Island of Palmas Case

Island of Palmas
Court Permanent Court of Arbitration
Full case
name
Island of Palmas (or Miangas) (United
States v. The Netherlands)
Date
decided
April 14, 1928
Judge
sitting
Max Huber, sole arbitrator
Decision by Max Huber
Island of Palmas Case, (Scott, Hague Court eports 2! 8" (19"2#, (Perm$ Ct$ Arb$ 1928#, 2
%$&$ ep$ 'ntl$ Arb$ A(ar!s 829#, (as a case in)ol)ing a territorial !ispute o)er t*e 'slan! of
Palmas (or Miangas# bet(een t*e &et*erlan!s an! t*e %nite! States (*ic* (as *ear! b+ t*e
Permanent Court of Arbitration$ Palmas ('n!onesian, Pulau Miangas# (as !eclare! to be a part
of t*e &et*erlan!s -ast 'n!ies an! is no( part of 'n!onesia$
.*is case is one of t*e most *ig*l+ influential prece!ents !ealing (it* islan! territorial conflicts$
Facts of the case
/ocation of t*e Palmas, (it* t*e P*ilippines as a reference$
/ocation of t*e Palmas, (it* 'n!onesia as a reference$
Palmas (Miangas# is an islan! of little economic )alue or strategic location$ 't is t(o miles in
lengt*, t*ree01uarters of a mile in (i!t*, an! *a! a population of about 234 in 19"2, (*en t*e
case (as !eci!e!$ Palmas lies bet(een Min!anao, t*e sout*ernmost part of t*e P*ilippines, an!
t*e &anusa 'slan!s, t*e nort*ernmost part of 'n!onesia ot*er t*an Palmas$
'n 1898, Spain ce!e! t*e P*ilippines to t*e %nite! States in t*e .reat+ of Paris (1898# an!
Palmas la+ (it*in t*e boun!aries of t*at cession to t*e %$S$ 'n 1945, t*e %nite! States
!isco)ere! t*at t*e &et*erlan!s also claime! so)ereignt+ o)er t*e islan!, an! t*e t(o parties
agree! to submit to bin!ing arbitration b+ t*e Permanent Court of Arbitration$ 6n 2" 7anuar+
1923, t*e t(o go)ernments signe! an agreement to t*at effect$ atifications (ere exc*ange! in
8as*ington on 1 April 1923$ .*e agreement (as registere! in League of Nations Treaty Series
on 19 Ma+ 1923$
91:
.*e arbitrator in t*e case (as Max Huber, a S(iss la(+er$
.*e 1uestion before t*e arbitrator (as (*et*er t*e 'slan! of Palmas (Miangas#, in its entiret+,
(as a part of t*e territor+ of t*e %nite! States or t*e &et*erlan!s$
.*e legal issue presente! (as (*et*er a territor+ belongs to t*e first !isco)erer, e)en if t*e+ !o
not exercise aut*orit+ o)er t*e territor+, or (*et*er it belongs to t*e state (*ic* actuall+
exercises so)ereignt+ o)er it$
The Arbitrator's decision
Arbitrator Max Huber rule! in fa)or of t*e &et*erlan!s; position an! state! t*at t*e &et*erlan!s
*el! actual title to Palmas,
<or t*ese reasons
.*e Arbitrator in conformit+ (it* Article ' of t*e Special Agreement of 7anuar+ 2"r!, 1923
=-C'=-S t*at , .H- 'S/A&= 6< PA/MAS (or M'A&>AS# forms in its entiret+ a part of t*e
&et*erlan!s territor+$ !one at .*e Hague, t*is fourt* !a+ of April 1928$ Max Huber, Arbitrator
Mic*iels )an ?er!u+nen, Secretar+0>eneral$
92:
Right by discovery
'n t*e first of its t(o arguments, t*e %nite! States argue! t*at it *el! t*e islan! because it *a!
recei)e! actual title t*roug* legitimate treaties from t*e original @!isco)erer@ of t*e islan!,
Spain$ .*e %nite! States argue! t*at Spain ac1uire! title to Palmas (*en Spain !isco)ere! t*e
islan! an! t*e islan! (as terra nullius$ SpainAs title to t*e islan!, because it (as a part of t*e
P*ilippines, (as t*en ce!e! to t*e %nite! States in t*e .reat+ of Paris (1898# after SpainAs !efeat
in t*e Spanis*0American 8ar$ .*e arbitrator note! t*at no ne( international la( in)ali!ate! t*e
legal transfer of territor+ )ia cession$
Ho(e)er, t*e arbitrator note! t*at Spain coul! not legall+ grant (*at it !i! not *ol! an! t*e
.reat+ of Paris coul! not grant Palmas to t*e %nite! States if Spain *a! no actual title to it$ .*e
arbitrator conclu!e! t*at Spain *el! an inc*oate title (*en Spain B!isco)ere!C Palmas$ Ho(e)er,
for a so)ereign to maintain its initial title )ia !isco)er+, t*e arbitrator sai! t*at t*e !isco)erer *a!
to actuall+ exercise aut*orit+, e)en if it (ere as simple an act as planting a flag on t*e beac*$ 'n
t*is case, Spain !i! not exercise aut*orit+ o)er t*e islan! after maDing an initial claim after
!isco)er+ an! so t*e American claim (as base! on relati)el+ (eaD groun!s$
Contiguity
.*e %nite! States also argue! t*at Palmas (as American territor+ because t*e islan! (as closer
to t*e P*ilippines t*an to t*e &et*erlan!s -ast 'n!ies$ .*e arbitrator sai! t*ere (as no positi)e
international la( (*ic* fa)ore! t*e %nite! States approac* of terra firma, (*ere t*e nearest
continent or islan! of consi!erable siEe gi)es title to t*e lan! in !ispute$ .*e arbitrator *el! t*at
mere proximit+ (as not an a!e1uate claim to lan! note! t*at if t*e international communit+
follo(e! t*e propose! American approac*, it (oul! lea! to arbitrar+ results$
Continuous and peaceful display of sovereignty
.*e &et*erlan!sA primar+ contention (as t*at it *el! actual title because t*e &et*erlan!s *a!
exercise! aut*orit+ on t*e islan! since 1522$ .*e arbitrator note! t*at t*e %nite! States *a!
faile! to s*o( !ocumentation pro)ing Spanis* so)ereignt+ on t*e islan! except t*ose !ocuments
t*at specificall+ mentione! t*e islan!As !isco)er+$ A!!itionall+, t*ere (as no e)i!ence t*at
Palmas (as a part of t*e Fu!icial or a!ministrati)e organiEation of t*e Spanis* go)ernment of t*e
P*ilippines$ Ho(e)er, t*e &et*erlan!s s*o(e! t*at t*e =utc* -ast 'n!ia Compan+ *a!
negotiate! treaties (it* t*e local princes of t*e islan! since t*e 12t* centur+ an! *a! exercise!
so)ereignt+, inclu!ing a re1uirement of Protestantism an! t*e !enial of ot*er nationals on t*e
islan!$ .*e arbitrator pointe! out t*at if Spain *a! actuall+ exercise! aut*orit+, t*en t*ere (oul!
*a)e been conflicts bet(een t*e t(o countries but none are pro)i!e! in t*e e)i!ence$
Conclusion
%n!er t*e Palmas !ecision, t*ree important rules for resol)ing islan! territorial !isputes (ere
!eci!e!,
<irstl+, title base! on contiguit+ *as no stan!ing in international la($
Secon!l+, title b+ !isco)er+ is onl+ an inc*oate title$
<inall+, if anot*er so)ereign begins to exercise continuous an! actual so)ereignt+, (an!
t*e arbitrator re1uire! t*at t*e claim *a! to be open an! public an! (it* goo! title#, an!
t*e !isco)erer !oes not contest t*is claim, t*e claim b+ t*e so)ereign t*at exercises
aut*orit+ is greater t*an a title base! on mere !isco)er+$