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UNION POSTAL OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL Law 25.484 Approve Acts, Resolutions and Recommendations, adopted in Montevideo on 18 March 1998.

Sanctioned: October 24, 2001.

In fact promulgated: November 19, 2001.

The Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation assembled in Congress etc. sanction with force of law:

ARTICLE 1 The Acts, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, adopted in Montevideo .REPUBLICA ORIENTAL DEL URUGUAY cuya on 18 March 1998, whose authenticated photocopy is part of this law.

ARTICLE 2 Contact the national executive branch.

IN THE SESSION OF THE ARGENTINE CONGRESS, IN GOOD AIRES, TO THE VEINTICUATRO DIAS OF THE MONTH OF OCTOBER OF DOS MIL UNO.

# 25,484

PASCUAL RAFAEL. . MARIO A. LOSADA. . Roberto C. Marafioti. . Juan C. Oyarzún.

POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CONGRESO DE MONTEVIDEO, 1998

GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF UPAEP

POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CERTIFICO:

That the General Regulations of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal and the Resolutions and Recommendations of the XVII Extraordinary Congress, contained in this book, are faithful copies of the originals approved by the Seventeenth Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal, on the eighteenth day of March of the year thousand nine hundred and eight, in the city of Montevideo, capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

Mario Felmer Klenner

Secretary-General of the Union

Postal of the Americas, Spain and Portugal

POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CONGRESO DE MONTEVIDEO, 1998

GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF UPAEP

CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

In order to have a comprehensive publication containing all the UPAEP Acts, the Constitution of the Union is included.

The Congress did not introduce any amendments to the Constitution of the Union, and the instruments of accession, ratification and approval provided for in Chapter Vl of the Constitution and in Article 102 of the General Regulations refer exclusively to the General Regulations and Resolutions and Recommendations adopted by the Congress on 18 March 1998 at the headquarters of the Union, Montevideo, the capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

The Constitution of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal was approved at the Congress of Santiago, the capital of the Republic of Chile, 1971, and was modified by the Congresses of Lima, 1976, Managua 1981, Havana, 1985, Buenos Aires, 1990 and Montevideo, 1993.

CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CONTENTS

Preamble

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Art.

1. Integration, territory and freedom of transit. Union objectives and strategies

2. Relations with the Universal Postal Union and other international bodies

3. Members of the Union

4. Ambite of the Union

5. United Nations Headquarters

6. Official language of the Union

7. Legal status

8. Privileges and immunities

CHAPTER II

ADHESION, ADMISION AND RETIRE OF UNION

9. Accession or admission to the Union

10. Retreat of the Union

CHAPTER III

ORGANIZATION OF UNION

11. Organizations of the Union

12. Congress

13. Extraordinary Congress

14. Conference

15. Consultative Council and Executive Council

16. General Secretariat

CHAPTER IV

ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNION

Art

17. Acts of the Union

18. Resolutions and Recommendations

CHAPTER V

FINANCIAL

19. Union expenditure

CHAPTER VI

ACEPTATION OF ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE UNION

20. Signature, ratification and other forms of adoption of the Acts and Resolutions of the Union

21. Notification of ratifications and other modalities for the adoption of the Acts and the resolutions of the Union

22. Accession to Union Acts and Resolutions

CHAPTER VII

MODIFICATION OF ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNION

23. Presentation of proposals

24. Amendment of the Constitution. Ratification

25. Modification of General Regulations and Resolutions and Recommendations

CHAPTER VIII

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

26. I supplement the provisions of the Acts and the Resolutions and Recommendations.

CHAPTER IX

REQUIREMENTS

Art.

27. Arbitration

CHAPTER X

FINAL PROVISIONS

28. Proceedings and duration of the Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN and PORTUGAL

PREAMBULO

Those who subscribe, Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Governments of the countries members of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

assuming their responsibility to ensure, to everyone, quality postal benefits, both in the domestic and international service;

taking into account the need for postal benefits to be ensured, through their Public Service Operators, as appropriate tools to enable them to fulfil that responsibility;

warning that it is imperative that such operators also act in all areas of the postal market as dynamic and efficient enterprises;

Recognizing that, in order to achieve these objectives, it is essential to establish and strengthen agreements and commitments at governmental and business levels, both in regulatory and technical aspects and in trade;

adopt, subject to ratification, this Constitution.

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

Integration, territory and freedom of transit. Union objectives and strategies

1. The countries whose Governments adopt the present Constitution form, under the name of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal, a single postal territory for the reciprocal exchange of shipments covered by mandatory public benefits and optional benefits, under equal or more favourable conditions for customers than those established by the Universal Postal Union.

2. Freedom of transit shall be guaranteed throughout the territory of the Union.

3. The Union has essential objectives:

(a) To coordinate the regulation and guidance of postal activity in general among member countries, to ensure the right of everyone to have quality public postal benefits;

(b) To promote the development of postal companies such as Operators of the National Public Service and to establish linkages between them, at the technical and commercial levels, to allow for commitments regarding the definition of products and the development of collective control systems;

(c) To promote collective commercial action and the development of homogeneous products, with high added value content, specifying their characteristics and qualities, through commitment standards;

(d) To undertake concrete actions to improve international postal transport;

(e) To seek the establishment of computer networks and national applications, in particular in developing countries;

(f) To facilitate the practice of postal activity through direct action to other related organizations (customs, transport, information technology, etc.);

(g) and, in general, to improve, develop and modernize the postal services of member countries through close coordination and collaboration among their members.

4. To achieve its objectives, the Union will employ, among others, the following strategies:

(a) To promote technical cooperation with the National Public Service Operators in order to achieve, through efficient planning of activities, the enhancement of the professional capacity of postal workers and the development and improvement of the management of postal services and work systems, and to carry out such cooperation within the financial limits of the programmes established by the Congress;

(b) Developing systems for postal operation, in particular those with high computer content, for collective implementation in member countries and especially those in development;

(c) To establish an action capable of representing effectively the Congresses and other meetings of the Universal Postal Union, as well as other international agencies, their common interests and to harmonize the efforts of member countries to achieve those objectives;

(d) To promote and facilitate economic cooperation for the financing of comprehensive development projects of the operators of the national public services of the region and for the relationship between them and the international credit agencies or the other operators of the national public service who wish to cooperate.

Article 2

Relations with the Universal Postal Union and other international bodies

1. The Union is independent of any other organization and maintains relations with the Universal Postal Union and, under conditions of reciprocity, with the restricted Postal Unions. Where there are common interests that require it, it may have relations with other international agencies.

2. It exercises its activities within the framework of the provisions of the Universal Postal Union, for which it maintains its character as a restricted Union in accordance with article 8 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union.

Article 3

Members of the Union

They are members of the Union:

(a) Countries possessing the quality of membership at the date of the entry into force of this Constitution;

(b) Countries acquiring the quality of membership in accordance with Article 9.

Article 4

Ambite of the Union

The Union has in its scope:

(a) Territories of member countries;

(b) Post offices established by member countries in non-EU territories;

c) the other territories that, without being members of the Union, depend .from the postal point of view. from member countries.

Article 5

United Nations Headquarters

The headquarters of the Union and its permanent bodies are established in Montevideo, the capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

Article 6

Official language of the Union

The official language of the Union is Spanish.

Article 7

Legal personality

Each member country, in accordance with its domestic legislation, will grant legal capacity to the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal for the proper exercise of its functions and the realization of its purposes.

Article 8

Privileges and immunities

1. The Union shall enjoy, in the territory of each member country, the privileges and immunities necessary for the realization of its purposes.

2. Representatives of member countries participating in the meetings of the Union ' s Organs, officials of the Union and officials of the postal administrations of member countries, when they perform official functions of the Organization, shall also enjoy the privileges and immunities necessary for the fulfilment of their activities.

CHAPTER II

ADHESION, ADMISION AND RETIRE OF UNION

Article 9

Accession or admission to the Union

1. Countries or territories that are located in the American continent or its islands and which have the status of members of the Universal Postal Union, provided that they have no sovereignty conflict with a member country, may accede to the Union.

2. Any sovereign country of the Americas, which is not a member of the Universal Postal Union, may apply for membership in the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal.

3. Adherence or application for membership in the Union shall include a formal declaration of accession to the Constitution and to the other mandatory provisions of the Union.

Article 10

Retreat of the Union

Every country shall have the right to withdraw from the Union, waiving its membership.

CHAPTER III

ORGANIZATION OF UNION

Article 11

Organizations of the Union

1. The Union is structured into the following bodies:

(a) Congress;

(b) The Conference;

(c) The Consultative and Executive Council;

(d) The General Secretariat

2. The permanent bodies of the Union are: the Consultative and Executive Council and the General Secretariat.

Article 12

Congress

1. The Congress is the supreme organ of the Union.

2. The Congress shall consist of representatives of member countries.

Article 13

Extraordinary Congress

At the request of three member countries, at least one Extraordinary Congress may be held with the consent of the two third parties.

Article 14

Conference

On the occasion of the Universal Postal Congress, the Conference of the representatives of the member countries will meet as many times as necessary to determine the joint action to be taken in the Conference.

Article 15

Consultative Council and Executive Council

1. The Consultative and Executive Council shall ensure, between two Congresses, the continuity of the work of the Union in accordance with the provisions of the Acts of the Union, and shall conduct studies and give opinions on technical, economic, exploitation and technical cooperation matters that are of interest to the postal service. It will also monitor and control the activities of the General Secretariat.

2. Members of the Consultative and Executive Council shall exercise their functions in the name and interest of the Union.

Article 16

General Secretariat

1. The General Secretariat of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal is the permanent body of liaison, information and consultation between the members of the Union and of cooperation with them. The Secretariat of the Congress, the Conference and the Consultative and Executive Council, to which it will serve, shall be established.

2. The General Secretariat operates at the headquarters of the Union, led by a Secretary-General and under the High Inspection of the Postal Administration of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

CHAPTER IV

ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNION

Article 17

Acts of the Union

1. The Constitution is the fundamental act of the Union and contains its organic rules.

2. The General Regulations contain the provisions that ensure the application of the Constitution and the functioning of the Union. It will be mandatory for all member countries.

3. The Final Protocols, eventually annexed to the Acts of the Union, contain reservations to them.

Article 18

Resolutions and Recommendations

1. The provisions not provided for in the General Regulations relating to the operation of the Union, its Organs or certain aspects of postal exploitation shall adopt the form of Resolution and shall be binding on all its members.

2. Those affecting the functioning of the services shall adopt the form of recommendation and its application by the postal administrations of the member countries shall be carried out to the extent possible.

3. The Final Protocol, eventually annexed to the Resolutions of the Congress concerning postal exploitation, contains reservations to them.

CHAPTER V

FINANCIAL

Article 19

Union expenditure

1. Each Congress will set the maximum amount they can reach:

(a) Annual expenditures of the Union;

(b) Expenditure for the next meeting of the Congress.

2. If the circumstances require it, the maximum amount of the expenditures provided for in paragraph 1 may be exceeded, provided that the provisions of the General Regulations relating thereto are observed.

3. The expenses of the Union shall be borne in common by all member countries, which for this purpose shall be classified into different categories of contribution. To this end, each member country shall choose the category of contribution in which it wishes to be included. The categories of contribution are set out in the General Regulations.

4. In the event of accession or admission to the Union, the Government of the country concerned shall determine, from the point of view of the distribution of the expenses of the Union, the category of contribution in which it wishes to be included.

CHAPTER VI

ACEPTATION OF ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS OF THE UNION

Article 20

Signature, ratification and other forms of adoption of the Acts and Resolutions of the Union

1. The signing of the Acts and Resolutions of the Union, by the Plenipotentiary Representatives of the member countries, will take place at the end of the Congress.

2. The Constitution shall be ratified, as soon as possible, by the signatory countries.

3. The adoption of the General Regulations, the Final Protocols and the Resolutions shall be governed by the constitutional rules of each signatory country.

4. Subject to paragraphs 2 and 3 above, the signatory countries may make such ratification or approval on an interim basis, giving notice of this by correspondence to the General Secretariat of the Union.

5. If a country does not ratify the Constitution or does not approve the other Acts and Resolutions, it will not cease to be valid, both for those who have ratified or approved them.

Article 21

Notification of ratifications and other modalities for the adoption of the Acts and the resolutions of the Union

The instruments of ratification of the Constitution and, eventually, those of the adoption of the other Acts and Resolutions shall be deposited, in the shortest term, with the General Secretariat of the Union, which shall communicate it to the other member countries.

Article 22

Accession to Union Acts and Resolutions

Member countries that have not signed this Constitution and other mandatory provisions may accede to them at any time.

CHAPTER VII

MODIFICATION OF ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNION

Rule 23

Presentation of proposals

1. The amendments to the Acts of the Union, as well as the Resolutions and Recommendations, may be submitted:

(a) the postal administration of a member country;

(b) by the Consultative and Executive Council, as a result of its studies or activities in the field of its competence, as well as the organization and functioning of the General Secretariat.

2. The proposals referred to in the preceding paragraph should be submitted to the Congress.

Article 24

Amendment of the Constitution. Ratification

1. To be adopted, proposals submitted to the Congress relating to this Constitution shall be approved by at least two thirds of the member countries of the Union.

2. The amendments adopted by a Congress shall be subject to an Additional Protocol and, unless otherwise agreed by this Congress, shall enter into force at the same time as the revised Acts in the course of the same Congress.

3. The amendments to the Constitution shall be ratified as soon as possible by the member countries and the instruments of such ratification shall be treated in accordance with the provisions of articles 20 and 21.

Article 25

Modification of General Regulations and Resolutions and Recommendations

The General Regulations, as well as the Resolutions and Recommendations, may be amended by Congress, in accordance with the conditions set out in the General Regulations.

CHAPTER VIII

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

Article 26

Supplement to the provisions of the Acts and Resolutions and Recommendations

Issues relating to postal services that are not covered by the Acts of the Union, Resolutions or Recommendations adopted by the Congress shall, in their order:

by the provisions of the Universal Postal Union Acts;

2nd for agreements between the member countries;

3rd by the domestic legislation of each member country.

CHAPTER IX

REQUIREMENTS

Article 27

Arbitration

The disagreements between the postal administrations of the member countries on the interpretation or application of the Acts and the Resolutions of the Union shall be resolved by arbitration, in accordance with the provisions of the General Regulations of the Universal Postal Union.

CHAPTER X

FINAL PROVISIONS

Rule 28

Proceedings and duration of the Constitution

This Constitution shall enter into force on the first of July of the year a thousand nine hundred and seventy-two, and shall remain in force for an undetermined time.

In faith of which the Plenipotentiary Representatives of the governments of the member countries have signed this Constitution in the city of Santiago, the capital of the Republic of Chile, on the twenty-six days of the month of November of the year thousand nine hundred and seventy-one.

GENERAL REGULATION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL AMERICAS

Montevideo, 1998

GENERAL REGULATION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CONTENTS

PREAMBULO

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Art.

101. Accession or admission to the Union. Procedure

102. Accession to the Acts and Resolutions of the Union. Procedure

103. Retreat of the Union. Procedure

CHAPTER II

Organization and operation of the United Nations

104. Organization and functioning of the Congresses

105. Delegations

106. Powers of delegates

107. Observers

108. Attributions by the President of Congress and Vice-Presidents

109. Presentation and review of proposals

110. Discussion

111. Order and procedural motions

112. Voting

113. Records of the meetings

114. Organization and operation of the Extraordinary Congresses

115. Organization and functioning of the Conference

116. Consultative Council and Executive Council

117. Methods of work of the Consultative and Executive Council

CHAPTER III

GENERAL SECRETARY-GENERAL

118. Attributions

119. Secretary General and Councillor of the Union.

120. General Secretariat staff

Art.

121. Retirement and pensions of staff of the General Secretariat of the Union

122. Collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Union

CHAPTER IV

AUTHORITY OF ALTA INSPECCION

123. Duties of the host country government

124. Attributions of the High Inspection Authority

CHAPTER V

MODIFICATION OF ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNION

125. Proposals for the amendment of the Acts, Resolutions and Recommendations of the Union by Congress. Procedure

126. Conditions for adoption of proposals relating to the General Regulations, Resolutions and Recommendations

CHAPTER VI

FINANCIALS OF THE UNION

127. Union budget

128. Budget performance fund

129. Contribution from member countries

130. Control and advances

131. Account development

132. Payment of contributions

CHAPTER VII

_

133. Languages

CHAPTER VIII

FINAL PROVISIONS

134. Monitoring and duration of the General Regulations

GENERAL REGULATION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

PREAMBULO

Those who subscribe, Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Governments of the countries members of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal, adopt, in common agreement, the present General Regulations, pursuant to article 17, paragraph 2, of the Constitution, in order to ensure their implementation and functioning of the Union.

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Rule 101

Accession or admission to the Union. Procedure

1. The accession note or the application for admission shall be addressed by the Government of the country concerned to the General Secretariat, which shall communicate it to the other member countries of the Union.

2. To be admitted as a member, the request shall be approved at least by two thirds of the member countries.

3. Member countries shall be deemed to approve the request when they have not responded within four months, from the date on which they have been communicated.

4. The accession or admission of a country as a member shall be notified by the General Secretariat to the Governments of all member countries of the Union.

5. The result shall be communicated to the requesting country and, if admitted, the date from which it is considered a member and other data concerning its acceptance.

Rule 102

Accession to the Acts and Resolutions of the Union. Procedure

1. Member countries that have not signed the Acts and other mandatory provisions adopted by the Congress shall accede to them as soon as possible.

2. Instruments of accession relating to cases under article 22 of the Constitution and paragraph 1 of this article shall be addressed to the General Secretariat, which shall notify the member countries of this deposit.

Rule 103

Retreat of the Union. Procedure

1. Any member country shall have the power to withdraw from the Union by denunciation of the Constitution, which shall be communicated to the General Secretariat and, by it, to the other Governments of the member countries.

2. The withdrawal of the Union shall be effective at the end of the one-year period from the day of receipt by the General Secretariat of the complaint under paragraph 1.

3. Any member country withdrawing shall comply with all the obligations set out in the Acts of the Union, until the day the withdrawal is made effective.

CHAPTER II

Organization and operation of the United Nations

Article 104

Organization and functioning of the Congresses

1. Representatives of member countries will meet in Congress every five years, approximately.

2. Each Congress shall designate the country in which the following Congress shall be convened, provided that the designated country is invited to that end. If there were a number of inviting countries, the decision would be taken by secret ballot.

3. If it is not possible to hold a Congress in the elected country, the General Secretariat, with the urgency of the case, will make the necessary arrangements to try to find a country that is willing to host the Congress. The outcome of these efforts will be submitted to the Consultative and Executive Council for decision.

4. If there is no invitation to host the next Congress, the General Secretariat shall apply the same procedure set out in paragraph 3.

5. When a Congress should be brought together without an inviting government, the General Secretariat, in accordance with the Consultative and Executive Council and the Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, will take the necessary steps to convene and organize the Congress in the country headquarters of the Union. In this case, the General Secretariat shall exercise the functions of an inviting Government.

6. Prior to agreement with the General Secretariat, the government of the Congress headquarters country will set the final date, as well as the place where the Congress should meet. In principle, one year before this date, the government of the congress headquarters country will send an invitation to the government of each member country, either directly or through the General Secretariat.

7. The Presidency of Congress is attributed to the inviting country. In the case provided for in paragraph 5 above, it shall be incumbent upon the Advisory and Executive Council to designate the country to be the Chair.

8. The postal administration of the Congress headquarters country, in consultation with the General Secretariat, will suggest the designation of the Dean of the Congress, which should be a long-standing post office or retiree in the Congresses of the Union. The Advisory and Executive Council shall proceed to adopt this designation at the appropriate time. At the opening of the first plenary meeting, the Dean will assume the presidency of the Congress until the President is appointed. The Dean proposes to Congress the President and Vice-Presidents of the Congress, as well as those of the Commissions. One of the Vice-Presidents of the Congress shall be attributed to the country that served the presidency of the previous Congress.

9. At the 1st meeting, the Dean will propose the establishment of the Bureau, which will be composed of the President of Congress, the two Vice-Presidents and the Secretary-General of the Union.

10. The purposes of the Congress are:

(a) To review and complete, if any, the Acts, Resolutions and Recommendations of the Union;

(b) To set the priorities for action of the Union for the following period; and

(c) To deal with all matters for consideration, related to the purposes of the Union.

11. Each member country shall be represented by one or more delegates or by the delegation of another country. The delegation of one country may represent only another country besides its own.

12. Any member country shall have the right to make reservations to the Acts of the Union and Resolutions relating to postal exploitation, adopted by the Congress at the time of signature.

13. The government of the Congress headquarters country shall notify the governments of the member countries of the Acts and Resolutions adopted by the Congress.

Article 105

Delegations

1. A delegation means the person or group of persons designated as representatives by a member country to participate in the Congress. It shall consist of a Head of Delegation, a Deputy Head, if any, of one or more delegates and, eventually, one or more staff members.

2. The members of delegations should, as far as possible, be qualified officials of the postal administrations of the member countries.

3. When a country cannot participate in a Congress, it may be represented by the delegation of another. If, participating in the Congress, it could not attend a session, it could also be represented by another. In both cases, the President shall be informed of the decision taken, taking into account that each member country may only be represented by another.

Article 106

Powers of delegates

1. Delegates shall be accredited by powers signed by the Head of State, the Head of Government or the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the country concerned.

2. The powers must be properly drafted. A delegate is considered a plenipotentiary representative if his powers respond to one of the following criteria:

(a) if they confer full powers;

(b) if they authorize representing their government, without restrictions;

c) if they grant the necessary powers to sign the Acts.

Any of the three cases implicitly includes the power to take part in the deliberations and vote.

The powers that do not conform to the criteria detailed in (a), (b) and (c) of this paragraph shall grant only the right to take part in the deliberations and to vote.

3. The powers shall be deposited as soon as the Congress is opened before the authority designated for that purpose.

4. Delegates who have not submitted their powers may take part in the deliberations and voting, provided that they have been announced by their governments, to the government of the host country of Congress. Delegates whose powers have been found to be insufficiency or irregularity may also do so. None of these delegates may vote from the time the Congress has adopted the report of the Credentials Committee, which states that they have not submitted their powers or that they are insufficient to vote and until such time as this situation is not regularized.

5. Only the original powers and mandates duly granted will be accepted. However, communications that are directed by telegram or by any other means of written telecommunication will be accepted, which respond to requests for reports on matters of powers.

Article 107

Observers

1. They may participate in the deliberations of the Congress, as observers and with the right to speak:

(a) Representatives of postal administrations from non-members of the Union, who have been specially invited by decision of the Advisory and Executive Council;

(b) the representatives of the Universal Postal Union;

(c) Representatives of restricted Postal Unions offering reciprocity,

2. Representatives of any qualified agency will also be admitted as observers, which the Consultative and Executive Council deems necessary to associate with the work of the Congress.

Rule 108

Attributions by the President of Congress and Vice-Presidents

1. The President opens the meeting, directs the discussions, accords the floor in accordance with the order in which it is requested, puts to the vote matters in which there is no unanimity of views, decides on the procedural matters that occur during the deliberations and the closing of the Congress.

2. The President shall sign the Acts, Resolutions and Recommendations adopted by the Congress, together with the Secretary-General.

3. In the event of an impediment, the President shall be replaced by the Vice-President from the country that served as the Chair of the previous Congress.

Rule 109

Presentation and review of proposals

1. The proposals submitted within the time limit specified in Article 125, paragraph 1, of these Rules, shall serve as the basis for the deliberations of the Congress. Out of that time the proposals should be supported by two other administrations at least and should be submitted at least forty-eight hours before the opening of the Congress.

2. In principle, each proposal shall have a single objective and shall contain only the modifications justified by that objective.

3. However, amendments may be admitted at any time, either in writing or or orally, during the discussion of the subject.

4. The Congress shall determine, at the plenary meeting, the Commission to consider each proposal. To that end, the General Secretariat would prepare the appropriate base document, which would indicate the proposals which, in its view, should be considered by each Commission or, where appropriate, by the Congress itself.

5. If a matter is the subject of several proposals, the President shall decide on the order of discussion, beginning in principle with which the text is removed, or which implies a more radical change.

6. If a Proposition could be subdivided into several parts, each of them may, with the agreement of the proponent or Congress, be examined and voted separately.

7. If an amendment is accepted by the delegation that submitted the primitive proposal, it shall be incorporated immediately into the text of the proposal. If the amendment is not accepted, the criterion set out in paragraph 5 shall apply for the discussion order.

8. The procedure described in paragraph 7 will also apply when several amendments are made to the same proposal.

9. Any proposal withdrawn in the plenary or in the Commission may be taken up by another delegation. Furthermore, any proposal rejected or adopted by the Commission may be retaken in the plenary, in addition, if the amendment to a proposal is approved and accepted by the country of origin of the proposal, another member country may revert to the unchanged original proposal.

Article 110

Discussion

1. Participants must adjust to the topic under discussion, limiting their intervention to a time not exceeding five minutes, except on the contrary, taken by the simple majority of the members present and voting. If the time provided for in the use of the word is exceeded, the President shall be authorized to interrupt the speaker.

2. Upon consultation with the Congress, with the approval of the simple majority of the members present and voting, the President may:

(a) limiting the number of interventions by a delegation on a proposal or group of proposals;

(b) To limit the number of interventions by different delegations on the same proposal or group of proposals, to five interventions in favour and five against the subject under discussion;

(c) To declare closed the list of speakers, after reading it, respecting the right of the delegation which has submitted the proposal to respond to other delegations ' interventions.

Rule 111

Order and procedural motions

1. During the discussion of a question, or even, given the case, after the closure of the debate, a delegation may submit a motion to order:

de clarification on the development of the debates;

respect for the Constitution or the General Regulations;

. the modification of the order of discussion of the proposals suggested by the President.

The motion for order shall have priority over all matters, including the procedural motions referred to in paragraph 3.

2. The President shall immediately make the requested clarifications or make the decision he deems appropriate with regard to the motion of order. In the event of an objection, the President ' s decision shall be put to the vote immediately.

3. In addition, during the discussion of a matter, a delegation may introduce a procedural motion to propose:

(a) The suspension of the meeting;

(b) The adjournment of the meeting;

(c) Closing the list of speakers;

(d) The adjournment of the debate on the question under discussion;

(e) The closure of the debate on the question under discussion.

Procedural motions shall have priority, in the above-mentioned order, on all other proposals, except for the motions of order set out in paragraph 1.

4. The motions for suspension or adjournment of the meeting shall not be discussed, but shall be put to the vote immediately.

5. When a delegation proposes the closure of the list of speakers, the postponement or closure of the debate on a question under discussion, only two speakers opposing the procedural motion in question shall be given the floor, after which the motion shall be put to the vote.

6. The delegation that submits a motion of order or procedure may not, in its intervention, address the substance of the matter under discussion. The author of a procedural motion may withdraw it before a vote is taken and any such motion, as amended or not, which is withdrawn, may be taken up by another delegation.

Rule 112

Voting

1. Issues that do not have the general feeling shall be put to the vote. The validity of the vote is subject to the presence or representation of the two thirds of the member countries.

2. The voting shall, as a rule, be held by lifting the banner with the name of the country. However, at the request of a delegation or by a decision of the President, a roll-call vote shall be taken, in the alphabetical order of countries, after drawing lots to determine the delegation to begin voting.

3. At the request of one delegation, supported by another, a secret ballot shall be held. In this case, the Presidency shall take the necessary measures to ensure the secrecy of the vote. The request for a secret ballot, made in accordance with this paragraph, shall predominate over the request for a roll-call vote.

4. Each member country shall have the right to one vote; it may also vote by representation or by delegation, by another member country

Article 113

Records of the meetings

1. The records of each session shall be established in Spanish. They will succinctly reflect the overall development of the meetings, proposals made, deliberations and results achieved.

2. Each delegate shall have the right to request full inclusion in the record of any statement he makes, provided that the text is delivered to the General Secretariat within twenty-four hours of the end of the meeting.

3. The records of the meetings shall be distributed to delegates after their reproduction and they shall have a time limit of 24 hours to make their written comments to the General Secretariat. As a general rule, the minutes must be approved by Congress 48 hours after distribution. The minutes of the last plenary meetings that have not been delivered to delegates, at least 48 hours in advance of the closure of the Congress, shall be approved by the President of the Congress. In the latter case, the General Secretariat shall take into consideration any comments made to it within 40 days of the date of distribution of the records to delegations or their submission to the member countries concerned.

Rule 114

Organization and operation of the Extraordinary Congresses

1. The member countries will meet at the Extraordinary Congress when the importance and urgency of the issues to be dealt with do not allow the holding of an Ordinary Congress to be expected.

2. The member countries that promote it shall, at the same time, indicate which one is willing to be the seat of the Extraordinary Congress, so that the General Secretariat may seek conformity with the other member countries.

3. The government of the country designated as the seat of the Extraordinary Congress will send the timely invitation to the government of each member country, at least 6 months before the date indicated for the start of the Extraordinary Congress, either directly or through the General Secretariat.

4. Article 104, paragraphs 11 and 13 are applied by analogy.

5. Any country shall have the right to make reservations to the Acts of the Union and the Resolutions relating to postal exploitation adopted at an Extraordinary Congress.

Article 115

Organization and functioning of the Conference

1. The President of the Consultative and Executive Council shall, through the General Secretariat, convene representatives of member countries to meet in Conference in the city designated as the seat of the UPU Congress. It will examine proposals and matters of greater interest to the Union, in order to determine the procedures for joint action to be followed. The Conference will meet throughout the Universal Postal Congress as many times as it deems necessary. Where there are important issues to be dealt with, the Consultative and Executive Council may convene the meeting of the Conference for a date prior to the start of the UPU Congress, with the consent of most member countries.

2. The President of the Conference, who will be the President of the Consultative and Executive Council, will report to the Congress on the results of the work carried out on the occasion of the corresponding UPU Congress and will make proposals aimed at establishing the most appropriate action for the next Congress.

3. The Conference shall designate the country to replace the President of the Conference, in the event that he does not attend the meeting or is unable to attend any meeting.

4. All that is noted in the present Rules for the Development of the Sessions of the Congress shall be applicable to the Conference.

Article 116

Consultative Council and Executive Council

1. The Advisory and Executive Council shall be composed of all member countries of the Union.

The headquarters of the Congress shall preside over the organ.

2. The first constitutive meeting of each Council will be convened by the President of the Congress. It will elect a first and a second Vice-Presidents. If the country to which the Presidency is responsible resigns from it, the first Vice-President shall serve it. In such a case, the second Vice-President shall go first and a new second Vice-President shall be elected from among the remaining members.

3. At its constituent meeting, the Council shall elect two member countries and two alternate countries, for the purpose of completing the formation of the Management Committee.

The consecutive absence of a member country to three meetings of the Committee will result in its replacement by the first alternate country. If another member does not attend three consecutive meetings, it will be replaced by the second alternate country. This provision shall apply only to member countries elected by the CCE to complete the Management Committee.

4. Each postal administration shall designate the representation of its country to the Consultative and Executive Council. It shall be headed by the highest postal authority or its representative, who may be assisted by qualified officials of its postal administration.

5. Convened by its President, through the General Secretariat, the Council will hold an annual meeting at the headquarters of the Union. In principle, the Council should not meet in the year of the Congress of the Union. At all its meetings, the Secretary-General shall take part in the discussion without the right to vote. The Council shall issue the Internal Regulations that it may not function.

6. In the event of necessity, the President, on the proposal of any member and with the consent of the two thirds of the members of the Council, shall convene an extraordinary meeting within two months.

7. The functions of members of the Council shall be free of charge. The operating expenses will be borne by the Union. With the exception of meetings held during the Congress, the member countries of the last contributory category that do not have the possibility of using their technical cooperation funds shall have the right to reimbursement either of the price of a single round-trip air ticket, economic class, or of the cost of the trip by any other means, provided that this amount does not exceed the price of the ticket by air, back and forth, in economic class. This provision applies on the condition that the delegation is one-person.

8. They will be invited to participate as observers:

(a) the representatives of the Universal Postal Union;

(b) any qualified agency, provided that the matter to be considered is related to it;

(c) Governments of countries that have an interest in matters to be treated and that they wish to associate themselves with the work of the Consultative and Executive Council.

9. The General Secretariat shall send invitations to the observers mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

10. The Consultative and Executive Council shall coordinate and supervise the activities of the Union with the following powers in particular:

(a) To maintain contact with the postal administrations of the member countries, with the Organs of the Universal Postal Union, with the restricted postal Unions and with any other national or international agency;

(b) To take initiatives and undertake activities aimed at defending the common interests of the postal administrations of the member countries of the Union, with regard to postal services;

(c) To act as a counter to the activities of the General Secretariat;

(d) Review and, where appropriate, adopt the annual report of the General Secretariat on the activities of the Union;

(e) authorize the annual budget of the Union within the limits set by the Congress. These limits may only be exceeded at the initiative of the Council and with the approval of most member countries;

(f) Review and, where appropriate, approve the accountability of the budget for the previous year;

(g) The Consultative and Executive Council shall, at its first meeting after the Ordinary Congress, consider the salary regime for the staff of the General Secretariat;

(h) To review and, where appropriate, adopt the annual plan of participation of the General Secretariat in international postal meetings, as well as the number of staff members to attend each of them, with the exception of those emergency trips that are of interest to the Union. Under the same procedure, the other travels to be carried out on behalf of the Union shall be approved;

(i) To review and authorize, where appropriate, requests for inter-programme and inter-expenditure from the same programme of the Budget authorized for the current year by the Secretary-General;

(j) carry out, by mandate or by itself, studies relating to administrative, legislative, legal, technical, exploitation and economic problems of interest or that may affect the postal administrations of member countries or the Union;

(k) To encourage the establishment of postal schools in the member countries and at the request of the administrations to manage, through the General Secretariat, actions of experts and consultants for their organization, development and operation, according to technical cooperation programmes;

(l) To designate the host country of the next Congress in the cases provided for in Article 104, paragraphs 3 and 4, after a vote if there is more than one candidate;

(ll) adopt the necessary arrangements to designate the country to assume the presidency of the Congress in the case provided for in article 104, paragraph 7;

(m) To submit to Congress proposals for amendments to the Acts and draft resolutions and recommendations arising from studies carried out by mandate or by themselves;

(n) To decide on the administrations of non-members and qualified agencies that should be invited as observers to the Congress, in accordance with the provisions of article 107 of these Regulations;

ñ ) to inform the postal administrations of the member countries of the results of studies initiated by themselves, when it does not correspond to the intervention of the Congress to which, however, it will give notice of this by application of paragraph 10;

(o) Establish rules on documents to be issued and distributed free of charge or at cost by the General Secretariat;

(p) Draft, for Congress, the draft programme of work of the next Council, on the basis of suggestions made by the postal administrations of the Union;

(q) The organization and development of courses available to the Union shall be supervised by the Advisory and Executive Council through the General Secretariat;

(r) To promote international cooperation to facilitate, by all means available, technical and economic cooperation to the postal administrations of developing countries;

(s) to act in a higher instance in the claims of the General Secretariat staff against decisions taken by the General Secretariat and decided first by the High Inspection Authority;

(t) To proceed with the election of the corresponding position or charges among the proposed candidates, in the case provided for in article 119, paragraph 7.

(u) the other powers necessary for the proper fulfilment of the object of the Council.

11. The Consultative and Executive Council will present, at least four months in advance of the next Congress, a report on the whole of the activities carried out in the period between one and another Congress.

Rule 117

Methods of work of the Consultative and Executive Council

1. The Consultative and Executive Council will develop its work on the basis of the institutional policies and global objectives set by the Congress. You can prioritize these objectives, make modifications and incorporate others that are necessary as a result of the changing situations occurring in the postal activity.

2. The Advisory and Executive Council will identify the tools and means with which it will develop its own activities.

3. The Consultative and Executive Council shall designate a Management Committee, which shall be:

s to evaluate the strategic plans and priorities established,

de analyzing the scope of the new structure and achieving efficiency and effectiveness objectives,

de to monitor the implementation of the Budget,

. to present to the Council a consolidated summary of the scope of its agenda.

The Committee shall consist of five members: the President of the Consultative and Executive Council, the two Vice-Presidents and two member countries of the Union, to be elected by the Council at its constituent meeting. The Secretary-General shall participate with voice and without vote.

The cost of participation of the members of the Committee shall not, under any circumstances, be charged to UPAEP.

GENERAL SECRETARY-GENERAL CHAPTER III

Rule 118

Attributions

1. As part of its overall functions, the General Secretariat of the Union is responsible for:

(a) To collect and distribute documents and information that are relevant to the postal service of the Union;

(b) To ensure the functions of intermediary in the procedures for accession, admission and withdrawal of the Union;

(c) Conduct surveys or studies entrusted to it by Congress or the Consultative and Executive Council;

(d) To provide the information requested by postal administrations, the International UPU Office, restricted Unions or international agencies that deal with topics of interest to mail services;

(e) intervene and collaborate in multilateral technical cooperation plans and represent the Union with relevant international agencies or postal administrations, which can facilitate their cooperation in improving mail services in member countries;

(f) To render an opinion on the interpretation of the rules of the Constitution and the General Regulations, as well as of the Resolutions and Recommendations issued, when any administration so requests;

(g) To render its opinion on litigation issues at the request of the parties concerned;

(h) To update the status of compliance with the recommendations adopted by the Congress and to communicate to member countries the amendments thereto;

(i) To keep the Philatelic Section and the Library of the General Secretariat organized;

(j) To formulate the annual expenditure account of the Union;

(k) to draw up and circulate in a timely manner an annual report on its work, which should be approved by the Advisory and Executive Council;

(l) To determine the amount of contributions to be met annually by each country;

(ll) To implement the technical cooperation and assistance programmes for the development of postal education at the regional level of the Union and to carry out the tasks of monitoring and monitoring the postal courses of the Union, in accordance with the guidelines drawn up by the Congress and the Consultative and Executive Council.

(m) Conduct projects assigned to it by the Advisory and Executive Council.

2. Within the framework of the Congresses, the Conference and other Meetings of the Union, the General Secretariat is responsible for:

(a) To intervene in the organization and conduct of the Congresses, the Conference and other meetings determined by the Union;

(b) To extend the relevant consultations to each member country for the establishment of a new headquarters, in the cases provided for in articles 104, paragraph 3, and 114, paragraph 2. It will then inform the Advisory and Executive Council of the results of the management and request its pronouncement in favour of one of the inviting countries. It shall then communicate to each government the name of the country designated by the Consultative and Executive Council as the headquarters of the Congress;

(c) To distribute, in due course, the proposals submitted by postal administrations for consideration by Congresses, the Conference and other meetings of the Union;

(d) To carry out the Secretariat of the Conference;

(e) To produce a summary of decisions taken at meetings of the Conference;

(f) To prepare the agenda for the meetings of the Consultative and Executive Council and the report on its studies and proposals to be submitted to Congress;

(g) Publish the documents of the Congresses, the Conference and other meetings of the Union.

3. Within the framework of the Congresses of the Universal Postal Union:

(a) To manage, in the headquarters country of the Congress, the meeting rooms and offices required, respectively, for the Conference and administrative services;

(b) To disseminate, among member countries, the call for the meeting of the Conference, in accordance with the President of the Consultative and Executive Council;

(c) To collaborate with the postal administrations of member countries on issues related to the development of the Universal Postal Congress.

Rule 119

Secretary-General and Councillor of the Union

1. The General Secretariat of the Union shall be headed and administered by a Secretary-General, assisted by a Counsellor. Both shall be elected by secret ballot by the Congress among the candidates for that purpose. The Secretary-General and the Counsellor shall be elected for a period and may be re-elected for another additional period. The interval between two consecutive ordinary congresses is understood by period.

2. To be a candidate for the post of Secretary-General or Counselor it is required:

(a) To have extensive experience in the organization and implementation of postal services, acquired in the postal administration of a member country, and to possess the nationality of the candidate country, or

(b) to serve as Secretary-General or Councillor of the Union.

3. For the appointment of the Secretary-General and the Counsellor, the following formalities shall be fulfilled:

(a) To be submitted by the Governments of member countries, except for those officials who hold such positions, who may submit their candidature directly. Both charges may not be held by nationals of the same member country;

(b) Three months before the date of commencement of the Congress, the governments of the member countries will make the formal presentation of their nominations to the government of the host country of the Union, accompanying the corresponding vitae curricula;

(c) When the Secretary-General or the Councillor wish to submit his candidatures, they shall be sent to the Government of the host country of the Union on the same occasion;

(d) One month before, no later than the date of commencement of the Congress, the host country of the Union shall inform the Governments of the remaining member countries of the nominations and the curriculum vitae of the candidates. The same information will be submitted to the General Secretariat;

(e) The election shall be made by secret ballot and by simple majority of members present and voting.

4. In the event of a vacancy, the Secretary-General ' s position shall be occupied internly by the Councillor, with the retention of his responsibilities.

5. In the event of the vacancy of the position of Counsellor, the Secretary-General shall take charge of the tasks assigned to that staff member.

6. In the event of a vacancy of both positions, the High Inspection Authority shall internly assume the direction and administration of the General Secretariat.

7. The General Secretariat shall immediately invite the member countries of the Union to nominate the post or posts to be filled. With the exception of the rule in paragraph 1 the Advisory and Executive Council shall proceed to the election of the position or positions that correspond to the candidates nominated at the first meeting of the Organization subsequent to the date on which the vacancies occurred. The term of office of elected officials shall be extended for the period remaining until the next Congress; such period shall not be computed, as appropriate, for the purposes of re-election provided for in paragraph 1.

8. The procedure set out in the preceding paragraph shall not apply when vacancies occur after the last regular meeting of the Consultative and Executive Council, for the period between two Congresses.

9. The Secretary-General shall have, in addition to the express powers conferred upon him by the Constitution and these General Regulations, the following:

(a) To appoint and dismiss the staff of the General Secretariat, in accordance with the Regulations adopted by the Advisory and Executive Council;

(b) To attend meetings of the Congress, the Consultative and Executive Council, the Conference and the CCE Management Committee, and may take part in discussions, with a voice but without a vote;

(c) To attend, as an observer, the Congresses of the Universal Postal Union, as well as the meetings of the Executive Council and the Consultative Council for Postal Studies. In this capacity, it will inform member countries of matters of relevance to the Union, which are dealt with at the meetings of the Executive Council;

(d) To organize the Conference, as well as the meetings of representatives of the Union member countries attending the meetings of the Executive Council of the Universal Postal Union;

(e) Recruit loans, subscribe debt documents and constitute guarantees not exceeding the two twelfth annual budget. The documents shall be signed by the Secretary-General and the Counsellor in a manner commensurate with them;

(f) opening bank accounts;

(g) carry out transfers of items between headings and sub-rules within the same group of the same programme, in accordance with the requirements of the service. In addition, consult and obtain the agreement of the President of the Advisory and Executive Council to carry out the major changes provided for in article 116, paragraph 10, paragraph 10 (i) of the General Regulations, which are necessary to meet significant expenditures in emergency situations and, subsequently, submit such transfers for confirmation to the full Advisory and Executive Council, in accordance with the provisions of that article in conjunction with any other expenditure reflecting major changes in the programmes or expenditure group within the same programme.

10. The Council shall assist the Secretary-General and, in his absence, shall replace him with his or her functions, with his or her own powers, and shall deal primarily with:

(a) To conduct administrative tasks;

(b) To develop the draft budgets of the Union;

(c) Establish annual accounts;

(d) collaborate with the Secretary-General in the study and technical cooperation activities.

11. To fulfil those functions as set out in the General Secretariat Regulations.

Article 120

General Secretariat staff

1. Staff serving in the General Secretariat shall be two classes:

(a) Professional services;

(b) General services.

2. The Congress, on the proposal of the Secretary-General, shall, by resolution, establish the staff of both the professional and the general service.

Article 121

Retirement and pensions of staff of the General Secretariat of the Union

1. Current and future staff, elected or recruited, resident or non-resident, of the UPAEP General Secretariat, from 1 April 1992 on, have no right to retire from the Union. However, it shall have the right to receive, at the end of their duties, they or their survivors, a withdrawal compensation consisting of the sum of all contributions made by the staff member and by the Union, plus the interests capitalized at the actual rate that such funds are sold in square.

2. Retirements of staff of the General Secretariat, recognized until 31 March 1992 and pensions resulting from or arising from this concept, shall be paid until their termination, under a special programme of the annual budget of UPAEP. In the event that the funds of the Programme were insufficient, they would be paid from the Budget Implementation Fund.

Article 122

Collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Union

The administrations of the member countries may, for the necessary time, send technical staff to collaborate in the conduct of special work to the General Secretariat of the Union, when required by the Union in notoriously justified cases.

CHAPTER IV

AUTHORITY OF ALTA INSPECCION

Article 123

Duties of the host country government

To facilitate the functioning of the General Secretariat and the other organs of the Union, the Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay:

(a) grant the privileges and immunities established by article 8 of the Constitution of the Union;

(b) Advance the necessary funds for the functioning of the General Secretariat;

(c) shall take any other measures necessary for the fulfilment of the tasks of the General Secretariat.

Rule 124

Attributions of the High Inspection Authority

The Postal Administration of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, as the High Inspection Authority of the General Secretariat, is responsible for:

(a) To make any comments it deems appropriate to the General Secretariat on any aspect of its functioning;

(b) To inform member countries of the failure of the General Secretariat to comply with the observations it has made in application of the authority conferred upon it in the preceding paragraph;

(c) Executing control of all recruitments, expenses, movements of funds, payments, accounting seats, etc., of the General Secretariat;

(d) To take appropriate measures to ensure that funds for the functioning of the General Secretariat are made effective;

(e) Monitoring compliance with the annual expenditure budget approved by the Consultative and Executive Council, in accordance with the provisions of these General Regulations;

(f) Approval of annual accounts of expenditures of the General Secretariat;

(g) To resolve, in the first instance, the claims of the staff of the General Secretariat against the decisions of the General Secretariat;

(h) To take any other measures necessary for the performance of High Inspection functions.

CHAPTER V

MODIFICATION OF ACTS, RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE UNION

Article 125

Proposals for the amendment of the Acts, Resolutions and Recommendations of the Union by Congress. Procedure

1. Proposals should be sent to the General Secretariat four months in advance to the opening of the Congress.

2. The General Secretariat will publish the proposals and distribute them among the postal administrations of the member countries, at least three months before the date indicated for the beginning of the meetings.

3. Propositions submitted after the deadline set out in paragraph 1 shall be taken into consideration if supported by at least two administrations. They are exempted from those of a redactional order, which must hold the letter "R" in the heading, and which will go directly to the Drafting Commission.

Article 126

Conditions for adoption of proposals relating to the General Regulations, Resolutions and Recommendations

1. In order to be valid the proposals submitted to the Congress and relating to these General Regulations, the Resolutions and Recommendations, they shall be approved by the majority of the member countries present and voting. At least two thirds of the member countries of the Union should be present or represented at the time of the vote.

2. The above rule exempts the amendments to the General Regulations on the functioning of the Congress (arts. 104-114, inclusive) which will require a majority of the two thirds of the member countries of the Union represented at the Congress. These proposals, if approved, shall enter into force immediately.

CHAPTER VI

FINANCIALS OF THE UNION

Rule 127

Union budget

1. Each Congress shall set by Resolution the maximum amount of the Budget for each year during the five-year period following it, expressed in United States dollars and based on the presentation of programmes and activities by the General Secretariat. Approved budgets will govern from 1 January to 31 December each year.

2. The General Secretariat shall submit to the Management Committee and the Advisory and Executive Council, the detailed budget for the following year, as well as the expenditure account for the preceding year together with the justifications for its review and, as appropriate, its approval.

Rule 128

Budget Implementation Fund

1. At the end of each financial period, the annual total expenditure, to be borne by all member countries of the Union, will be increased by the percentage agreed by each Congress. Its amount will be allocated to the Budget Implementation Fund.

2. This fund will be implemented by the General Secretariat for the implementation of budgetary obligations.

3. If, at the end of a financial period, the Budget Implementation Fund was equal to or greater than the total projected expenditures for the following year, the increase in paragraph 1 would not apply.

Article 129

Contribution from member countries

1. The member countries will contribute, in order to cover the expenses of the Union, according to the category of contribution to which they belong. These categories are:

; category of 12 units;

; 11 units category;

; category of 10 units;

; 9 units category;

; category of 8 units;

; category of 7 units;

; category of 6 units;

; category of 5 units;

; category of 4 units;

; category of 3 units;

de category of 2 units; and

. 1 unit category.

2. The member countries shall belong to the following categories:

(a) 12 units;

(b) 11 units;

(c) 10 units;

(d) 9 units;

(e) 8 units: Canada - Spain - United States of America and Portugal;

(f) of 7 units: Federal Republic of Brazil and Uruguay;

(g) 6 units: Argentina

(h) 5 units;

(i) of 4 units: Colombia - Chile and the United Mexican States;

(j) 3 units:

(k) of 2 units: Netherlands Antilles and Aruba - Panama - Paraguay - Peru and the Republic of Venezuela;

(l) of 1 unit: Bolivia - Costa Rica - Cuba - Ecuador - El Salvador Guatemala - Haiti - Nicaragua - Dominican Republic - Republic of Honduras and Republic of Suriname.

3. The category of contribution of a new country entering the Union should be related to the importance of its mail. The initial contribution category may not be less than 2 units.

The member countries may change the category of contribution, provided that this change is modified to the General Secretariat prior to the opening of the Congress. This notification shall be communicated to Congress and the change of category shall be effective at the date of entry into force of the financial provisions approved by Congress.

5. The member countries may only reduce a category of contribution at a time. Member countries that do not know their desire to reduce their category of contribution before the opening of the Congress will be held in the category to which they belonged until then.

6. Changes to higher categories have no restrictions.

Article 130

Control and advances

The postal administration of the Union headquarters country will monitor the expenses of the General Secretariat and the government of the said country will make the necessary advances.

Article 131

Account development

The General Secretariat shall formulate, on an annual basis, the expense account of the Union, to be verified by the High Inspection Authority.

Article 132

Payment of contributions

1. The budget approved by the Consultative and Executive Council shall be communicated immediately to the member countries, for the purpose of which they pay their share in the budget. This payment must be made before 30 June of the year to which this Budget corresponds. If, in short, the total authorized amount is not spent, the surplus shall be credited to the respective country and shall be charged to the following budget.

2. After the date indicated in the preceding paragraph, the amounts owed, both in respect of the Budget and the budget performance fund, shall be of interest at a rate of 5 per cent per year, on the day of the expiration of that period.

CHAPTER VII

_

Article 133

Languages

1. The documents of the Union will be supplied to the administrations in Spanish. However, for the correspondence of service issued by the postal administrations of the member countries whose language is not Spanish, they may use their own. Exceptionally, the Consultative and Executive Council may authorize the translation into French, English and Portuguese languages of publications that are of special interest in the implementation of the services.

2. For the deliberations of the Congresses, the Conference and the Council, they will be admitted, in addition to the Spanish language, French, English and Portuguese. It is at the discretion of the organizers of the meeting and of the General Secretariat to choose the translation system to be used.

3. The costs required by the interpretation service shall be borne by the countries that request such service, except in the latter category of countries.

CHAPTER VIII

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 134

Monitoring and duration of the General Regulations

The present General Regulation shall enter into force on the nineteenth of March, one hundred and ninety-eight, and shall remain in force until the implementation of the Acts of the next Congress.

In faith of which, the Plenipotentiary Representatives of the governments of the member countries of the Union sign the present General Regulations at the headquarters of the Union, in the city of Montevideo, the capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, on the eighteenth day of March of a thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight.

RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE XVII

Montevideo, 1998

RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE X

CONTENTS

I Deadline for presentation of proposals to Congress

II Restructuring of UPAEP

III Election of members of the CCE Management Committee

IV XVIII UPAEP Congress

V Modifications to the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat

VI Adjustments to the Acts of the Union

VII Decrease in category of contribution notified by Peru

RECOMMENDATIONS

I Study of a system of incentives for General Secretariat staff

RESOLUTION I

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VISTO

that the Consultative and Executive Council, at its meeting on 17 March 1998, has decided to elevate to the consideration of the XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal, convened on an Extraordinary basis, a set of proposals aimed at enshrining in the Acts and Standard Documents of the Union the measures adopted by the CCE by mandate of the Congress of Mexico, aimed at consolidating the restructuring process of the Union;

CONSIDERING

that Article 125 of the General Regulations of the Union, Mexico 1995, provides that the proposals to be considered by Congress must be sent to the General Secretariat within four months of anticipation of its opening;

that Article 109 establishes that the time limit expires, proposals must be supported by two countries and that they must be submitted at least forty-eight hours before the opening of the Congress;

that the Extraordinary Congress sits between the meeting period of the Consultative and Executive Council, a body that approved on the eve the proposals to be considered by the Congress at this session, which justifies that the deadlines set by the General Regulations of the Union could not be respected,

RESUELVE:

By exceptional derogation from the provisions regarding the deadlines for submission of proposals, Mexico 1995 (articles 109 and 125 of the General Regulations of the Union), accept the proposals of the Advisory and Executive Council.

RESOLUTION II

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VISTO

the document Congress - Doc. 4, "Restructuring the UPAEP".

CONSIDERING

that the Congress of Mexico 1995, in its Resolution VlII provided for the Reform of the Union, to provide it with a more operational, flexible and lower-cost model. He commissioned his study to a Management Group for the Restructuring of UPAEP, composed of the Postal Administrations of the United States of America and Colombia (as coordinators), Brazil, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru and Portugal. It also provided that its conclusions and recommendations were raised to the Advisory and Executive Council for consideration and, as appropriate, adoption;

that the Congress of Mexico, in its resolution IV, decided to approve the actions of the Consultative and Executive Council and the General Secretariat on the forecasting policy of the active and passive staff of the General Secretariat between the years 1992, 1993 and 1994 and to make precise orders to the CCE to continue to study these topics;

that the Management Group for the Restructuring of UPAEP addressed studies and actions aimed at complying with the guidelines of the Congress of Mexico. It developed a comprehensive assessment table for the administrative and financial situation of the Union, from which it recommended remedial action;

that the Consultative and Executive Council at its 1996 and 1997 meetings evaluated the reports, conclusions and recommendations of the study carried out by the Management Group for the Restructuring of UPAEP, approved and decided to commission its implementation;

which is for the Congress to review and, as appropriate, to adopt the measures taken by the Advisory and Executive Council and the General Secretariat in compliance with the orders received by the Congress of Mexico;

that the Spanish Linguistic Group (GLES), on the occasion of the Congress of Mexico, raised the request that the Management Group for the Restructuring of UPAEP incorporate into its scope the study of the STEs situation and make recommendations for its solution. The Congress of Mexico gave favorable course to the request of the GLES;

that the Management Group considered the STEs situation, recommending measures that were approved by the GLES during its meetings in 1996 and 1997,

RESUELVE:

1. To approve in general the proceedings of the Consultative and Executive Council and the General Secretariat in the years 1996 and 1997, and in particular the following decisions:

a. Adopt Decision CCE/96 - Dec. 3 "Restructuring UPAEP".

a. 1Plan for Saving Personal Accounts

Determine the following scale of inputs for staff members under the General Secretariat ' s Personal Accounts Saving Plan:

Elected staff: UPAEP 25%; personal contribution 10%. In case of prolongation of the period for more than 5 years, from the sixth year the UPAEP contribution will pass to 20%.

Staff with an income exceeding USD 2.600: UPAEP 25% contribution, up to 60 salaries in the Personal Savings Account. With more than 60 salaries, the UPAEP contribution will be 20%. In both cases, personal input will be 10%.

a. 2 Spanish Translation Service (STEs)

Have to:

A translator, based in Montevideo, takes care of the tasks of translation.

The study and endowment of technical, administrative support and temporary staff necessary to fully assist STEs tasks are undertaken.

The translator based in Montevideo departs to attend the sessions of the UPU Councils.

a. 3 Print

Have:

Redimension of the printing press, in order to reduce its costs and improve its productivity.

b. Adopt Decision CCE/97 - Dec. 1 "Restructuring UPAEP".

b. 1 Ensure that the activities of the General Secretariat are guided by two management lines:

Line addressed to member countries: by the Secretary-General. It includes the Strategic Incidence Areas of "Post Development" and "Support to the Network".

Administrative line: by the Councillor of the Union.

It includes the following Strategic Incidence Areas:

"Imprint and STEs services" and "Internal Management of the General Secretariat".

The functions of the Councillor of the Union will be the treatment of aspects related to the regulation of the postal sector.

The Secretary-General shall, in any case, have the final responsibilities for the preparation of the Strategic Plan and the management of the activities of the General Secretariat as set out in the General Regulations of the Union and in the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat.

b. 2 Establish a Management Committee of the Advisory and Executive Council.

The functions of the Management Committee shall be:

s to evaluate the strategic plans and priorities established,

de to analyze the progress of the new structure and the achievement of efficiency and effectiveness objectives,

de to track the budget implementation,

. to present to the Council a consolidated summary of the scope of its agenda.

The Committee shall consist of five members: the President of the Consultative and Executive Council, the two Vice-Presidents and two member countries of the Union, to be elected by the CCE at its constituent meeting. The Secretary-General shall participate with voice and without vote. The cost of the Committee should not be charged to the UPAEP budget.

c. Adopt Decision CCE/97 - Dec. 3 "General Secretariat Staff Wage Regime"

Establishing that the staff of the General Secretariat who is affiliated with the Personal Accounts Saving Plan and the Retirement Fund of the Elected Personnel will receive their salaries in American dollars, terminating the regime of payment of salaries in Uruguayan pesos.

The new regime provides:

; ending the linking of wages with the United Nations update system;

de for officials who perceived their wages in American dollars, the same ones are set in their value on October 31, 1996:

de that officials who received their wages in pesos by 31 March 1997 will go to the wage regime in dollars from 1 April 1997;

de the new adjustment mechanism will be:

If the difference between the increase in the cost of living in Uruguay and the devaluation of the Uruguayan peso is greater or equal to 5 per cent, an automatic adjustment equal to 50 per cent of the aforementioned difference will be applied. The eventual adjustment supplement, up to 100% of the actual value loss, will be the subject of CCE decision.

d. Adopt Decision CCE/97- Dec 4 "Projectability Fund"

Establish:

For the period 1997-2000, a provision of USD 280,000 to feed the Annual Availability Fund (created by Decision CCE/96-Dec. 3), funded from the savings from the 1996 and 1997 budgets.

That projects that demand resources from the fund should be submitted in accordance with the criteria and procedures contained in the Manual for the Formulation, Presentation and Evaluation of Technical Cooperation Projects.

2. To leave without effect all existing provisions that might contravene the present Resolution.

3. To instruct the Advisory and Executive Council to continue the work of studying and taking the necessary measures to strengthen and optimize the process of restructuring and modernizing UPAEP.

RESOLUTION III

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VISTA

Decision CCE/97-Dec. 1 "Restructuring UPAEP",

CONSIDERING

that the Congress decided to make up the Management Committee of the Advisory and Executive Council for specific purposes assigned to it in the General Regulations of the Union, also establishing its constitution;

that two of the member countries of the Committee were elected internly, until the Congress formally established the Management Committee. It is therefore incumbent on the two countries;

that a meeting of the CCE shall not be held at this time, and it is therefore incumbent upon the Council to make such an election at its next meeting,

RESUELVE:

To instruct the Advisory and Executive Council at its meeting on 18 March to complete the Management Committee in accordance with the provisions of this Congress.

RESOLUTION IV

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VISTA

Decision CCE/97-Dec. 1 "Restructuring UPAEP", "Extraordinary Congress",

CONSIDERING

that the Congress of Mexico, through Resolution Xl, accepted the invitation of the Republic of Panama for the XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal to take place in the city of Panama;

that when the XVII Congress of the Union is convened in an extraordinary capacity, it is appropriate to assign a corresponding ordinal number to the next Congress of Panama,

RESUELVE:

Appropriate the 18th to the next UPAEP Congress to be held in Panama City in 2000.

RESOLUTION V

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VISTO

Document Congress Doc. 4 "Restructuring UPAEP",

CONSIDERING

that the Regulations of the General Secretariat, approved by Resolution XXVII of the Congress of Havana, have been modified by this Congress;

to update the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat by incorporating the amendments approved by the Congress.

RESUELVE:

1. To approve the amendments to the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat, as follows:

OG 004: modifies paragraph 2 (g) of art. 3 "Attributions of the Secretary-General"

OG 005: introduces paragraphs 2 and 3 to art. 4 "Conseyer";

OG 006: amends art. 5 "Estructura de la Secretaría General", and transfers paragraph 2 of this article to art. 3 "Attributions of the Secretary-General"

OG 007: modifies the nomination and paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 of art. 6 "Project of Budget."

2. To charge the General Secretariat with the adjustment of the numbering of the articles and paragraphs of the General Regulations of the General Secretariat, in accordance with the provisions of this Congress.

The rules of procedure of the General Secretariat are set out in the annex.

REGULATION OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

GENERAL

Art.

1. Scope of the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat

2. Directorate and administration of the General Secretariat

3. Attributions of the Secretary-General

4. Counsellor

5. Structure of the General Secretariat

CHAPTER II

GENERAL BUDGET, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CONTABILITY

6. General Budget and Strategic Planning Projects

7. Budget period

8. Purchases and contracts of work, works or supplies

9. Disposal

10. Leasing

CHAPTER III

ARRANGEMENTS

11. Advances

12. Bank income

13. Withdrawal of funds

CHAPTER IV

OF THE CONTROL

14. General control

15. Semester control

16. Accountability

17. Conditions for the modification of the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat

REGULATION OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

CHAPTER I

GENERAL

Article 1

Scope of the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat

The organization and functioning of the General Secretariat of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal and relations with the Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, as the host country and the High Inspection Authority, are governed by the provisions of this Regulation, without prejudice to those contained in the Constitution and the General Regulations.

Article 2

Directorate and administration of the General Secretariat

In its organization and functioning, the General Secretariat constitutes an organic unit placed under the responsibility and authority of the Secretary-General and the Councilor, as a substitute for that unit.

Article 3

Attributions of the Secretary-General

1. The Secretary-General is responsible for the direction and administration of the General Secretariat of which he is the legal representative, committing it to his signature.

2. Without prejudice to the powers vested in the General Regulations by the Advisory and Executive Council and the High Inspection Authority, the Secretary-General is entitled to:

(a) To organize and direct all work of the General Secretariat;

(b) Appointment of staff of the General Secretariat;

(c) To grant leave, vacation, set days and working hours;

(d) Recruit staff at the professional and general service levels on a temporary basis, accounting for the Advisory and Executive Council.

(e) To impose sanctions on the staff of the General Secretariat, as set out in the Staff Regulations and to propose appropriate destitutions;

(f) To organize the legajo or foja of services of each employee and to order the annotations in the employee, prior to the person concerned;

(g) To lead the preparation of the draft General Budget, Strategic Plan and Budget for Strategic Incidence Areas, Initiatives and Projects and to submit them to the Management Committee and the Consultative and Executive Council, in accordance with article 127 of the General Regulations;

(h) Recruiting or compromising the expenses and authorizing the payments of the Secretary-General, following the formalities of the case;

(i) To resolve the bonuses set out in the Staff Regulations;

(j) To resolve the travel of the Counsellor and the staff of the General Secretariat on the basis of service, by crediting them with the costs of accommodation, as established by the United Nations;

(k) To report to the High Inspection Authority on the implementation of the budget approved by the Advisory and Executive Council;

(l) To raise to the High Inspection Authority the claims that the General Secretariat employees make against their decisions;

(ll) issue the administrative and accounting procedures of the General Secretariat.

3. The Secretary-General, in consultation with the Councillor as appropriate, shall determine the functions and functions performed by officials in charge of implementing the initiatives and projects of the Strategic Plan.

Article 4

Counsellor

1. The Counsellor assists the Secretary-General and in his absence replaces him with the same powers.

2. The Board's responsibilities are the administrative management of Finance and Accounting, STEs, Imprenta and IT.

Similarly, the Counsellor will be responsible for the programming and implementation of the Areas of Strategic Incidence, Services and Internal Management of the General Secretariat.

3. The Council will also be responsible for the treatment of aspects relating to the regulation of the postal sector.

Article 5

Structure of the General Secretariat

For the performance of its mandated tasks, the General Secretariat will have the following management lines:

Country-led management line. It includes the following areas of strategic incidence:

Postal development;

. Network support.

Administrative management line:

; Print and STEs services;

. Internal Management of the General Secretariat.

CHAPTER II

GENERAL BUDGET, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CONTABILITY

Article 6

General Budget and Strategic Planning Projects

1. Projects of the General Budget, Strategic Planning and Budget for Strategic Incidence Areas, Initiatives and Projects should be developed in accordance with the provisions of the General Regulations, containing detailed and activity-ordered information.

2. The budget project will contain successive columns:

(a) Budget for the previous year;

(b) Registration of actual expenditures for the previous period;

(c) The current budget, together with any changes proposed in accordance with article 116, paragraph 10, letter (i) of the General Regulations;

(d) The proposed budget for the following year.

3. Regardless of the presentation of reasons that will accompany the projects of General Budget, Strategic Planning and Budget for Areas of Strategic Incidence, Initiatives and Projects, the clarifications and details necessary for the better understanding of the different headings will be included.

4. Projects of the General Budget, Strategic Pleasure and Budget for Strategic Incidence Areas, Initiatives and Projects should be carried out by the postal administrations concerned at a minimum advance of one month to the date scheduled for the beginning of the meeting of the Organ to be considered.

Article 7

Budget period

The budget period will cover the period from 1 January to 31 December of each year.

Article 8

Purchases and contracts of work, works or supplies

1. Expenditures may not be compromised or any contract entered into without the availability of sufficient availability for such purpose in the programme expenditure group to support the erogation or to affect the same to resources for future periods.

2. Any purchase, as well as any employment contract, works or supplies, shall be made through the public tendering procedure, except for the following exceptions:

(a) where the amount does not exceed $3,000;

(b) when contracts are concluded with legal persons of public law;

(c) where there are reasons for inescapable necessity and urgency;

(d) When, by nature or circumstances, the invitation to bid is impossible or unnecessary;

(e) when carried out abroad;

(f) where a tender has been declared deserted for the second time or when a first call has been made without the attendance of any proponent.

3. In the cases of subparagraphs (c), (d) and (f), the High Inspection Authority ' s prior compliance with direct recruitment should be sought. In the case of subparagraph (e), the cooperation of the postal administration of the country where the work is done should be requested.

4. The fractionation of purchases, works, supplies or jobs is prohibited, the amount of which exceeds the amount specified by Congress in accordance with paragraph 2, letter (a) above.

5. In the purchases and contracts in which the public tender is not required and the amount of the tender is more than $300, the following shall be made:

(a) Between $300 and $1,000, a price contest will be conducted with a minimum of three quotations;

(b) Between $1,000 and $3,000, a restricted tender will be required at the invitation of a minimum of five companies in the event that it is in the area; otherwise it will be done with the existing ones.

Article 9

Disposal

Any onerous disposal of property owned by the Union valued above $150 shall be made at auction or public tender, subject to expert valuation and agreement of the Advisory and Executive Council.

Article 10

Leasing

The available premises of the Union headquarters building may be leased by the General Secretariat, thus reporting to the High Inspection Authority.

CHAPTER III

ARRANGEMENTS

Article 11

Advances

1. In the event of need, the General Secretariat shall collect from the Government of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, by advanced quarters, the amounts required for budgetary attention, including amounts for the reserve fund for pensions and pensions.

2. The amounts made available to the General Secretariat for this reason shall be withdrawn, in accordance with the requirements of the service, only by cheques to be signed by the Secretary-General, and by the staff member responsible for the Accounting of the General Secretariat.

Article 12

Bank income

Rosters, cheques or transfers of funds from member countries, as well as any other inflow of money in favour of the General Secretariat, shall be deposited in their bank accounts no later than the first business day following their receipt.

Article 13

Withdrawal of funds

The provision of funds deposited in bank account shall be made with the formalities referred to in article 11, paragraph 2, of these Regulations.

CHAPTER IV

OF THE CONTROL

Article 14

General control

1. The control of the High Inspection Authority on the movement of funds of the General Secretariat shall be of a formal and material nature.

2. The formal control will include:

(a) Review of accounting books and receipts and supporting documents;

(b) Review of seats, movements and accounting transfers;

(c) checking of cash, values, bank accounts, inventory and other assets of the General Secretariat:

(d) Verification of whether entries and outputs are appropriate to the approved budget;

(e) any other formal control procedure.

3. Material control includes the examination of entries and departures, in accordance with the provisions in force.

Article 15

Semester control

The General Secretariat shall undertake semi-annual statements of movement of funds, which shall be subject to review and approval by the High Inspection Authority.

Article 16

Accountability

1. The final closure of the exercise will be the formulation of accountability, which will include:

(a) a statement of income;

(b) a state of income, specifying the legally authorized, the transfers made, the amounts actually paid and the amounts outstanding;

(c) a statement of amounts committed during the period;

(d) Existing balances at initiation and closing of the year;

(e) The outcome of the total management of the year;

(f) Explanation of all cases where actual expenditures differed from the Budget significantly.

2. A copy of the accountability presented to the High Inspection Authority will be sent by the General Secretariat to the postal administrations of the member countries within three months of the end of the fiscal year to which the accounts refer. The record of its approval or, failing that, the observations it deserved will be sent.

Article 17

Conditions for the modification of the rules of procedure of the General Secretariat

1. In order to be valid the proposals submitted to the Congress, relating to these Rules, shall be approved by the majority of the member countries represented at the Congress.

The two thirds of the member countries of the Union should be present in the voting.

2. For amendment to the Congressional interval, approval of the two thirds of the member countries of the Union is required.

RESOLUTION VI

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VIEWS

the difficulties encountered in the adjustments to the Final Acts and the short time available to the General Secretariat to do so;

CONSIDERING

that it is desirable that the "Documents of the XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal, Montevideo, 1998" be published by the General Secretariat in due form,

RESUELVE:

To instruct the General Secretariat to rectify in the records of plenary meetings and commissions, as well as in the Final Acts:

(a) Mistakes in a manner that were not noted when the review of the Acts ' projects was conducted;

(b) Numbering of articles and paragraphs, as well as references, where necessary.

RESOLUTION VII

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

VISTO

The document Congress - Doc. 5 "Decrease in the category of contribution notified by Peru",

the office that led Peru to the General Secretariat of UPAEP, notifying its desire to change the category of contribution of two units to one unit,

CONSIDERING

that pursuant to Article 129, paragraph 4 of the General Regulations of the Union, it is up to the XVII Congress to take note of the fall in the category of three units to two units of contribution, notified by Peru,

RESUELVE:

Take note of the fall in the category of three units to two contribution units, notified by Peru, which will enter into force from 1 January 1999.

RECOMMENDATION I

The XVII Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal,

CONSIDERING

which, in the context of a dynamic and modern vision of remuneration to the staff of the General Secretariat, is to study an incentive regime based on productivity returns;

RECOMMENDA:

1. To the General Secretariat, undertake a study aimed at establishing a system of incentives for General Secretariat staff and encourage it for consideration by the Management Committee of the Advisory and Executive Council.

2. The Management Committee shall submit the study and its recommendations to the Advisory and Executive Council for consideration, which shall evaluate them and, as appropriate, determine their implementation.

In faith, the Plenipotentiary Representatives of the governments of the member countries of the Union sign the present Resolutions and Recommendations at the headquarters of the Union, in the city of Montevideo, the capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, on the eighteenth day of March, nine hundred and ninety-eight.

The following are the signatures of the Plenipotentiary Delegates of the member countries that signed at the headquarters of the Union, in the city of Montevideo, the capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, on the eighteenth day of March of a thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight.

(a) The General Regulations of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal;

(b) Resolutions and Recommendations adopted by the XVII Extraordinary Congress.