rijk/verdrag/verdrag-inzake-de-oprichting-van-de-caraïbische-postunie-met-protocol-inzake-voo/BWBV0001945/README.md

titel	bwb_id	type	status	datum_inwerkingtreding	bron	citeertitel
Verdrag inzake de oprichting van de Caraïbische Postunie, met Protocol inzake voorrechten en immuniteiten van de Caraïbische Postunie	BWBV0001945	verdrag	geldend	2001-06-20	https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBV0001945	Verdrag inzake de oprichting van de Caraïbische Postunie, met Protocol inzake voorrechten en immuniteiten van de Caraïbische Postunie

Verdrag inzake de oprichting van de Caraïbische Postunie, met Protocol inzake voorrechten en immuniteiten van de Caraïbische Postunie

Artikel 1

1. The Contracting Parties hereby establish among themselves the Caribbean Postal Union.

2.

The purpose of the Union shall be to:

a) a) improve the response to customers' requirements for postal facilities of all kinds; b) b) facilitate the improvement and security of postal services; c) c) co-ordinate postal training arrangements and postal operational services; and d) d) promote international postal co-operation in the spirit and observance of the Acts of the Universal Postal Union.

3. The Union shall be considered a Restricted Union of the Universal Postal Union as provided for in Article 8 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union.

Artikel 2

1. Membership of the Caribbean Postal Union shall be open to all the Countries and Territories listed in the schedule.

2. Each of these Countries or Territories may announce its accession to this Convention at any time by notifying the Secretary General of the Union of the fact. They shall sign and ratify the Convention at the earliest opportunity thereafter.

3. Any other country may become a party to this Convention by application in accordance with Paragraph 4 of this Article, subject however, to such terms and conditions as the Conference may determine.

4. Applications for admission to membership of the Union shall be sent to the Secretary General of the Union accompanied by a formal declaration of intention to accept the obligations of this Convention.

5. The Secretary-General of the Union shall consult all members as soon as possible on applications for admission that he has received. A country shall be admitted to membership of the Union if its application for admission has been approved by two-third of the members of the Union. The admission shall then be notified to the members of the Union by the Secretariat of the Union, and shall take effect on a date agreed between the new member and the Secretary General.

Artikel 3

1. The Conference shall be the supreme organ of the Union. lt shall be composed of the members' representatives who must be duly authorized to negotiate on behalf of and to commit their respective countries in accordance with their constitutional procedures.

2. The Conference shall fix the dates of its meetings in relation to the Congresses of the Universal Postal Union. lt shall normally meet once during the year preceding a Congress and once during the two years following that Congress. In addition, the Conference may meet in extraordinary session at the request of two-thirds of the members of the Union.

3.

The functions of the Conference shall be:

a) a) to adopt amendments to this Convention; b) b) to adopt and amend Special Agreements concerning the establishment and operation of postal services and the provision of services to the public; c) c) to formulate general policy with regard to postal services, legislation and technical co-operation; d) d) to fix the number of permanent members of staff in the Secretariat; e) e) to fix the level of remuneration of the Secretary-General; f) f) to fix the ceiling of the Union's expenditure and the principles governing that expenditure; g) g) to determine all matters of general interest submitted to it by members in accordance with Article 11 of this Convention; and h) h) to enter into agreements on behalf of the Union; i) i) to appoint an auditor.

4. The Conference may delegate any of its functions to the Executive Council.

5. The decisions of the Conference shall be binding upon all members, subject to the approval of the competent national authorities. Members which are unable to adopt a decision of the Conference must immediately inform the Secretary General Administration of the fact and state the reasons therefor.

6. Each member shall have one vote in the Conference.

7. Any member may be represented by another member at meetings of the Conference, provided that a member shall not represent more than one member in addition to itself.

8. The Conference shall designate the country in which its next meeting shall be held.

9. The Conference may regulate its own procedure.

Artikel 4

1. An Executive Council comprising the representatives of seven member countries inclusive of the host Country of the Conference shall be established to ensure the continuity of the Union's work and administration of the Union's affairs during the period between the meetings of the Conference.

2. The Executive Council shall be elected by Conference and shall hold office until the next regular meeting.

3. The Executive Council shall meet once in every year in the country designated under paragraph 8 of Article 3, or in the country of such other member as the Council may decide.

4. An extraordinary session of the Council may be convened, or the annual session of the Council may be cancelled, if two-thirds of the membership so decide.

5. The Chairmanship of the Council shall devolve by right on the host country of the preceding meeting of the Conference. If this country declines to exercise that right, the Executive Council shall elect another country to hold the Chairmanship until the following Conference.

6.

The functions of the Executive Council shall be as follows:

a) a) to perform tasks assigned to it by the Conference; b) b) to take the necessary executive measures for the implementation of certain decisions of principle taken by the Conference; c) c) to take, subject to directives given by the Conference, appropriate measures for ensuring efficiency in the operations of the Secretariat; d) d) to work with appropriate organizations and bodies in promoting technical co-operation and especially in implementing regional projects; e) e) to approve the Union's budget within the limits set by the Conference; f) f) to fix the salaries to be paid to members of the Secretariat below the Secretary General; g) g) to create temporary posts in the Secretariat, and recommend permanent posts in the Secretariat to the next meeting of the Conference; h) h) to provide for the proper auditing of the Union's accounts.

7. The Council may establish such committees and working groups and adopt such working methods as it considers necessary for the performance of its functions.

Artikel 5

1. The Union's Secretariat shall comprise a Secretary-General, a Technical Officer and such other members of staff as the Conference shall decide.

2. In the performance of their duties, the staff of the Secretariat shall seek and receive instructions only from the Conference and the Executive Council.

3.

The functions of the Secretariat shall be as follows:

a) a) to handle the day-to-day affairs of the Union; b) b) to carry out assignments and missions entrusted to it by the Conference or the Executive Council; c) c) to prepare the draft budget of the Union for submission to the Executive Council; d) d) to undertake all other duties assigned to it by the Conference or the Executive Council.

Artikel 6

1. The Conference shall choose from among its members the country which will be the Headquarters of the Union.

Artikel 7

1. The Conference shall select at every regular meeting a Secretary General who shall serve in that capacity until the next regular meeting.

Artikel 8

The Secretary General shall:

a) a) be responsible for the effective management of the Secretariat; b) b) assist and advise the Chairmen of the Conference and the Executive Council in the performance of their duties; c) c) propose and recommend actions, plans and initiatives to the Conference and to the Executive Council as he/she sees fit; d) d) represent the Union at meetings, conferences and negotiations as necessary; e) e) present an annual report to the Executive Council dealing with the Union's activities and the management of the Secretariat; f) f) prepare the draft budget of the Union for submission to the Executive Council.

Artikel 9

1. English, French and Spanish shall be the official languages of the Union.

2. A Member whose language is neither English, French nor Spanish may provide for translation and interpretation at its own expense.

3. The working language within the Secretariat shall be English.

Artikel 10

1. The Union shall invite the Universal Postal Union to attend its meetings as an observer.

2. Other Restricted Postal Unions, postal administrations not members of the Caribbean Postal Union, and any regional or international body whose activities are of interest to the Union, may be invited to attend the Union's meetings as observers by decision of the Conference Chairman.

3. Observers shall not be entitled to vote at meetings of the Union.

Artikel 11

1. Members of the Union may submit to the Conference or to the Executive Council proposals for amending this Convention or the Regulations or other decisions of the Union. They may also submit to either of these bodies proposals on matters of general interest to members.

2. Proposals must be notified to the Secretariat at least three months before the meeting at which they are to be discussed. The Secretariat shall reproduce and distribute the proposals to members at least eight weeks before the said meeting.

3. A member may submit at short notice to the Conference or to the Executive Council a proposal regarded as urgent provided that it has the support of three other members of the Union.

Artikel 12

1. Amendments to this Convention must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Union.

2. Other decisions shall be taken by a majority of the members of the Union present and voting at the meeting.

3. The decisions of the Conference and of the Executive Council shall be published by the Managing Administration in accordance with directives given by each.

Artikel 13

Meetings of the Conference and the Executive Council may deliberate validly only if at least one half of the members are represented at the session in question.

Artikel 14

1. The Conference shall fix the maximum amount of the Union's expenditure and the principles governing the expenditure for each financial year up to and including that of the next ordinary meeting of the Conference.

2. Contributions to the Union shall be assessed in US dollars but may be paid in any convertible currency.

3. For the purposes of meeting the expenses of the Union, members shall pay an annual contribution of a sum agreed by the Conference.

4. If the limits approved by the Conference prove to be insufficient to ensure the satisfactory operation of the Union, these limits may be exceeded after consultation with the full membership and the prior approval of the Executive Council.

5. Members shall pay their contributions to the Union's expenditure in advance or in two installments. The contributions shall be paid to the Secretariat not later than the first day of January and the first day of July of the financial year to which they relate. After that date, the amounts shall be chargeable with interest in favour of the Union at the rate of 5 per cent per annum.

6. Member Countries whose total contributions are more than two years in arrears shall forfeit the right to vote until such time as they have liquidated their debts.

7. A Reserve Fund maintained by budget surpluses and voluntary contributions shall be established to provide against temporary shortfalls in financing or to meet special contingencies, as decided by the Executive Council.

8. The Union's financial year shall be January 01 to December 31.

Artikel 15

Provisions for implementing this Convention and provisions governing the operation of the Conference and the Executive Council shall be contained in Detailed Regulations prepared by the Secretary General in consultation with members and approved by the Conference.

To the extent that they are inconsistent with any provision of this Convention, the Convention shall prevail.

Artikel 16

1. The Convention shall enter into force as soon as one third of the eligible countries or territories have signed and ratified it in accordance with their constitutional procedures.

2. The instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Caribbean Postal Union, who shall transmit certified copies thereof to all members of the Union.

Artikel 17

1. Any member may withdraw from the Union by denouncing this Convention by letter addressed to the Secretary General of the Union. The Secretary General shaIl immediately inform the other members of the Union of his receipt of the letter of denunciation.

2. Withdrawal shall become effective one year after the day of which the notice of denunciation provided for in paragraph 1 has been received by the Secretary General of the Union, subject to the member having at that time fulfilled all financial obligations arising out of its membership.

Artikel 18

1. The union shall have full juridical capacity.

2. Each member shall in its Territory accord to the Union the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under its municipal laws. In any legal proceedings the Union shall be represented by the Secretary General of the Union.

Artikel 19

The privileges and immunities to be accorded to the Union shall be laid down in a Protocol to this Convention.

Artikel 20

Any dispute between the members of the Union relating to the interpretation or application of this Convention shall be decided by the Conference.

Artikel 21

This Convention shall be open for signature by any member Country or Territory referred to in paragraph 1 of article 2.

Artikel 22

This Convention shall come into force in accordance with paragraph 1 of article 16 and shall remain in force indefinitely.