Consent Of The Parties
In: Commentary on the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of TreatiesSearch for other papers by M.E. Villiger in
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Abstract
Most treaties contain clauses on their termination and in that they determine their own duration, or the date of their termination, or a condition or event that is to bring about their termination. Article 54 concerns the general and obvious grounds of the termination of or withdrawal from a treaty under its provisions or by consent of the parties. If a treaty is terminated, it comes to an end for all States. The termination or withdrawal can happen with consent of all the parties after consultation with the other contracting States. The term "consent" indicates that there are different forms of termination or withdrawal, which the parties are free to choose. Article 54 does not deal with termination between some of the parties inter se. It reminds everyone of the lesson to be drawn from the provisions namely the usefulness of including in the treaty clauses on its termination.