i n t r o d u c t i o n Convention (VIII) relative to the Laying of Automatic Submarine Contact Mines. The Hague, 18 October 1907.
General title Second Peace Conference of The Hague, 1907.
Forum of adoption International Peace Conference 1907
Entry into force 26.01.1910
Mines have been used in wars since the middle of the 19th century. Their extensive use in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904-1905 made an international regulation desirable both to protect neutral commerce and to uphold the principle of immunity of enemy merchantmen from attack without warning. Based on preparatory work by the Institute of International Law and the International Law Association, the present Convention was concluded at the Second Hague Peace Conference. The Powers were unable to reach complete agreement on the matter. The result of the deliberation was a compromise. Only Articles 1 and 5 contain clear and unequivocal regulations. Article 2, which forbids the laying of contact mines off the coast and the ports of the enemy, with the sole object of intercepting commercial shipping, is of limited value, for a belligerent has only to allege that mines were laid for a purpose other than merely intercepting commercial navigation.
Meetings of forum 15.06.1907 - 18.10.1907, The Hague
Dade of adoption 18.10.1907
Depositary Netherlands
Number of articles 13
Authentic text French
Source D.Schindler and J.Toman, The Laws of Armed Conflicts, Martinus Nihjoff Publisher, 1988, pp.804-807.
Keywords NAVAL WARFARE; MEANS OF COMBAT; METHOD OF COMBAT; USE OF WEAPONS; WEAPON; INDISCRIMINATE WEAPON; PROHIBITION; SUBMARINE AUTOMATIC MINE; SUBMARINE WARFARE; INTERNATIONAL ARMED CONFLICT; NEUTRAL STATE