We are constantly working to improve the site, and to add more laws to our database. If you are receiving value from using our site please consider signing up for a subscription to support the site and to get many additional benefits for you.
Key Benefits:
(You can close this ad by clicking anywhere on the page.)
Key Benefits:
The Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation assembled in Congress, etc. sanction with force of Law:
ARTICLE 1 THE CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF THE AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, which consists of VEINTIOCHO (28) articles, the SEXTO PROTOCOL ADICIONAL TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF THE AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, which consists of TRES ARTICLE 2 Contact the national executive branch.AT THE SESSION OF THE ARGENTINE CONGRESS, IN GOOD AIRES, 12 JUN 2002.
_
EDUARDO O. CHANGE. . JUAN C. MAQUEDA. . Eduardo D. Rollano. . Juan C. Oyarzún.
CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL Modified by the Additional Protocols of Lima - 1976, Managua - 1981, Havana - 1985, Buenos Aires - 1990, Montevideo - 1993 and Panama - 2000CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION
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 1Integration, 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 postcard for the reciprocal exchange of shipments covered by mandatory public benefits and optional benefits; under equal or more favourable conditions for clients 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 as its objectives and essential strategic objectives:
(a) To coordinate the regulation and guidance of postal activity in general among member countries, to ensure the provision of universal service on equal terms of access, as a means of ensuring the quality of the provision and safeguarding the rights of clients;
(b) To promote actions to ensure cooperation among the member countries of the Union, taking into account the harmonious development and quality of postal networks and services;
(c) Promoting the development of postal operators and establishing linkages of mutual cooperation in the modernization, improvement of quality and establishment of common control systems;
(d) To promote common commercial action in terms of market and the production of high value added and quality postal products;
(e) To undertake concrete actions aimed at improving the international postal operation and the management of operators of member countries;
(f) To undertake professional training and improvement of the quality and technical capacity of mail workers, as well as the development of the working systems of the operators of the member countries;
(g) To promote the application of new postal technology systems, in a harmonious manner
and integrated;
(h) To facilitate the practice of postal activity through direct action to other related organizations;
(i) Establish and develop common actions and positions with international organizations, in particular the Universal Postal Union and the respective Restricted Unions, as well as other agencies, in the sense of defending the common interests of member countries;
(j) To promote and facilitate cooperation for the financing of comprehensive projects for the development and modernization of postal operators, undertaking and facilitating relations between postal operators and international credit agencies and other financing institutions;
(k) To develop actions to ensure the creation of postal infrastructures common to individual member countries;
(l) In general, improving, developing and updating postal services in member countries through close cooperation and collaboration.
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 3Members 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 4Ambite 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 5United Nations Headquarters
The headquarters of the Union and its permanent bodies are established in Montevideo, the capital of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.
Article 6Official language of the Union
The official language of the Union is Spanish.
Article 7Legal 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 8Privileges 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 and postal administrations members of delegations to meetings of the organs of the Union, or compliance missions Officials of the Organization shall also enjoy the privileges and immunities necessary for the fulfilment of their activities.
3. The staff of the UPAEP General Secretariat will also enjoy these prerogatives when performing official missions.
CHAPTER II
ADHESION, ADMISION AND RETIRE
UNION
Article 9Accession 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 10Retreat of the Union
Every country shall have the right to withdraw from the Union, waiving its membership.
CHAPTER III
ORGANIZATION OF UNION
Article 11Organizations 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 12Congress
1. Congress is the supreme organ of the Union.
2. The Congress shall consist of representatives of member countries.
Article 13Extraordinary 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 14Conference
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 15Consultative 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 16General Secretariat
1. The General Secretariat of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal is the permanent organ 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
RECOMMENDATIONS OF UNION
Article 17Acts 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 18Resolutions and Recommendations
1. The provisions not provided for in the General Regulations, which relate to the functioning 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 19Union 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
RESOLUTIONS OF UNION
Article 20Signature, 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 21Notification 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 22Accession 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
RECOMMENDATIONS OF UNION
Rule 23Presentation 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 24Amendment 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 25Modification 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 26Supplement 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 27Arbitration
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 28Proceedings 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, at the twenty-six days of the month of November of the year thousand nine hundred and seventy-one.
ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGALPanama, 2000
ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
CONTENTS
Art.
I. Integration, territory and freedom of transit.
Union objectives and strategies
II. Privileges and immunities
III. Entry into force and duration of the Sixth Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal
ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
The Plenipotentiaries of the governments of the member countries of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal, gathered in the city of Panama, seen in Article 24, paragraph 2, of the Constitution of the Union, have adopted, subject to ratification, the following amendments to the Constitution.
Article I(Article 1, amended)
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 the optional benefits under equal or more favourable conditions for clients 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 strategic objectives and objectives:
(a) To coordinate the regulation and guidance of postal activity in general among member countries, to ensure the provision of universal service on equal terms of access, as a means of ensuring the quality of the provision and safeguarding the rights of clients;
(b) To promote actions to ensure cooperation among the member countries of the Union, taking into account the harmonious development and quality of postal networks and services;
(c) Promoting the development of postal operators and establishing linkages of mutual cooperation in the modernization, improvement of quality and establishment of common control systems;
(d) To promote common commercial action in terms of market and the production of high value added and quality postal products;
(e) To undertake concrete actions aimed at improving the international postal operation and the management of operators of member countries;
(f) To undertake professional training and improvement of the quality and technical capacity of mail workers and the development of the working systems of the operators of the member countries;
(g) To promote the application of new postal technology systems in a harmonious and integrated manner;
(h) To facilitate the practice of postal activity through direct action to other related organizations;
(i) Establish and develop common actions and positions with international organizations, in particular the Universal Postal Union and the respective Restricted Unions, as well as other agencies, in the sense of defending the common interests of member countries;
(j) To promote and facilitate cooperation for the financing of comprehensive projects for the development and modernization of postal operators, undertaking and facilitating relations between postal operators and international credit agencies and other financing institutions;
(k) To develop actions to ensure the creation of postal infrastructures common to individual member countries;
(l) In general, improving, developing and updating postal services in member countries through close cooperation and collaboration.
Article II(Article 8, amended)
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 and postal administrations that are part of delegations to the meetings of the organs of the Union, or that carry out official missions of the Organization, shall also enjoy the privileges and immunities necessary for the implementation of their activities.
3. The staff of the UPAEP General Secretariat will also enjoy these prerogatives when performing official missions.
Article IIIEntry into force and duration of the Sixth Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal
This Additional Protocol will begin to govern the first day of January of two thousand one and will remain in force for undetermined time.
In faith of which the Plenipotentiaries of the governments of the member countries have drafted this Additional Protocol, which will have the same strength and value as if its provisions were inserted in the text of the Constitution itself and sign a copy that will be deposited in the archives of the General Secretariat of the Union. The General Secretariat will deliver a copy to each party.
Signed in the city of Panama, 12 days from September 2000.
GENERAL REGULATION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGALPanama, 2000
GENERAL REGULATION OF THE POSTAL UNION OF AMERICAS, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL
PREAMBULO
Those who subscribe, Plenipotentiary Representatives of the Government, the member countries 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 application and functioning of the Union.
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Rule 101Accession 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 102Accession 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 103Retreat 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 that is withdrawn shall comply with, all obligations under the Acts of the Union, until the day of its withdrawal.
CHAPTER II
ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONING
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Article 104Organization 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 105Delegations
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 106Powers of delegates
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 107Observers
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 the 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 108Attributions 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 109Presentation 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 proposal 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 Commission may be taken up by another delegation. Furthermore, any proposal rejected or adopted by the Commission may be taken up in the plenary. Furthermore, 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 original unchanged proposal.
Article 110Discussion
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 111Order 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 112Voting
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 for representation or by delegation, by another member country.
Article 113Records of the meetings
1 The records of each session are draft 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 records should 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 114Organization 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 115Organization 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 116Consultative Council and Executive Council
1. The Advisory and Executive Council shall be composed of all member countries of the Union. The seat of Congress shall preside over the body.
2. The meeting of each Council shall be convened by the President of the Congress. In her choose a first and a second Vice-Chairman. If the country to whom the Presidency is to resign itself, the first Vice-President shall serve. 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 will elect Four member countries, for the purpose of completing the formation of the Management Committee.
4. Each postal administration shall designate to its representation before the Advisory and Executive Council.
5. Convened by its President, through the General Secretariat, the Council will hold an annual meeting at the headquarters of the Union. In exceptional cases and without further cost, the Council may hold its annual meeting in another city of a member country. 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 bodies 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; review and, where appropriate, approve the accountability of the previous year ' s Budget;
(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 approve and modify, as appropriate, the Staff Regulations of the General Secretariat of UPAEP;(i) 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;
(j) 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, made by the Secretary-General;
(k) carry out, by mandate or by itself, studies relating to administrative, legislative, legal, technical, exploitation and economic problems that are of interest or that may affect the postal administrations of member countries or the Union;
(l) 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, in accordance with technical cooperation programmes;
(ll) designate the host country of the next Congress in the cases provided for, in article 104, paragraphs 3 and 4, on a vote if there is more than one candidate;
(m) To make the necessary arrangements to designate the country to assume the presidency of the Congress in the case provided for in article 104, paragraph 7;
(n) 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;
(ñ) 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;
(o) To inform the postal administrations of the member countries of the outcome of studies initiated on their own, where the intervention of the Congress is not appropriate, however, to which it will be informed by application of paragraph 10;
(p) Establish rules on documents to be issued and distributed free of charge or at cost by the General Secretariat;
(q) 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;
(r) The organization and development of courses available to the Union shall be supervised by the Advisory and Executive Council through the General Secretariat;
(s) To promote international cooperation to facilitate, by all means available, technical and economic cooperation to the postal administrations of developing countries;
(t) to act at the higher level in the claims of the General Secretariat staff against decisions taken by the General Secretariat and decided first by the High Inspection Authority;
(u) 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;
(v) the other powers necessary for the proper fulfilment of the object of the Council.
11. The Consultative and Executive Council will present at least Two. months ahead of the next Congress, a report on the whole of the activities carried out in the period between one and another Congress.
Rule 117Methods 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 be composed of Seven members: the President of the Consultative and Executive Council, the two Vice-Presidents and Four 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.
CHAPTER III
GENERAL SECRETARY-GENERAL
Rule 118Attributions
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 carry out the Secretariat of the Advisory and Executive Council, as well as its Management Committee;(e) To provide the information requested by postal administrations, the International UPU Office, the Restricted Unions or the international agencies concerned with matters of interest to mail services;
(f) to intervene and collaborate in multilateral technical cooperation plans and to represent the Union with relevant international agencies or postal administrations, which can facilitate their cooperation in improving mail services in member countries;
(g) 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;
(h) To render its opinion on litigation issues at the request of the parties concerned;
(i) To update the status of compliance with the recommendations adopted by Congress and to communicate to member countries the amendments thereto;
(j) To keep the Philatelic Section and the Library of the General Secretariat organized;
(k) To formulate the annual expenditure account of the Union;
(l) Draft and circulate in due course an annual report on its work, which should be approved by the Advisory and Executive Council;
(ll) determine the amount of contributions to be met annually by each country;
(m) 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;
(n) conduct the 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. Then until the Executive and Advisory Council is informed of the results of the management and will 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 119Secretary-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 for a period of time.
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 also be sent to the Government of the host country of the Union with their curricula vitae;
(d) One month before, no later than the date of the beginning 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 Consultative and Executive Council shall proceed to the election of the position or positions corresponding to the proposed candidates at the first meeting of the body after the date on which the vacancy or vacancy occurred.
The term of office of the elected staff shall be extended for the period remaining until the next Congress; that period shall not be computed, as appropriate, for the purpose of the 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 and the meetings of the Councils of the Universal Postal Union. In this capacity, it shall inform member countries of matters of relevance to the Union, which are dealt with at such meetings;
(d) To organize the Conference, as well as the meetings of representatives of the Union member countries attending the Universal Postal Union Councils;
(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 transfers 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, together 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 120General 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 121Retirement 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 122Collaboration 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 123Duties of the host country government
To facilitate the functioning of the General Secretariat and 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 124Attributions 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
RECOMMENDATIONS OF UNION
Article 125Proposals for the modification 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 126Conditions 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, Resolutions and Recommendations shall be adopted 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 127Union 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 128Budget Implementation Fund
1. At the end of each financial period, the annual total expenditures to be borne by the Union as a whole will be increased by the percentage agreed to 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 129Contribution 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 and the United States of America;
(f) 7 units: Portugal and the Federal Republic of Brazil;
(g) 6 units: Argentina and Uruguay;
(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 and the Republic of Venezuela;
(l) of 1 unit: Bolivia - Costa Rica - Cuba - Ecuador - El Salvador - Guatemala- Haiti . Nicaragua - Peru - 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.
4. The member countries may change the category of contribution, provided that this change is notified 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 130Control 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 131Account 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 132Payment 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 133Languages
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 gives the General Secretariat the choice of 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 134Monitoring and duration of the General Regulations
The present General Regulation shall enter into force on the first day of January of two thousand one 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 Regulation in the city of Panama, Republic of Panama, on September 12, two thousand.
