8 MAI 2007. - Act enacting the following International Acts: 1° the Seventh Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union, 2° the General Regulations of the Universal Postal Union, 3° the Universal Postal Convention and the Final Protocol, and 4° the Arrangement concerning the Payment Services of La Poste, made in Bucharest on 5 October 2004 (1) (2)

ALBERT II, King of the Belgians,
To all, present and to come, Hi.
The Chambers adopted and We sanction the following:
Article 1^er. This Act regulates a matter referred to in Article 77 of the Constitution.
Art. 2. The following international acts:
1° the Seventh Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union;
2° the General Regulation of the Universal Postal Union;
3° the Universal Postal Convention and the Final Protocol, and
4° the Post Payment Arrangement,
made in Bucharest on 5 October 2004, will come out their full effect.
Promulgation of this law, let us order that it be clothed with the seal of the State and published by the Belgian Monitor.
Given in Brussels on 8 May 2007.
ALBERT
By the King:
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
K. DE GUCHT
Minister of Economy,
Mr. VERWILGHEN
The Secretary of State for Public Enterprises,
B. TUYBENS
Seal of the state seal:
The Minister of Justice,
Ms. L. ONKELINX
____
Note
(1) 2006-2007 session:
Senate:
Documents. - Bill tabled on 15 February 2007, No. 3-2078/1 - Report, No. 3-2078/2.
Annales parlementaire . - Discussion. Session of March 8, 2007. - Vote. Session of March 8, 2007.
House of Representatives:
Documents. - Project transmitted by the Senate, No. 51-2982/1 - Text adopted in plenary and subject to Royal Assent, No. 51-2982/2.
Annales parliamentarians. - Discussion. Session of March 22, 2007. - Vote. Session of March 22, 2007.
(2) The deposit of the instrument of ratification of Belgium was registered on 6 June 2007.

ADDITIONAL PROTOCOL TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNIVERSAL POST UNION
Contents
Article
I. (modified preamble)
II. (art. 1bis added) Definitions
III. (art. 22 amended) Acts of the Union
IV. (art. 30) Amendment of the Constitution
V. (art. 31 amended) Amendment to the general regulation, the Convention and the Arrangements
VI. Accession to the Additional Protocol and other Union Acts
VII. Implementation and duration of the Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union
The Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member Countries of the Universal Postal Union gathered in Congress in Bucharest, in view of Article 30.2 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union concluded in Vienna on 10 July 1964, adopted, subject to ratification, the following amendments to the Constitution.
Article I
(Preamble modified)
In order to develop communications between peoples through the effective functioning of postal services and to contribute to the high aims of international collaboration in the cultural, social and economic fields, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the contracting countries have adopted, subject to ratification, this Constitution.
The purpose of the Union is to stimulate the sustainable development of quality, effective and accessible universal postal services to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the planet by:
- ensuring the free movement of postal shipments in a single postal territory consisting of interconnected networks;
- encouraging the adoption of equitable common standards and the use of technology;
- ensuring cooperation and interaction between interested parties;
- promoting effective technical cooperation;
- ensuring that customers meet evolving needs.
Article II
(Article 1bis added)
Definitions
1. For the purposes of the Universal Postal Union Acts, the following terms are defined as follows:
1.1 Postal Service: a set of posting benefits, the extent of which is determined by the EU bodies. The main obligations related to these benefits are to meet certain social and economic objectives of the Member Countries, ensuring the collection, sorting, transmission and distribution of postal shipments.
1.2 Member country: country that meets the requirements of Article 2 of the Constitution.
1.3 Single Postal Territory (one and the same postal territory): the obligation of the Contracting Parties of the UPU Acts to ensure, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the exchange of mail to letters in accordance with the freedom of transit and to treat indistinctly postal shipments from other territories and transiting through their countries as their own postal shipments.
1.4 Freedom of transit: the principle that an intermediate postal administration is required to carry the postal shipments that are delivered to it by another postal administration, by reserving the same treatment as that applied to the consignments of the internal regime.
1.5 Mail to letters: consignments described in the Convention.
1.6 International postal service: transactions or postal services regulated by the Acts. All of these transactions or benefits.
Article III
(Article 22 amended)
Union Acts
1. The Constitution is the fundamental act of the Union. It contains the organic rules of the Union and cannot be subject to reservations.
2. The general regulation includes provisions for the application of the Constitution and the operation of the Union. It is mandatory for all Member Countries and cannot be subject to reservations.
3. The Universal Postal Convention, the regulation of mail and the regulation of postal parcels shall include the common rules applicable to international postal service and the provisions concerning the services of mail to letters and postal parcels. These Acts are mandatory for all Member Countries.
4. The Union Arrangements and their Regulations regulate services other than those of the mail to letters and postal parcels between the Member Countries that are parties to it. They are only mandatory for these countries.
5. The regulations, which contain the necessary enforcement measures for the implementation of the Convention and the Arrangements, are decided by the Postal Operations Council, taking into account the decisions taken by the Congress.
6. The potential final protocols annexed to the Acts of the Union referred to in 3 to 5 contain reservations to these Acts.
Article IV
(Article 30, amended)
Amendment of the Constitution
1. To be adopted, proposals submitted to Congress and related to this Constitution must be approved by at least two thirds of the Member Countries of the Union entitled to vote.
2. The amendments adopted by a Congress are subject to an additional protocol and, unless the Congress decides otherwise, come into force together with the Acts renewed during the same Congress. They are ratified as soon as possible by the Member Countries and the instruments of ratification are treated in accordance with the rule required in Article 26.
Article V
(Article 31 amended)
Amendments to the general regulation, Convention and Arrangements
1. The general regulation, the Convention and the Arrangements set out the conditions under which the approval of the proposals concerning them is contingent.
2. The Convention and the Arrangements are implemented simultaneously and have the same duration. As of the day fixed by the Congress for the implementation of these Acts, the corresponding Acts of the previous Congress are repealed.
Article VI
Accession to the Additional Protocol and other Union Acts
1. Countries that have not signed this Protocol may accede to it at any time.
2. The Member Countries that are parties to the Acts renewed by the Congress but have not signed them are required to accede to them as soon as possible.
3. The instruments of accession relating to the cases referred to in 1 and 2 must be addressed to the Director General of the International Bureau. The Committee shall notify the Governments of the Member Countries of this deposit.
Article VII
Implementation and duration of the additional protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union
This Additional Protocol will be implemented on 1^er January 2006 and will remain in force for an indefinite period.
In faith, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member Countries have drawn up this Additional Protocol, which will have the same strength and value as if its provisions were inserted in the very text of the Constitution, and have signed it in a copy which is deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau. A copy will be given to each Party by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done in Bucharest, October 5, 2004.

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL MEETING
(amended by the Additional Protocols of Tokyo 1969, Lausanne 1974, Hamburg 1984, Washington 1989, Seoul 1994, Beijing 1999 and Bucharest 2004)
Contents
Preamble
Part I
Organic provisions
Chapter I
General
Article
1. End and purpose of the Union
1bis. Definitions
2. Members of the Union
3. Union Spring
4. Exceptional relations
5. Union Headquarters
6. Official language of the Union
7. Monetary unit
8. Unions restricted. Special arrangements
9. Relations with the United Nations Organization
10. Relations with international organizations
Chapter II
Membership or admission to the Union. Union exit
11. Membership or admission to the Union. Procedure
12. Out of the Union. Procedure
Chapter III
Organization of the Union
13. Union bodies
14. Congress
15. Extraordinary Congress
16. Administrative conferences (removed)
17. Board of Directors
18. Postal Operations Council
19. Special Commissions (removed)
20. International Bureau
Chapter IV
Union Finance
21. Union expenses. Contributions from Member Countries
Part II
Union Acts
Chapter I
General
22. Union Acts
23. Application of the Union's Acts to Territories in which a Member Country provides international relations
24. National legislation
Chapter II
Acceptance and denunciation of Union Acts
25. Signature, authentication, ratification and other methods of approval of Union Acts
26. Notification of ratifications and other methods of approval of the Union Acts
27. Accession to Arrangements
28. Denunciation of an Arrangement
Chapter III
Amendment of Union Acts
29. Presentation of proposals
30. Amendment of the Constitution
31. Amendments to the general regulation, Convention and Arrangements
Chapter IV
Settlement of disputes
32. Arbitration
Part III
Final provisions
33. Implementation and duration of the Constitution
Preamble ¹
In order to develop communications between peoples through the effective functioning of postal services and to contribute to the high aims of international collaboration in the cultural, social and economic fields, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the contracting countries have adopted, subject to ratification, this Constitution.
The purpose of the Union is to stimulate the sustainable development of quality, effective and accessible universal postal services to facilitate communication between the inhabitants of the planet by:
- ensuring the free movement of postal shipments in a single postal territory consisting of interconnected networks;
- encouraging the adoption of equitable common standards and the use of technology;
- ensuring cooperation and interaction between interested parties;
- promoting effective technical cooperation;
- ensuring that customers meet evolving needs.
Part I. - Organic provisions
CHAPTER I. - General
Article 1
End and purpose of the Union
1. The countries that adopt this Constitution shall form, under the name of the Universal Postal Union, a single postal territory for the mutual exchange of mail to letters. The freedom of transit is guaranteed throughout the Union.
2. The aim of the Union is to ensure the organization and development of postal services and to promote the development of international collaboration in this area.
3. The Union participates, to the extent of its possibilities, in the technical postal assistance requested by its Member Countries.
Article 1bis ²
Definitions
1. For the purposes of the Universal Postal Union Acts, the following terms are defined as follows:
1.1 Postal Service: a set of posting benefits, the extent of which is determined by the EU bodies. The main obligations related to these benefits are to meet certain social and economic objectives of the Member Countries, ensuring the collection, sorting, transmission and distribution of postal shipments.
1.2 Member country: country that meets the requirements of Article 2 of the Constitution.
1.3 Single Postal Territory (one and the same postal territory): the obligation of the Contracting Parties of the UPU Acts to ensure, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the exchange of mail to letters in accordance with the freedom of transit and to treat indistinctly postal shipments from other territories and transiting through their countries as their own postal shipments.
1.4 Freedom of transit: the principle that an intermediate postal administration is required to carry the postal shipments that are delivered to it by another postal administration, by reserving the same treatment as that applied to the consignments of the internal regime.
1.5 Mail to letters: consignments described in the Convention.
1.6 International postal service: transactions or postal services regulated by the Acts. All of these transactions or benefits.
Article 2
Members of the Union
Countries of the Union:
(a) countries that have the status of membership on the date of the implementation of this Constitution;
(b) countries that have become members in accordance with Article 11.
Article 3
Union Spring
The Union has in its power:
(a) the territories of the Member Countries;
(b) post offices established by member countries in territories not included in the Union;
(c) the territories which, without being a member of the Union, are included in the Union because they are, from the postal point of view, of the Member Countries.
Article 4
Exceptional relations
Postal administrations that serve territories not included in the Union are required to be intermediaries of other jurisdictions. The provisions of the Convention and its regulations are applicable to these exceptional relations.
Article 5
Union Headquarters
The seat of the Union and its permanent bodies is set in Bern.
Article 6
Official language of the Union
The official language of the Union is the French language.
Article 7 ³
Monetary unit
The monetary unit used in the Union Acts is the unit of account of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Article 8
Unions restricted. Special arrangements
1. The Member Countries, or their postal administrations, if the legislation of these countries does not oppose it, may establish restricted Unions and make special arrangements for international postal service, provided that they do not introduce less favourable provisions for the public than those provided for in the Acts to which the Member Countries concerned are parties.
2. Restricted Unions may send observers to Congresses, Conferences and Meetings of the Union, to the Board of Directors and to the Postal Operations Council. ⁴
3. The Union may send observers to Congresses, Conferences and meetings of the restricted Unions.
Article 9
Relations with the United Nations Organization
The relations between the Union and the United Nations are regulated by the agreements whose texts are annexed to this Constitution.
Article 10
Relations with international organizations
In order to ensure close cooperation in the international postal field, the Union can work with international organizations with interests and related activities.
CHAPTER II. - Accession or admission to the Union Union Union Exit
Article 11 ⁵
Membership or admission to the Union. Procedure
1. Any member of the United Nations may join the Union.
2. Any sovereign country not a member of the United Nations may apply for membership as a Member of the Union.
3. Membership or application for admission to the Union must include a formal declaration of accession to the Constitution and the mandatory Acts of the Union. It is addressed by the Government of the country concerned to the Director General of the International Bureau, who, as the case may be, notifies the accession or consults the Member Countries on the application for admission.
4. The non-member country of the United Nations is considered to be admitted as a Member Country if its application is approved by at least two thirds of the Member Countries of the Union. The Member Countries that did not respond within the four-month period are considered to abstain.
5. Membership or admission as a member is notified by the Director General of the International Bureau to the Governments of the Member Countries. It takes effect from the date of this notification.
Article 12 ⁶
Out of the Union. Procedure
1. Each Member country has the power to withdraw from the Union by denunciation of the Constitution given by the Government of the country concerned to the Director General of the International Bureau and by the latter to the Governments of the Member Countries.
2. The exit of the Union becomes effective on the expiration of one year from the date of receipt by the Director General of the International Denunciation Bureau under 1.
CHAPTER III. - Organization of the Union
Article 13 ⁷
Union bodies
1. Union bodies are the Congress, the Board of Directors, the Postal Operations Council and the International Bureau.
2. The permanent bodies of the Union are the Board of Directors, the Postal Operations Council and the International Bureau.
Article 14
Congress
1. Congress is the supreme organ of the Union.
2. The Congress consists of representatives of the Member Countries.
Article 15
Extraordinary Congress
An extraordinary Congress may be convened at the request or with the consent of at least two thirds of the Member Countries of the Union.
Article 16
Administrative conferences
(Deleted) ⁸
Article 17 ⁹
Board of Directors
1. Between two Congresses, the Board of Directors (CA) ensures continuity of the work of the Union in accordance with the provisions of the Union Acts.
2. The members of the Board of Directors shall serve on behalf of and in the interest of the Union.
Article 18 ¹⁰
Postal Operations Council
The Postal Operations Council (CEP) is responsible for operational, commercial, technical and economic issues affecting postal service.
Article 19
Special Commissions
(Deleted) ¹¹
Rule 20 ¹²
International Bureau
A central office, operating at the headquarters of the Union under the name of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, headed by a Director General and placed under the control of the Board of Directors, serves as an enforcement, support, liaison, information and consultation body.
CHAPTER IV. - Union finance
Article 21 ¹³
Union expenses. Contributions from Member Countries
1. Each Congress shall determine the maximum amount that may be reached:
(a) annual expenses of the Union;
(b) expenses related to the meeting of the next Congress.
2. The maximum amount of expenses under 1 may be exceeded if the circumstances so require, provided that the provisions of the General Regulations are observed.
3. The expenses of the Union, including possibly expenses under 2, are borne in common by the Member Countries of the Union. For this purpose, each Member country chooses the class of contribution in which it intends to be ranked. The contribution classes are set out in the general rules.
4. In the event of accession or admission to the Union under Article 11, the country concerned shall freely choose the class of contribution in which it wishes to be ranked from the point of view of the apportionment of the expenses of the Union.
Part II. - Union Acts
CHAPTER I. - General
Article 22
Union Acts
1. The Constitution is the fundamental act of the Union. It contains the organic rules of the Union and cannot be subject to reservations. ¹⁴
2. The general regulation includes provisions for the application of the Constitution and the operation of the Union. It is mandatory for all Member Countries and cannot be subject to reservations. ¹⁴
3. The Universal Postal Convention, the regulation of mail and the regulation of postal parcels shall include the common rules applicable to international postal service and the provisions concerning the services of mail to letters and postal parcels. These Acts are mandatory for all Member Countries. ¹⁵
4. The Union Arrangements and their Regulations regulate services other than those of the mail to letters and postal parcels between the Member Countries that are parties to it. They are only mandatory for these countries. ¹⁵
5. The regulations, which contain the necessary enforcement measures for the implementation of the Convention and the Arrangements, are decided by the Postal Operations Council, taking into account the decisions taken by the Congress. ¹⁶
6. The potential final protocols annexed to the Acts of the Union referred to in 3 to 5 contain reservations to these Acts.
Article 23 ¹⁷
Application of Union Acts to Territories
of which a Member Country assures international relations
1. Any country may declare at any time that the acceptance by it of the Union Acts includes all the territories of which it provides international relations, or some of them only.
2. The statement under 1 should be addressed to the Director-General of the International Bureau.
3. Any Member Countries may at any time send a notification to the Director General of the International Bureau to denounce the application of the Union Acts for which they made the declaration under 1. This notification produces its effects one year after the date of its receipt by the Director General of the International Bureau.
4. Statements and notifications under 1 and 3 shall be communicated to the Member Countries by the Director-General of the International Bureau.
5. The provisions under 1 to 4 do not apply to territories that have the status of a member of the Union and that have a Member State in international relations.
Article 24
National legislation
The stipulations of the Acts of the Union do not infringe the legislation of each Member Country in all that is not expressly provided for in these Acts.
CHAPTER II. - Acceptance and denunciation of Union Acts
Rule 25 ¹⁸
Signature, authentication, ratification and other modes
of the Union Acts
1. The Union Acts of the Congress are signed by the Plenipotentiaries of the Member Countries.
2. The regulations are authenticated by the President and the Secretary General of the Postal Operations Council. ¹⁹
3. The Constitution is ratified as soon as possible by the signatory countries.
4. The approval of the Acts of the Union other than the Constitution is governed by the constitutional rules of each signatory country.
5. When a country does not ratify or approve the other Acts signed by it, the Constitution and other Acts are equally valid for countries that have ratified or approved them.
Rule 26 ²⁰
Notification of ratifications and other modes
of the Union Acts
The instruments of ratification of the Constitution, the Additional Protocols to it and possibly approval of the other Acts of the Union shall be deposited as soon as possible with the Director General of the International Bureau, who shall notify the Governments of the Member Countries of such deposits.
Rule 27
Accession to Arrangements
1. Member Countries may, at any time, adhere to one or more of the Arrangements provided for in Article 22.4.
2. The accession of the Member Countries to the Arrangements is notified in accordance with Article 11.3.
Rule 28
Denunciation of an Arrangement
Each Member country has the power to cease its participation in one or more of the Arrangements, subject to the conditions specified in Article 12.
CHAPTER III. - Amendment of Union Acts
Rule 29
Presentation of proposals
1. The postal administration of a Member Country has the right to present, either at the Congress or between two Congresses, proposals concerning the Acts of the Union to which his country is a party.
2. However, proposals concerning the Constitution and the general regulation can only be submitted to Congress.
3. In addition, proposals for regulations are submitted directly to the Postal Operations Council, but they must be forwarded by the International Bureau to all post offices in the Member Countries. ¹⁹
Rule 30
Amendment of the Constitution
1. To be adopted, proposals submitted to Congress and related to this Constitution must be approved by at least two thirds of the Member Countries of the Union entitled to vote. ²¹
2. The amendments adopted by a Congress are subject to an additional protocol and, unless the Congress decides otherwise, come into force together with the Acts renewed during the same Congress. They are ratified as soon as possible by the Member Countries and the instruments of ratification are treated in accordance with the rule required in Article 26.
Rule 31 ²²
Amendment of the general regulation,
Convention and Arrangements
1. The general regulation, the Convention and the Arrangements set out the conditions under which the approval of the proposals concerning them is contingent.
2. The Convention and the Arrangements are implemented simultaneously and have the same duration. As of the day fixed by the Congress for the implementation of these Acts, the corresponding Acts of the previous Congress are repealed. ²¹
CHAPTER IV. - Settlement of disputes
Rule 32
Arbitration
In the event of a dispute between two or more postal administrations of the Member Countries with respect to the interpretation of the Acts of the Union or the responsibility of a postal administration for the application of these Acts, the matter in dispute shall be settled by arbitral award.
Part III. - Final provisions
Rule 33 ²³
Implementation and duration of the Constitution
This Constitution will be implemented on 1^er January 1966 and will remain in force for an indefinite period.
In faith, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Contracting Countries have signed this Constitution in a copy which will remain deposited in the Archives of the Government of the country headquarters of the Union. A copy will be given to each Party by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done in Vienna on 10 July 1964.
____
Notes
¹ Amended by the Bucharest Congress 2004.
² Introduced by the Bucharest Congress 2004.
³ Amended by the Washington Congress 1989.
⁴ Modified by the Congress of Tokio 1969 and Seoul 1994.
⁵ Modified by the Congresses of Tokyo 1969 and Washington 1989.
⁶ Amended by the Washington Congress 1989.
⁷ Modified by the Congress of Tokyo 1969, Hamburg 1984 and Seoul 1994.
⁸ By the Hamburg Congress 1984.
⁹ Amended by the Seoul Congress 1994.
¹⁰ Modified by the Congress of Tokyo 1969 and Seoul 1994.
¹¹ By the Hamburg Congress 1984.
¹² Modified by the Congress of Hamburg 1984 and Seoul 1994.
¹³ Modified by the Congresses of Tokyo 1969, Lausanne 1974 and Washington 1989.
¹⁴ Amended by the Bucharest Congress 2004.
¹⁵ Modified by the Beijing 1999 Congress.
¹⁶ Amended by the Congresses of Washington 1989, Seoul 1994 and Beijing 1999.
¹⁷ Amended by the Washington Congress 1989.
¹⁸ Amended by the Congresses of Washington 1989 and Seoul 1994.
¹⁹ Modified by the Beijing 1999 Congress.
²⁰ Modified by the Congresses of Tokyo 1969 and Washington 1989.
²¹ Amended by the Bucharest Congress 2004.
²² Modified by the Congress of Hamburg 1984.
²³ Amended by the Bucharest Congress 2004.

GENERAL REGULATION OF THE UNIVERSAL POSTAL MEETING
Contents
Chapter I
Functioning of Union bodies
Art.
101. Organization and Meeting of Extraordinary Congresses and Congresses
102. Composition, functioning and meetings of the Board of Directors
103. Information on the activities of the Board of Directors
104. Composition, operation and meetings of the Postal Operations Council
105. Information on the activities of the Postal Operations Council
106. Composition, functioning and meetings of the Advisory Committee
107. Information on the activities of the Advisory Committee
108. Rules of procedure of the Congress
109. Working languages of the International Bureau
110. Languages used for documentation, deliberations and service correspondence
Chapter II
International Bureau
111. Election of the Director-General and Vice-Director-General of the International Bureau
112. Functions of the Director-General
113. Functions of the Deputy Director General
114. Secretariat of Union bodies
115. List of Member Countries
116. Information. Notice. Requests for interpretation and modification of Acts. investigations. Action in the liquidation of accounts
117. Technical cooperation
118. Forms provided by the International Bureau
119. Restricted Union Acts and special arrangements
120. Union Review
121. Biennial report on the activities of the Union
Chapter III
Procedure for the introduction and review of proposals
122. Procedure for submission of proposals to the Congress
123. Procedure for submission to the Postal Operations Council of proposals for the development of new regulations, taking into account decisions taken by the Congress
124. Procedure for submission of proposals between two Congresses
125. Consideration of proposals between two Congresses
126. Notification of decisions between two Congresses
127. Implementation of regulations and other decisions adopted between two Congresses
Chapter IV
Finance
128. Setting and regulating EU expenditures
129. Automatic sanctions
130. Contribution categories
131. Payment of supplies by the International Bureau
Chapter V
Arbitration
132. Arbitration procedure
Chapter VI
Final provisions
133. Conditions for approval of proposals for the general regulations
134. Proposals for agreements with the United Nations
135. Implementation and duration of general regulations
The undersigned, Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member Countries of the Union, in view of Article 22.2 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union concluded in Vienna on 10 July 1964, have, in common agreement and subject to Article 25.4 of the said Constitution, arrested, in this general regulation, the following provisions ensuring the application of the Constitution and the operation of the Union.
CHAPTER I. - Functioning of Union bodies
Rule 101
Organization and Meeting of Extraordinary Congresses and Congresses (Const. 14, 15)
1. Representatives of the Member Countries meet in Congress no later than four years after the end of the year in which the previous Congress took place.
2. Each Member Country shall be represented in Congress by one or more Plenipotentiaries, with the necessary powers by their Government. He may, if necessary, be represented by the delegation of another Member Country. However, it is understood that a delegation can only represent one Member Country other than its own.
3. In the proceedings, each Member Country shall have one vote, subject to the sanctions provided for in Article 129.
4. In principle, each Congress designates the country in which the next Congress will take place. If this designation is unenforceable, the Board of Directors is authorized to designate the country where the Congress will hold its seats, after agreement with the latter country.
5. After agreement with the International Bureau, the inviting government sets the final date and exact location of the Congress. A year, in principle, before that date, the inviting government sends an invitation to the government of each Member country. This invitation may be addressed either directly or through another government or through the Director General of the International Bureau.
6. When a Congress is to be convened without an inviting Government, the International Bureau, with the agreement of the Board of Directors and after agreement with the Government of the Swiss Confederation, shall make the necessary arrangements to convene and organize the Congress in the country headquarters of the Union. In this case, the International Bureau shall serve as the inviting Government.
7. The meeting place of an Extraordinary Congress is set, after agreement with the International Bureau, by the Member Countries that took the initiative of this Congress.
8. The provisions under 2 to 6 shall apply by analogy to the Extraordinary Congress.
Rule 102
Composition, operation and meetings of the Board of Directors (Const. 17)
1. The Board of Directors consists of forty-one members who perform their duties during the period between two successive Congresses.
2. The presidency is the right-hand delegate to the host country of the Congress. If this country denies itself, it becomes a member of law and, therefore, the geographical group to which it belongs has an additional seat to which the restrictions under 3 are not applicable. In this case, the Board of Directors shall elect to the presidency one of the members of the geographical group of the host country.
3. The other forty members of the Board of Directors are elected by the Congress on the basis of equitable geographical distribution. At least half of the members are renewed at each Congress; no Member country can be chosen successively by three Congresses.
4. Each member of the Board of Directors shall designate his or her representative, who shall be competent in the postal domain.
5. The membership of the Board of Directors is free of charge. The operating costs of this Council are borne by the Union.
6. The Board of Directors has the following powers:
6.1 Supervise all the activities of the Union within the Congress, taking into account the decisions of the Congress, examining issues relating to government postal policies and taking into account international regulatory policies such as those relating to trade in services and competition;
6.2 Review and approve, within its competence, any action deemed necessary to safeguard and strengthen the quality and modernization of the international postal service;
6.3 promote, coordinate and supervise all forms of post technical assistance within the framework of international technical cooperation;
6.4 review and approve the Union's annual budget and accounts;
6.5 authorize, if the circumstances so require, the excess of the spending cap in accordance with section 128.3 to 5;
6.6 Stop the UPU Financial Regulations;
6.7 Establish the rules governing the Reserve Fund;
6.8. Establish the rules governing the Special Fund;
6.9. establish rules governing the Special Activities Fund;
6.10. Establish the rules governing the Voluntary Fund;
6.11 ensure control of the activity of the International Bureau;
6.12 authorize, if requested, the choice of a lower contribution class in accordance with the conditions set out in section 130.6;
6.13 authorize the change of geographical group, if requested by a country, taking into account the views expressed by countries that are members of the geographical groups concerned;
6.14. Establish the Staff Regulations and the conditions of service of elected officials;
6.15. Establish or abolish the International Bureau ' s workstations, taking into account the limitations of the established expenditure ceiling;
6.16. Stop the settlement of the Social Fund;
6.17 approve the biennial reports prepared by the International Bureau on the activities of the Union and on financial management and provide, as appropriate, comments on them;
6.18. decide on contacts with postal administrations to perform its functions;
6.19 after consultation with the Postal Operations Council, decide on contacts to be made with organizations that are not legal observers, review and approve the reports of the UPU International Bureau on UPU relations with other international organizations, make the decisions it deems appropriate on the conduct of these relations and the follow-up to them; designate, in due course, after consultation with the Postal Operations Council and the Secretary-General, international organizations, associations, companies and qualified persons who must be invited to be represented at specific meetings of the Congress and its Commissions, when in the interest of the Union or may take advantage of the work of the Congress, and appoint the Director-General of the International Bureau to send the necessary invitations;
6.20 Determine, in the event that it deems it useful, the principles to be taken into account by the Postal Operations Council when considering matters that have significant financial implications (taxes, terminal fees, transit charges, base rate of mail air transport and foreign mail mail shipments), closely follow up the study of these issues and consider and approve, in order to ensure compliance with the above principles, the Commission's proposals to
6.21 Consider, at the request of the Congress, the Postal Operations Council or postal administrations, administrative, legislative and legal issues affecting the Union or the international postal service; it is up to the Board of Directors to decide, in the above-mentioned areas, whether or not it is appropriate to undertake the studies requested by postal administrations during the Congress period;
6.22 formulate proposals that will be submitted for approval either by Congress or by postal administrations in accordance with Article 124;
6.23 approve, as part of its competence, the recommendations of the Postal Operations Council concerning the adoption, if necessary, of a regulation or new practice pending the decision of the Congress on this matter;
6.24 review the annual report prepared by the Postal Operations Council and, where appropriate, the proposals submitted by the Postal Operations Council;
6.25 to submit subjects of study to the Board of Postal Operations, pursuant to 104.9.16;
6.26 designate the country as the seat of the next Congress in the case provided for in Article 101.4;
6.27. Determine, in due course and after consultation with the Postal Operations Council, the number of Commissions required to carry out the work of the Congress and determine its functions;
6.28 designate, after consultation with the Postal Operations Council and subject to the approval of the Congress, Member Countries that may:
- to assume the Vice-Presidents of the Congress as well as the Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the Commissions, taking into account as much as possible the equitable geographical distribution of the Member Countries;
- to be part of the restricted committees of the Congress;
6.29 Review and approve the draft strategic plan to be submitted to Congress and prepared by the Postal Operations Council with the assistance of the International Bureau; review and approve the annual revisions to the plan agreed by the Congress on the basis of the recommendations of the Postal Operations Council and work in consultation with the Postal Operations Council for the development and annual update of the plan;
6.30 establish the framework for the organization of the Advisory Committee and approve the organization of the Advisory Committee in accordance with the provisions of Article 106;
6.31 establish criteria for membership in the Advisory Committee and approve or reject applications for membership on the basis of these criteria, ensuring that applications are dealt with in an expedited manner between meetings of the Board of Directors;
6.32 designate members to be members of the Advisory Committee;
6.33 Receive and discuss the reports and recommendations of the Advisory Committee and consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee for submission to the Congress.
7. At its first meeting, which is convened by the President of the Congress, the Board of Directors shall elect, among its members, four Vice-Presidents and shall determine its rules of procedure.
8. Upon the convocation of its President, the Board of Directors meets, in principle once a year, at the headquarters of the Union.
9. The Chair, the Vice-Chairs, the Chairs of the Board of Directors Commissions and the Chair of the Strategic Planning Group form the Management Committee. This Committee prepares and directs the work of each session of the Board of Directors. It approves, on behalf of the Board of Directors, the annual report prepared by the International Bureau on the activities of the Union and assumes any other task that the Board of Directors decides to entrust to it or whose necessity appears during the strategic planning process.
10. The representative of each of the members of the Board of Directors participating in the sessions of that body, with the exception of the meetings that took place during the Congress, is entitled to the reimbursement either of the price of a flight ticket and return to the economic class or of a railway ticket in the first class, or of the cost of travel by any other means, provided that this amount does not exceed the price of the flight ticket and return to the economic class. The same right shall be accorded to the representative of each member of its Commissions, Working Groups or other bodies when they meet outside the Congress and the sessions of the Council.
11. The President of the Postal Operations Council represents the latter at the sessions of the Board of Directors on the agenda of which matters relating to the organ he directs.
12. The Chairman of the Advisory Committee represents the Advisory Committee at meetings of the Board of Directors when the agenda includes matters of interest to the Advisory Committee.
13. In order to ensure an effective link between the work of the two bodies, the Postal Operations Council may designate representatives to attend meetings of the Board of Directors as observers.
14. The postal administration of the country where the Board of Directors meets is invited to attend meetings as an observer, if this country is not a member of the Board of Directors.
15. The Board of Directors may invite to its meetings, without the right to vote, any international organization, any representative of association or company or any qualified person that it wishes to associate with its work. It may also invite, under the same conditions, one or more postal administrations of the Member Countries concerned to questions on its agenda.
16. At their request, the following observers may participate in plenary meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors, without the right to vote:
16.1 members of the Postal Operations Council;
16.2 members of the Advisory Committee;
16.3 intergovernmental organizations interested in the work of the Board of Directors;
16.4 other Member Countries of the Union.
17. For logistical reasons, the Board of Directors may limit the number of participants per observer. It may also limit their right to speech in the debates.
18. The members of the Board of Directors actually participate in its activities. Observers may, at their request, be allowed to collaborate on studies undertaken, respecting the conditions that the Commission may establish to ensure the performance and effectiveness of its work. They may also be asked to chair Working Groups and Project Teams when their knowledge or experience warrant it. The participation of observers shall be made at no additional cost to the Union.
19. In exceptional circumstances, observers may be excluded from a meeting or part of a meeting. Similarly, their right to receive certain documents may be limited if the confidentiality of the subject matter of the meeting or document requires it; the decision on such a restriction may be taken on a case-by-case basis by any body concerned or its President; the various cases are reported to the Board of Directors, and to the Postal Operations Council if these are matters of particular interest to that body. Subsequently, the Board of Directors may, if it deems necessary, re-examine the restrictions, in consultation with the Postal Operations Council where appropriate.
Rule 103
Information on the activities of the Board of Directors
1. After each session, the Board of Directors shall inform the Member Countries of the Union, the Restricted Unions and the members of the Advisory Committee on its activities, including an executive summary record and its resolutions and decisions.
2. The Board of Directors shall report to the Congress on all its activities and shall transmit it to the postal administrations of the Member States of the Union and to the members of the Advisory Committee at least two months before the opening of the Congress.
Rule 104
Composition, operation and meetings of the Board of Operations (Const. 18)
1. The Postal Operations Council consists of forty members who perform their duties during the period between two successive Congresses.
2. The members of the Postal Operations Council are elected by the Congress according to a specified geographical distribution. Twenty-four seats are reserved for developing countries and sixteen seats are reserved for developed countries. At least one third of the members is renewed at each Congress.
3. Each member of the Postal Operations Council shall designate his or her representative who shall assume the responsibilities referred to in the Union Services Acts.
4. The operating costs of the Postal Operations Council are borne by the Union. Its members do not receive any remuneration. The travel and residence expenses of the representatives of the postal administrations participating in the Board of Operations are borne by them. However, the representative of each of the countries considered to be disadvantaged according to the lists established by the United Nations shall be entitled, except for meetings held during the Congress, to the reimbursement either of the price of a flight ticket and return to the economic class or a railway ticket in the first class, or of the cost of travel by any other means, provided that this amount does not exceed the price of the flight ticket and return to the economic class.
5. At its first meeting, which is convened and opened by the President of the Congress, the Postal Operations Council selects, among its members, a Chair, a Vice-Chair, the Chairs of the Commissions and the Chairman of the Strategic Planning Group.
6. The Postal Operations Council rules its rules of procedure.
7. In principle, the Postal Operations Council meets annually at the headquarters of the Union. The date and venue of the meeting shall be determined by its President, after agreement with the President of the Board of Directors and the Director General of the International Bureau.
8. The Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Chairs of the Boards of Operations and the Chair of the Strategic Planning Group form the Management Committee. This Committee prepares and directs the work of each session of the Postal Operations Council and assumes all the tasks that the Board decides to entrust to it or whose necessity appears during the strategic planning process.
9. The powers of the Postal Operations Council are as follows:
9.1 conduct the study of the most important operational, commercial, technical, economic and technical cooperation issues of interest to the postal administrations of all Member States of the Union, including issues with significant financial implications (taxes, terminal fees, transit costs, basic rates of the air transport of mail, quotas of postal parcels and deposit abroad of mail to letters)
9.2 review the Union's regulations within six months of the closure of the Congress unless the Congress decides otherwise; in the event of an urgent need, the Postal Operations Council may also amend these regulations to other sessions; in both cases, the Board of Operations remains subordinate to the Board of Directors' directives with respect to fundamental policies and principles;
9.3 coordinate practical measures for the development and improvement of international postal services;
9.4 Undertake, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors within the framework of its competence, any action deemed necessary to safeguard and enhance the quality and modernization of the international postal service;
9.5 make proposals that will be submitted for approval either by Congress or by postal administrations in accordance with Article 125; approval of the Board of Directors is required when these proposals relate to matters within the Board's jurisdiction;
9.6 consider, at the request of the postal administration of a Member State, any proposal that the postal administration transmits to the International Bureau under Article 124, prepare the comments thereof and entrust the Bureau to annex them to the proposal before submitting it to the postal administrations of the Member Countries;
9.7 recommend, if necessary, and possibly after approval by the Board of Directors and consultation with all postal administrations, the adoption of a new regulation or practice pending the decision of the Congress on this matter;
9.8 Develop and present, in the form of recommendations to postal administrations, technical, operational and other areas of its jurisdiction where uniform practice is essential; Similarly, if necessary, it shall make changes to standards that it has already established;
9.9 Review, in consultation with the Governing Council and with its approval, the draft UPU Strategic Plan, prepared by the International Bureau and submitted to Congress; review annually the plan approved by the Congress with the support of the Strategic Planning Group and the International Bureau, as well as with the approval of the Board of Directors;
9.10 approve the annual report prepared by the International Bureau on the activities of the Union in its parts relating to the responsibilities and functions of the Postal Operations Council;
9.11. decide on contact with postal administrations to perform its functions;
9.12. carry out the study of educational and vocational training problems affecting new and developing countries;
9.13 take the necessary measures to study and disseminate the experiences and progress made by some countries in the fields of technology, exploitation, economy and vocational training relevant to postal services;
9.14 Review the current situation and needs of postal services in new and developing countries and develop appropriate recommendations on ways and means to improve postal services in these countries;
9.15 take, after agreement with the Governing Council, appropriate measures in the field of technical cooperation with all Member Countries of the Union, in particular with new and developing countries;
9.16 consider any other matters submitted to it by a member of the Postal Operations Council, by the Board of Directors or by any Postal Administration of a Member Country;
9.17 Receiving and discussing the reports and the recommendations of the Advisory Committee and, on matters of concern to the Postal Operations Council, reviewing and commenting on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee for submission to Congress;
9.18. designate members to be members of the Advisory Committee.
10. On the basis of the UPU's strategic plan adopted by the Congress and, in particular, the Union's part of the strategies of the permanent bodies, the Postal Operations Council shall, at its session following the Congress, establish a basic programme of work containing a number of tactics aimed at achieving the strategies. This basic program, including a limited number of work on topical and common issues, is reviewed annually based on new realities and priorities as well as changes to the strategic plan.
11. In order to ensure an effective link between the work of the two bodies, the Board of Directors may designate representatives to attend the meetings of the Postal Operations Council as observers.
12. At their request, the following observers may participate, without the right to vote, in plenary meetings and meetings of the Boards of Operations:
12.1 members of the Board of Directors;
12.2 members of the Advisory Committee;
12.3 intergovernmental organizations interested in the work of the Postal Operations Council;
12.4 Other Member Countries of the Union.
13. For logistical reasons, the Postal Operations Council may limit the number of participants per observer. It may also limit their right to speech in the debates.
14. The members of the Postal Operations Council actually participate in its activities. Observers may, at their request, be allowed to collaborate on studies undertaken, respecting the conditions that the Commission may establish to ensure the performance and effectiveness of its work. They may also be asked to chair Working Groups and Project Teams when their knowledge or experience warrant it. The participation of observers shall be made at no additional cost to the Union.
15. In exceptional circumstances, observers may be excluded from a meeting or part of a meeting. Similarly, their right to receive certain documents may be limited if the confidentiality of the subject matter of the meeting or document requires it; the decision on such a restriction may be taken on a case-by-case basis by any body concerned or its President; the various cases are reported to the Board of Directors, and to the Postal Operations Council if these are matters of particular interest to that body. Subsequently, the Board of Directors may, if it deems necessary, re-examine the restrictions, in consultation with the Postal Operations Council where appropriate.
16. The Chairman of the Advisory Committee represents the Advisory Committee at the meetings of the Postal Operations Council when the agenda includes matters of interest to the Advisory Committee.
17. The Postal Operations Council may invite its meetings, without the right to vote:
17.1 any international organization or qualified person that he wishes to associate with his work;
17.2 of the Postal Administrations of Member Countries not belonging to the Postal Operations Council;
17.3 any association or business that it wishes to consult on matters relating to its activities.
Rule 105
Information on the activities of the Postal Operations Council
1. After each session, the Postal Operations Council shall inform the Member Countries of the Union, the Restricted Unions and the members of the Advisory Committee on its activities, including an executive summary record and its resolutions and decisions.
2. The Postal Operations Council shall prepare an annual report for the Board of Directors on its activities.
3. The Postal Operations Council shall, for the purposes of the Congress, prepare a report on its entire activity and transmit it to the postal administrations of the Member States of the Union and to the members of the Advisory Committee at least two months before the opening of the Congress.
Rule 106
Composition, functioning and meetings of the Advisory Committee
1. The purpose of the Advisory Committee is to represent the interests of the postal sector in the broad sense of the term and to provide a framework for effective dialogue among interested parties. It includes non-governmental organizations representing clients, distribution service providers, workers' organizations, suppliers of goods and services working in the postal services sector, and similar organizations involving individuals, as well as companies interested in international postal services. If these organizations are registered, they must be registered in a Member Country of the Union. The Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council shall designate their respective members as members of the Advisory Committee. Apart from the members designated by the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council, membership in the Advisory Committee is determined following a process of filing applications and acceptance of the Advisory Committee, established by the Board of Directors and conducted in accordance with section 102.6.31.
2. Each member of the Advisory Committee shall designate his or her own representative.
3. The operating costs of the Advisory Committee shall be apportioned between the Union and the members of the Committee, as determined by the Governing Council.
4. Members of the Advisory Committee shall not receive any remuneration or remuneration.
5. The Advisory Committee reorganizes after each Congress, according to the framework established by the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board of Directors presides over the organizational meeting of the Advisory Committee, during which the Chairman of the Advisory Committee was elected.
6. The Advisory Committee shall determine its internal organization and establish its own rules of procedure, taking into account the general principles of the Union and subject to the approval of the Governing Council, after consultation with the Postal Operations Council.
7. The Advisory Committee meets twice a year. In principle, meetings are held at the headquarters of the Union at the time of the sessions of the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council. The date and venue of each meeting shall be determined by the Chairman of the Advisory Committee, in accordance with the Presidents of the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council and the Director General of the International Bureau.
8. The Advisory Committee shall establish its own programme as part of the following list of functions:
8.1 Review the appropriate documents and reports of the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council; in exceptional circumstances, the right to receive certain texts and documents may be limited if the confidentiality of the subject matter of the meeting or document so requires; the decision on such a restriction may be taken on a case-by-case basis by any body concerned or its President; the various cases are reported to the Board of Directors, and to the Postal Operations Council if they are matters of particular interest to that body; thereafter, the Board of Directors may, if it deems it necessary, review the restrictions, in consultation with the Postal Operations Council where appropriate;
8.2 Conduct studies and discuss important issues for members of the Advisory Committee;
8.3 consider and report on issues related to the postal services sector;
8.4 contribute to the work of the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council, including the submission of reports and recommendations, and the submission of notice at the request of both Boards;
8.5 make recommendations to Congress, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors and, for matters of interest to the Board of Postal Operations, for consideration and comment by the Board of Directors.
9. The President of the Board of Directors and the President of the Postal Operations Council represent these bodies at the meetings of the Advisory Committee when the agenda of these meetings includes matters of interest to these bodies.
10. To ensure an effective liaison with the bodies of the Union, the Advisory Committee may designate representatives to attend meetings of the Congress, the Board of Directors and the Board of Operations and their respective Commissions as observers without the right to vote.
11. At their request, members of the Advisory Committee may attend plenary meetings and meetings of the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council, in accordance with sections 102.16 and 104.12. They may also participate in the work of Project Teams and Working Groups under articles 102.18 and 104.14. Members of the Advisory Committee may participate in the Congress as observers without the right to vote.
12. At their request, the following observers may participate, without vote, in the sessions of the Advisory Committee:
12.1 members of the Board of Directors and the Board of Operations;
12.2 intergovernmental organizations interested in the work of the Advisory Committee;
12.3 Restricted Unions;
12.4 other members of the Union.
13. For logistical reasons, the Advisory Committee may limit the number of participants per observer. It may also limit their right to speech in the debates.
14. In exceptional circumstances, observers may be excluded from a meeting or part of a meeting. Similarly, their right to receive certain documents may be limited if the confidentiality of the subject matter of the meeting or document requires it; the decision on such a restriction may be taken on a case-by-case basis by any body concerned or its President; the various cases are reported to the Board of Directors, and to the Postal Operations Council if these are matters of particular interest to that body. Subsequently, the Board of Directors may, if it deems necessary, re-examine the restrictions, in consultation with the Postal Operations Council where appropriate.
15. The International Bureau, under the responsibility of the Director-General, shall serve as the secretariat of the Advisory Committee.
Rule 107
Information on the activities of the Advisory Committee
1. After each session, the Advisory Committee shall inform the Board of Directors and the Postal Operations Council of its activities by, inter alia, providing the Chairs of these bodies with an summary record of its meetings and its recommendations and advice.
2. The Advisory Committee shall make an annual progress report to the Board of Directors and send a copy to the Postal Operations Council. This report is included in the documentation of the Board of Directors provided to the Member Countries of the Union and the restricted Unions, in accordance with Article 103.
3. The Advisory Committee shall report to the Congress on all its activities and transmit it to the postal administrations of the Member States of the Union at least two months before the opening of the Congress.
Rule 108
Rules of procedure of the Congress (Const. 14)
1. For the organization of its work and the conduct of its deliberations, the Congress applies the rules of procedure of the Congress.
2. Each Congress may amend this regulation under the conditions set out in the rules of procedure itself.
Rule 109
Working languages of the International Bureau
The working languages of the International Bureau are English and French.
Rule 110
Languages used for documentation, deliberations and service correspondence
1. For the documentation of the Union, French, English, Arabic and Spanish are used. German, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian languages are also used, provided production in these latter languages is limited to the most important basic documentation. Other languages are also used, provided that the Member Countries that make the request bear all costs.
2. The member(s) that requested a language other than the official language is a linguistic group.
3. The documentation is published by the International Bureau in the official language and languages of constituted language groups, either directly or through the regional offices of these groups, in accordance with the terms agreed with the International Bureau. The publication in the different languages is made according to the same model.
4. The documentation published directly by the International Bureau is, to the extent possible, distributed simultaneously in the various languages requested.
5. Correspondence between postal administrations and the International Bureau and between the latter and third parties may be exchanged in any language for which the International Bureau has a translation service.
6. The costs of translation to any language, including those resulting from the application of the provisions under 5, are borne by the language group that requested that language. The Member Countries using the official language shall, as part of the translation of the non-official documents, make a lump sum contribution equal to that provided by the Member Countries using the other working language of the International Bureau. All other costs related to the provision of documents are borne by the Union. The ceiling of costs to be borne by the Union for the production of documents in German, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian is fixed by a resolution of the Congress.
7. The costs to be borne by a linguistic group are distributed among the members of this group proportionally to their contribution to the expenses of the Union. These fees may be apportioned among the members of the linguistic group according to another distribution key, provided that they agree and notify the International Bureau of their decision through the Group's spokesperson.
8. The International Bureau follows on any change in language requested by a Member State after a period not exceeding two years.
9. For the deliberations of the meetings of the bodies of the Union, the French, English, Spanish and Russian languages are allowed, with an interpretation system - with or without electronic equipment - whose choice is left to the appreciation of the organizers of the meeting after consultation with the Director General of the International Bureau and interested Member Countries.
10. Other languages are also allowed for the deliberations and meetings listed under 9.
11. Delegations that use other languages shall ensure simultaneous interpretation in one of the languages referred to in 9, either by the system indicated in the same paragraph, where the necessary technical changes may be made, or by specific interpreters.
12. The costs of interpretation services are apportioned among Member Countries using the same language in the proportion of their contribution to the expenses of the Union. However, technical equipment installation and maintenance costs are borne by the Union.
13. Postal administrations can agree on the language to be used for service correspondence in their mutual relations. In the absence of such an agreement, the language to be used is French.
CHAPTER II. - International Bureau
Rule 111
Election of the Director-General and Vice-Director-General of the International Bureau
1. The Director-General and Vice-Director-General of the International Bureau are elected by the Congress for the period between two successive Congresses, the minimum duration of their term being four years. Their mandate is renewable once. Unless otherwise decided by the Congress, the date of their appointment shall be 1^er January of the year following the Congress.
2. At least seven months before the opening of the Congress, the Director-General of the International Bureau shall send a note to the Governments of the Member Countries inviting them to apply for the positions of Director-General and Vice-Director-General and at the same time indicating whether the Director-General or Vice-Director-General in office are interested in the possible renewal of their initial terms of office. Nominations, accompanied by a curriculum vitae, must be submitted to the International Bureau at least two months before the opening of the Congress. Applicants must be nationals of the Member Countries who present them. The International Bureau prepares the necessary documentation for the Congress. The election of the Director General and that of the Vice-Director General shall be held by secret ballot, the first election for the post of Director General.
3. In the event of the vacancy of Director-General, the Vice-Director-General shall serve as Director-General until the end of his term of office; he is eligible for this position and is admitted as an ex officio candidate, provided that his initial term as Deputy Director General has not already been renewed once by the previous Congress and that he declares his interest to be considered as a candidate for the position of Director General.
4. In the event of simultaneous vacancy of the positions of Director General and Vice-Director General, the Board of Directors shall elect, on the basis of nominations received following a competitive examination, a Vice-Director General for the period up to the next Congress. For nominations, the provisions under 2 apply by analogy.
5. In the event of the vacancy of Vice-Director General, the Governing Council shall, on the proposal of the Director General, appoint one of the Director-Generals of grade D 2 to the International Bureau to serve as Vice-Director General until the next Congress.
Article 112
Functions of the Director-General
1. The Director General organizes, administers and directs the International Bureau, of which he is the legal representative. It is competent to classify the positions of grades G 1 to D 2 and to appoint and promote civil servants in these grades. For appointments in grades P 1 to D 2, he must take into account the professional qualifications of candidates recommended by the postal administrations of the Member Countries of which they are a national, or in which they exercise their professional activity, taking into account equitable continental geographical distribution and languages. Grade D 2 positions must, to the extent possible, be filled by candidates from different regions and regions other than those from which the Director General and Vice-Director General are from, taking into account the prevailing consideration of the effectiveness of the International Bureau. In the case of special qualifications, the Director General may apply to the outside. It also takes into account, in the appointment of a new official, that in principle persons occupying the positions of grades D 2, D 1 and P 5 must be nationals of different Member Countries of the Union. During the promotion of an officer of the International Bureau at grades D 2, D 1 and P 5, he is not required to apply the same principle. In addition, the requirements for equitable geographical distribution and languages go beyond merit in the recruitment process. The Director General shall inform the Board of Directors once a year of appointments and promotions at grades P 4 to D 2.
2. The Director-General has the following responsibilities:
2.1 ensure the functions of depositary of the Acts of the Union and of intermediary in the procedure of accession and admission to the Union and of its exit;
2.2 notify the decisions of the Congress to all the Governments of the Member Countries;
2.3 notify all postal administrations of the regulations made or revised by the Postal Operations Council;
2.4 prepare the draft annual budget of the Union at the lowest possible level consistent with the needs of the Union and submit it in a timely manner to the Board of Directors; communicate the budget to the Member Countries of the Union after the approval of the Board of Directors and execute it;
2.5 carry out the specific activities requested by the bodies of the Union and those assigned to it by the Acts;
2.6 take initiatives to achieve the objectives set by the EU bodies within the framework of established policy and available funds;
2.7 Submit suggestions and proposals to the Board of Directors or the Postal Operations Council;
2.8 after the closure of the Congress, submit to the Postal Operations Council the proposals for changes to the regulations due to the decisions of the Congress, in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Postal Operations Council;
2.9 prepare, for the purpose of the Postal Operations Council and on the basis of the guidance provided by the Postal Operations Council, the draft strategic plan to be submitted to Congress and the draft annual revision;
2.10 ensure the representation of the Union;
2.11 serve as an intermediary in relations between:
- UPU and restricted Unions;
- the UPU and the United Nations;
- UPU and international organizations whose activities are of interest to the Union;
- the UPU and international organizations, associations or companies that the EU bodies wish to consult or associate with their work;
2.12 assume the role of Secretary-General of the bodies of the Union and ensure that, taking into account the special provisions of these rules, including:
- the preparation and organization of the work of the bodies of the Union;
- the development, production and distribution of documents, reports and minutes;
- the functioning of the secretariat during meetings of EU bodies;
2.13 attend the meetings of the bodies of the Union and participate in the deliberations without the right to vote, with the possibility of being represented.
Article 113
Functions of the Deputy Director General
1. The Deputy Director-General assists the Director-General and is accountable to him.
2. In the event of absence or impediment of the Director General, the Vice-Director General shall exercise the powers of the Director General. The same applies to the vacancy of the post of Director-General referred to in section 111.3.
Article 114
Secretariat of Union bodies
(Const. 14, 15, 17, 18)
The secretariat of the bodies of the Union is provided by the International Bureau under the responsibility of the Director General. It addresses all documents published on the occasion of each session to the postal administrations of the members of the organ, to the postal administrations of the countries that, without being members of the organ, collaborate in the studies undertaken, the restricted Unions and other post offices of the Member Countries that apply.
Rule 115
List of Member Countries (Const. 2)
The International Bureau prepares and maintains the list of Member Countries of the Union, indicating their class of contribution, their geographical group and their status with respect to the Acts of the Union.
Article 116
Information. Notice. Requests for interpretation and modification of Acts. investigations. Statement in the liquidation of accounts (Const. 20, Gen. Reg. 124, 125, 126)
1. The International Bureau is at all times available to the Board of Directors, the Postal Operations Council and Postal Administrations to provide any useful information on service matters.
2. It is responsible, inter alia, for gathering, coordinating, publishing and distributing information of any nature that is relevant to international postal service; to issue, at the request of the parties involved, an opinion on contentious issues; to follow up on the requests for interpretation and modification of the Union Acts and, in general, to carry out the studies and drafting or documentation that the said Acts assign to it or to which it would be seized in the interest of the Union.
3. It also conducts investigations that are requested by postal administrations to determine the opinion of other postal administrations on a specific issue. The result of an investigation does not have the character of a vote and does not formally bind.
4. It may intervene as a clearing house in the liquidation of accounts of any kind relating to postal service.
Article 117
Technical cooperation (Const. 1)
The International Bureau is responsible, within the framework of international technical cooperation, for developing technical assistance in all its forms.
Article 118
Forms provided by the International Bureau
(Const. (20)
The International Bureau is responsible for making international coupons-response and for supplying, at the cost of return, postal administrations that request it.
Rule 119
Restricted Union Acts and special arrangements
(Const. 8)
1. Two copies of the Acts of the Restricted Unions and special arrangements made pursuant to Article 8 of the Constitution shall be transmitted to the International Bureau by the offices of those Unions or, if not, by one of the Contracting Parties.
2. The International Bureau ensures that the Acts of the restricted Unions and special arrangements do not provide for less favourable conditions for the public than those provided for in the Acts of the Union and informs postal administrations of the existence of the aforementioned Unions and arrangements. The Board shall notify the Board of any irregularity found under this provision.
Rule 120
Union Review
The International Bureau draws, using the documents that are available to it, a review in German, English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French and Russian languages.
Rule 121
Biennial report on the activities of the Union (Const. 20, Gen. Reg. 102.6.17)
The International Bureau makes, on the activities of the Union, a biennial report which is communicated, after approval by the Board of Directors, to the postal administrations, to the restricted Unions and to the United Nations.
CHAPTER III. - Introductory procedure
and consideration of proposals
Article 122
Procedure for presenting proposals to Congress (Const. 29)
1. Subject to exceptions under 2 and 5, the following procedure provides for the introduction of proposals of any kind to be submitted to Congress by the postal administrations of the Member Countries:
(a) the proposals to be submitted to the International Bureau at least six months before the date fixed for the Congress;
(b) no editorial proposal shall be admitted during the six-month period preceding the date fixed for the Congress;
(c) substantive proposals to the International Bureau in the interval between six and four months prior to the date fixed for the Congress shall be admitted only if they are supported by at least two postal administrations;
(d) substantive proposals to the International Bureau in the range between four and two months prior to the date fixed for the Congress shall be accepted only if they are supported by at least eight postal administrations; proposals which subsequently reach are no longer accepted;
(e) statements of support must be submitted to the International Bureau within the same time limit as the proposals they relate to.
2. Proposals concerning the Constitution or the general regulation must be submitted to the International Bureau at least six months before the opening of the Congress; those that come after that date but before the opening of the Congress can only be considered if the Congress so decides by a two-thirds majority of the countries represented in the Congress and if the conditions under 1 are met.
3. Each proposal must have in principle only one objective and contain only the modifications justified by this objective.
4. The editorial proposals are, in the lead, with the reference to "Proposal of editorial order" by the postal administrations which present them and published by the International Bureau under a number followed by the letter R. Proposals that are not included but which, in the opinion of the International Bureau, only affect the drafting are published with an appropriate annotation; the International Bureau draws up a list of these proposals for Congress.
5. The procedure prescribed under 1 and 4 does not apply to proposals concerning the rules of procedure of the Congress or to amendments to proposals already made.
Article 123
Procedure for submission to the Postal Operations Council of proposals for the development of new regulations, taking into account decisions taken by the Congress
1. The regulations of the Universal Postal Convention and the Postal Payment Services Arrangement are decided by the Postal Operations Council, taking into account the decisions taken by the Congress.
2. Proposals for consequential amendments to the Convention or the Arrangement on Payment Services must be submitted to the International Bureau together with proposals to the Congress to which they relate. They can be submitted by the postal administration of a single UPU member country, without the support of the postal administrations of other Member countries. These proposals should be sent to all Member Countries no later than one month before the Congress.
3. Other proposals for regulations, which are expected to be considered by the Postal Operations Council for the development of new regulations within six months of the Congress, must be submitted to the International Bureau at least two months before the Congress.
4. Proposals for changes to the regulations due to the decisions of the Congress, which are submitted by the Postal Administrations of the Member Countries, must reach the International Bureau no later than two months before the opening of the Postal Operations Council. These proposals must be sent to all Member Countries no later than one month before the opening of the Postal Operations Council.
Rule 124
Procedure for presenting proposals between two Congresses (Const. 29, Gen. Reg. 116)
1. To be taken into account, each proposal for the Convention or Arrangements and submitted by a post office between two Congresses must be supported by at least two other post offices. These proposals remain without action when the International Bureau does not receive the necessary supporting statements at the same time.
2. These proposals are addressed to other postal administrations through the International Bureau.
3. Proposals for the regulations do not require support, but are only considered by the Postal Operations Council if it approves the urgent need.
Rule 125
Consideration of proposals between two Congresses (Const. 29, Reg. gen. 116, 124)
1. Any proposal concerning the Convention, the Arrangements and their Final Protocols shall be submitted to the following procedure: when the postal administration of a Member State has sent a proposal to the International Bureau, the latter shall forward it to all postal administrations of the Member Countries for consideration. They have a period of two months to review the proposal and, where appropriate, to send their comments to the International Bureau. The amendments are not allowed. At the end of this two-month period, the International Bureau transmits to the postal administrations of the Member Countries all the comments it has received and invites the postal administration of each Member country having the right to vote for or against the proposal. Postal administrations of the Member Countries that did not send their votes within two months are considered to have abstained. The above-mentioned deadlines are based on the date of the International Bureau circulars.
2. Proposed amendments to the regulations are processed by the Postal Operations Council.
3. If the proposal concerns an Arrangement or its Final Protocol, only the Member State Postal Administrations that are parties to this Arrangement may take part in the operations listed under 1.
Rule 126
Notification of decisions between two Congresses
(Const. 29, Reg. gen. 124, 125)
1. The amendments to the Convention, the Arrangements and the Final Protocols of these Acts are made by a notification from the Director-General of the International Bureau to the Governments of the Member Countries.
2. Amendments made by the Postal Operations Council to the Regulations and their Final Protocols are notified to postal administrations by the International Bureau. The same is true of the interpretations referred to in Article 36.3.2 of the Convention and the corresponding provisions of the Arrangements.
Article 127
Implementation of regulations and other decisions adopted between two Congresses
1. The regulations come into force on the same date and have the same duration as the Acts of Congress.
2. Subject to the provisions in 1, decisions to amend the Union Acts that are adopted between two Congresses shall be enforceable only three months, at least after their notification.
CHAPTER IV. - Finance
Rule 128
Setting and regulating EU expenditures
(Const. 21)
1. Subject to the provisions of 2 to 6, the annual expenditures for the activities of the Union bodies shall not exceed the following amounts for the years 2005 and following: 37,000 000 CHF for the years 2005 to 2008. The 2008 base limit also applies to subsequent years in the event of a postponement of the 2008 Congress.
2. Expenditures for the meeting of the next Congress (replacement of the secretariat, transportation costs, technical installation costs of simultaneous interpretation, reproduction costs of documents during the Congress, etc.) should not exceed the limit of CHF 2,900,000.
3. The Board of Directors is authorized to exceed the limits set out in 1 and 2 to take into account increases in salary scales, pension contributions or allowances, including post allowances, admitted by the United Nations to be applied to their staff in Geneva.
4. The Board of Directors is also authorized to adjust the amount of non-staff expenditures per year based on the Swiss Consumer Price Index.
5. By derogation from the provisions under 1, the Governing Council, or in the event of extreme urgency the Director-General, may authorize an overtaking of the limits established to deal with the substantial and unforeseen repairs of the International Bureau building, but the amount of overtaking may not exceed 125,000 CHF per year.
6. If the credits under 1 and 2 are insufficient to ensure the proper functioning of the Union, these limits can only be exceeded with the approval of the majority of the Member Countries of the Union. Any consultation must include a full statement of the facts justifying such a request.
7. Countries that join the Union or are admitted as members of the Union as well as those coming out of the Union must pay their dues for the whole year in which their admission or exit becomes effective.
8. Member Countries pay in advance their share in the annual expenses of the Union, on the basis of the budget decided by the Board of Directors. These contributors must be paid no later than the first day of the fiscal year to which the budget relates. After this term, the sums due are productive of interest to the Union, at a rate of 3% per year in the first six months and 6% per year from the seventh month.
9. When arrears of mandatory contributions due to the Union by a Member Country are equal to or greater than the sum of the contributions of that Member Country for the previous two financial years, that Member Country may irrevocably yield to the Union all or part of its claims on other Member Countries, in accordance with the terms set by the Board of Directors. The terms and conditions for the assignment of receivables are to be defined according to an agreement between the Member Country, its debtors/creators and the Union.
10. Members who, for legal or other reasons, are unable to make such an assignment undertake to conclude a plan to depreciate their arrears.
11. Except in exceptional circumstances, the recovery of arrears of mandatory contributions due to the Union will not extend to more than ten years.
12. In exceptional circumstances, the Board of Directors may release a Member Country from all or part of the interest due if it has paid, in capital, all its arrears.
13. A Member Country may also be released, as part of a plan to depreciate its outstanding accounts approved by the Board of Directors, from all or part of the accrued interest or to run; release is, however, conditional on the complete and timely execution of the damping plan within an agreed maximum of ten years.
14. To address the Union's cash shortfalls, a Reserve Fund is established by the Board of Directors. The Fund is primarily funded by budgetary surpluses. It can also be used to balance the budget or to reduce the amount of contributions from Member Countries.
15. With regard to the short-term short-term deficits in cash, the Swiss Confederation government makes the necessary advances under conditions that are to be agreed upon. The Government is monitoring the maintenance of the financial accounts and the accounting of the International Bureau at no cost within the appropriations established by the Congress.
Rule 129
Automatic sanctions
1. Since any Member Country is unable to make the assignment provided for in Article 128.9 and does not agree to submit to a depreciation plan proposed by the International Bureau in accordance with Article 128.10, or does not respect it automatically loses its right to vote in Congress and in the meetings of the Board of Directors and the Board of Postal Operations and is no longer eligible for these two Councils.
2. The automatic sanctions are waived ex officio and with immediate effect as soon as the Member country concerned has paid its arrears of mandatory contributions due to the Union, in capital and interest, or agrees to submit to a plan of depreciation of its arrears.
Rule 130
Contribution Classes (Const. 21, Gen. Reg. 115, 128)
1. Member Countries contribute to the coverage of EU expenditures according to the class of contribution to which they belong. These classes are:
class of 50 units;
class of 45 units;
40 units;
35 units;
class of 30 units;
25 units;
class of 20 units;
15 units;
10 units;
5 units;
class of 3 units;
1 unit class;
Class of 0.5 unit, reserved for the least developed countries listed by the United Nations and other countries designated by the Governing Council.
2. In addition to the contribution classes listed under 1, any Member country may choose to pay a number of contribution units greater than 50 units.
3. Member Countries are placed in one of the above-mentioned contribution classes at the time of their admission or accession to the Union, according to the procedure referred to in Article 21.4 of the Constitution.
4. Member Countries may subsequently change their contribution class, provided that this change is notified to the International Bureau at least two months before the opening of the Congress. This notification, which is brought to the attention of the Congress, takes effect on the date of the implementation of the financial provisions of the Congress. The Member Countries that have not made known their wish to change their contribution class within the prescribed deadlines are maintained in the contribution class to which they belonged so far.
5. Member Countries may not require declassification of more than one class at a time.
6. However, in exceptional circumstances such as natural disasters requiring international assistance programmes, the Board of Directors may authorize a temporary decommissioning of a class, once between two Congresses, at the request of a Member Country if the Member State demonstrates that it cannot continue its contribution according to the class initially chosen. Under the same circumstances, the Board of Directors may also authorize the temporary decommissioning of Member Countries not belonging to the least developed country category and already ranked in the 1 unit class by placing them in the 0.5 unit class.
7. Pursuant to the provisions set out in 6, the temporary decommissioning may be authorized by the Board of Directors for a maximum of two years or until the next Congress, if the latter is held before the end of that period. Upon expiry of the fixed period, the country concerned automatically reintegrates its initial class.
8. By derogation from the provisions under 4 and 5, the upgrades are not subject to any restrictions.
Article 131
Payment of supplies by the International Bureau
(Rule. gen. 118)
Supplies that the International Bureau delivers in an expensive manner to postal administrations must be paid as soon as possible, and no later than six months from the first day of the month following that of sending the account by that Office. After this period, the sums due are productive of interest to the Union, at a rate of 5% per year, beginning on the day of the expiry of that period.
CHAPTER V. - Arbitration
Rule 132
Arbitration Procedure (Const. 32)
1. In the event of a dispute to be settled by arbitral award, each of the postal administrations in question chooses a postal administration of a Member Country that is not directly interested in the dispute. When a number of post offices are common cause, they rely only on one for the purposes of this provision.
2. In the event that one of the postal administrations in question does not follow up on an arbitration proposal within the six-month period, the International Bureau, if the application is made, in turn causes the appointment of an arbitrator by the failed postal administration or designates one of them as an ex officio.
3. The parties involved may agree to designate a single arbitrator, which may be the International Bureau.
4. The decision of the arbitrators shall be taken by a majority vote.
5. In the event of a vote-sharing, the arbitrators choose, in order to settle the dispute, another postal administration also disinterested in the dispute. In the absence of an agreement on choice, this postal administration is designated by the International Bureau as one of the postal administrations not proposed by the arbitrators.
6. If this is a dispute with respect to one of the Arrangements, arbitrators may not be designated outside the postal administrations participating in this Arrangement.
CHAPTER VI. - Final provisions
Article 133
Conditions for approval of proposals for the general regulations
To become enforceable, proposals submitted to Congress and related to these general rules must be approved by a majority of Member Countries represented in Congress and entitled to vote. At the time of voting, at least two thirds of the Member Countries of the Union having the right to vote must be present.
Rule 134
Proposals for agreements with the United Nations (Const. 9)
The conditions of approval referred to in Article 133 also apply to proposals to amend the agreements between the Universal Postal Union and the United Nations to the extent that these agreements do not provide for the conditions for amending the provisions they contain.
Rule 135
Implementation and duration of general regulations
These general rules will be implemented on 1^er January 2006 and will remain in force for an indefinite period.
In faith, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member Countries have signed this General Regulation in a copy which is deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau. A copy will be given to each Party by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done in Bucharest, October 5, 2004.

UNIVERSAL POST CONVENTION
Contents
Part I
Common rules applicable to international postal service
Single Chapter
General provisions
Art.
1. Definitions
2. Designation of the entity(s) responsible for fulfilling the obligations arising from accession to the Convention
3. Universal Postal Service
4. Freedom of transit
5. Postal shipments. Withdrew. Change or correction of address. Shipment. Return to sender of undistributable shipments
6. Taxes
7. Exemption of postal taxes
8. Post Stamps
9. Postal security
10. Environment
11. Offences
Part II
Rules applicable to posting of letters and postal parcels
Section 1
Benefits offer
12. Basic services
13. Additional services
14. Electronic mail, EMS, integrated logistics and new services
15. Unsubmitted. Prohibitions
16. Eligible radioactive and biological materials
17. Claims
18. Customs inspection. Customs and other duties
19. Exchange of closed dispatches with military units
20. Quality of Service Standards and Objectives
Chapter 2
Accountability
21. Responsibility of postal administrations. Compensation
22. Non-responsibility of postal administrations
23. Disclaimer of shipper
24. Payment of compensation
25. Possible recovery of compensation on the sender or recipient
26. Reciprocity applicable to reservations concerning liability
Chapter 3
Special provisions for mail to letters
27. Absence of mail to letters
Part three
Remuneration
Section 1
Special provisions for mail to letters
28. Terminal fees. General provisions
29. Terminal fees. Provisions applicable to exchanges between countries of the target system
30. Terminal fees. Provisions applicable to mail flows to, from and between countries of the transitional system
31. Quality of Service Improvement Fund
32. Transit costs
Chapter 2
Other provisions
33. Base rate and provisions for air transportation
34. Territorial and maritime assessments of postal parcels
35. Power of the Postal Operations Council to determine the amount of expenses and quotas
Part Four
Final provisions
36. Conditions for approval of proposals for the Convention and regulations
37. Reservations presented at the Congress
38. Implementation and duration of the Convention
Final Protocol of the Universal Postal Convention
Art.
I. Postal shipments. Withdrew. Change or correction of address
II. Taxes
III. Exception to the exemption of postal taxes in favour of the cecograms
IV. Basic services
V. Small packages
VI. Notice of receipt
VII. Commercial correspondence and international response (CCRI)
VIII. Prohibitions (post to letters)
IX. Prohibitions (postal)
X. Objects subject to customs duties
XI. Claims
XII. Customs presentation fee
XIII. Absence of mail to letters
XIV. Territorial quotas of exceptional arrival
XV. Special rates
The undersigned, Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member Countries of the Union, in view of Article 22.3 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union concluded in Vienna on 10 July 1964, have, in common agreement and subject to Article 25.4 of the said Constitution, arrested in this Convention, the rules applicable to international postal service.
Part I
Common rules applicable to international postal service
UNIC CHAPTER. - General provisions
Article 1
Definitions
1. For the purposes of the Universal Postal Convention, the following terms are defined as follows:
1.1 Universal Postal Service: Permanent Provision to Quality Basic Postal Services Customers, at any point in a country's territory, at affordable prices;
1.2 close dispatch: bag or set of bags or other containers labelled, leaded or cached, containing postal shipments;
1.3 uncovered transit: transit through an intermediate country of shipments whose number or weight does not justify the manufacture of a closed dispatch for the country of destination;
1.4 Postal shipments: generic term for each shipment carried out by mail (removal of mail to letters, postal parcels, mail order, etc.);
1.5 terminal costs: compensation due to the postal administration of destination by the mailing administration as compensation for costs related to the processing of mail shipments to letters received in the country of destination;
1.6 transit costs: compensation for benefits made by a carrier agency of the country crossed (postal administration, other service or combination of both), concerning the territorial, maritime and/or air transit of dispatches;
1.7 territorial assessment of arrival: compensation due to the postal administration of destination by the postal administration as compensation for the processing costs of a postal parcel in the country of destination;
1.8 territorial transit quota: compensation due to benefits made by a carrier agency of the transit country (postal administration, other service or combination of both), concerning territorial and/or air transit, for the delivery of a postal parcel through its territory;
1.9 maritime share: compensation due for benefits made by a carrier organization (postal administration, other service or combination of both) participating in the shipping of a postal parcel.
Article 2
Designation of the entity(s) responsible for fulfilling the obligations arising from accession to the Convention
1. The Member Countries shall notify the International Bureau, within six months of the closure of the Congress, of the name and address of the governmental body responsible for overseeing postal affairs. In addition, the Member Countries shall communicate to the International Bureau, within six months of the closure of the Congress, the name and address of the official designated operator(s) to ensure the operation of postal services and to fulfil the obligations arising from the Union Acts on its or their territories. Between two Congresses, any change in official governmental bodies and designated operators must be notified to the International Bureau as soon as possible.
Article 3
Universal Postal Service
1. To strengthen the concept of the uniqueness of the Union's postal territory, the Member Countries ensure that all users/customers enjoy the right to a universal postal service that corresponds to a quality basic postal service offering, permanently provided in any part of their territory, at affordable prices.
2. To this end, the Member Countries establish, within the framework of their national postal legislation or other usual means, the scope of the postal services concerned and the conditions of quality and affordable prices, taking into account both the needs of the population and their national conditions.
3. Member Countries ensure that postal service offers and quality standards are met by the operators responsible for ensuring universal postal service.
4. Member countries ensure that the provision of universal postal service is ensured in a sustainable manner, thus ensuring its sustainability.
Article 4
Freedom of transit
1. The principle of freedom of transit is enshrined in Article 1 of the Constitution.
It entails the obligation, for each post office, to always carry the fastest routes and the safest means it employs for its own shipments the closed dispatches and mail shipments to uncovered letters delivered to it by another post office. This principle also applies to improperly directed shipments or dispatches.
2. Countries that do not participate in the exchange of letters containing perishable biological materials or radioactive materials have the ability not to admit these shipments to the uncovered transit through their territory. The same is true for mailings to letters, other than letters, postcards and charts. This also applies to prints, periodicals, magazines, small packets and M bags whose content does not meet the legal provisions that regulate the conditions of publication or circulation in the country being crossed.
3. The freedom of transit of postal parcels to be transported by land and sea is limited to the territory of the countries participating in this service.
4. The freedom of transit of aircraft parcels is guaranteed throughout the Union. However, Member Countries that do not participate in the service of postal parcels may not be required to ensure the delivery, by surface, of aircraft packages.
5. If a Member Country does not observe the provisions concerning freedom of transit, other Member Countries have the right to abolish postal service with that country.
Article 5
Postal shipments. Withdrew. Change or correction of address. Shipment. Return to sender of undistributable shipments
1. Any postal shipment is owned by the shipper for as long as it has not been issued to the person entitled, unless the said consignment has been seized under the laws of the country of origin or destination and, in the case of application of Article 15.2.1.1 or 15.3, according to the law of the transit country.
2. The sender of a postal consignment may remove it from the service or cause it to be modified or corrected. Taxes and other conditions are prescribed in the regulations.
3. The Member Countries shall ensure the re-shipment of postal shipments, in the event of a change of address of the consignee, and the return to the consignor of undistributable consignments. Taxes and other conditions are set out in the regulations.
Article 6
Taxes
1. Taxes for different international and special postal services are set by postal administrations in accordance with the principles set out in the Convention and the regulations. They should in principle be related to the costs of providing these services.
2. The original administration sets the exemption fees for the transport of mail shipments to letters and postal parcels. Disbursement fees include the delivery of shipments to the recipient's home, provided that the distribution service is organized in the destination countries for shipments.
3. The taxes applied, including those referred to in the Acts, must be at least equal to those applied to domestic shipments with the same characteristics (category, quantity, processing time, etc.).
4. Postal administrations are authorized to exceed all indicative taxes in the Acts.
5. Above the minimum limit of the taxes set out in 3, postal administrations have the ability to concede reduced taxes based on their domestic legislation for mail shipments to letters and for postal parcels deposited in their country. These include the possibility of granting preferential rates to their customers with significant postal traffic.
6. It is forbidden to charge postal taxes on customers of any kind other than those provided in the Acts.
7. Except as provided in the Acts, each postal administration shall keep the taxes it has collected.
Article 7
Exemption of postal taxes
1. Principle
1.1 Postal franchise cases, as an exemption from the payment of security, are expressly provided for in the Convention. However, the regulations may establish provisions for the exemption of the payment of the security clearance as well as the exemption of the payment of transit costs, terminal fees and arrival quotas for mail shipments and postal parcels related to postal service sent by postal administrations and restricted Unions. In addition, mailings and postal parcels sent by the UPU International Office to the restricted Unions and postal administrations are considered to be mailings related to postal service and are exempt from all postal taxes. However, the original administration has the ability to collect air surtaxes for these latter shipments.
2. Prisoners of war and civil internees
2.1 Exempt from all postal taxes, excluding air surtaxes, mail-to-letter shipments, postal parcels and post-post financial services to prisoners of war or shipped by them either directly or through the offices mentioned in the Convention and the Post Payment Arrangements Regulations. The belligerents collected and interned in a neutral country are assimilated to the prisoners of war themselves with regard to the application of the above provisions.
2.2 The provisions set out in 2.1 also apply to consignments of the post to letters, postal parcels and mailings of postal financial services, from other countries, addressed to, or dispatched to, the civil persons under the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 relating to the protection of civilians in wartime, either directly or through the offices referred to in the regulations of the Convention and the Order of Payment for Services.
2.3 The offices referred to in the Convention and Post Payment Services Regulations also benefit from the post mailings, postal parcels and mailings of postal financial services in respect of the persons referred to in 2.1 and 2.2 that they ship or receive, either directly or as an intermediary.
2.4 Packages are allowed at a postage duty up to a weight of 5 kilograms. The weight limit is increased to 10 kilograms for consignments whose content is indivisible and for those sent to a camp or to its trusted men to be distributed to prisoners.
2.5 As part of the settlement of accounts between postal administrations, service packages and packages of prisoners of war and civil internees do not result in any quota, except for air transportation charges applicable to aircraft packages.
3. Ecograms
3.1 Ecograms are exempt from all postal taxes, excluding air surtaxes.
Article 8
Post Stamps
1. The name "post stamp" is protected under this Convention and is reserved exclusively for stamps that fulfill the conditions of this article and the regulations.
2. The postage stamp:
2.1 is issued exclusively by a competent issuing authority in accordance with UPU Acts; the issue of postage stamps includes their circulation;
2.2 is an attribute of sovereignty and constitutes:
2.2.1 proof of the payment of the impairment corresponding to its intrinsic value, when it is affixed to a postal shipment in accordance with the Union Acts;
2.2.2 a source of additional revenue for postal administrations as a philatelic object;
2.3 shall be in circulation in the territory of origin of the issuing postal administration for use for the purposes of freeing or philatelic purposes.
3. As an attribute of sovereignty, the postage stamp contains:
3.1 the name of the Member Country or territory under which the issuing post office is administered in Latin characters;
3.1.1 optionally, the official emblem of the Member Country under the issuing postal administration;
3.1.2 in principle, its face value in Latin characters or Arabic numerals;
3.1.3 optionally, the indication "Pets" in Latin or other characters.
4. State emblems, official signs of control and emblems of intergovernmental organizations on postage stamps are protected within the meaning of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Intellectual Property.
5. Subjects and motifs of postage stamps must:
5.1 conform to the spirit of the preamble of the UPU Constitution and the decisions taken by the EU bodies;
5.2 be closely related to the cultural identity of the country of the issuing postal administration or contribute to the promotion of culture or the maintenance of peace;
5.3 having, in the event of commemoration of foreign personalities or events in the country or territory of the issuing postal administration, a close connection with that country or territory;
5.4. be deprived of a political or offensive character or country;
5.5 be of significant significance to the country under which the issuing postal administration reports or to the issuing postal administration.
6. As an object of intellectual property rights, the postage stamp may contain:
6.1 the indication of the right of the issuing postal administration to use the relevant property rights:
6.1.1 copyright, by the acronym of copyright (C), the indication of the copyright owner and the mention of the year of issue;
6.1.2. the mark registered in the territory of the Member country to which the issuing postal administration reports, by the acronym of the registration of the mark (R) after the name of the mark;
6.2 the name of the artist;
6.3 the printer name.
7. Postal markings, fingerprints of machines and print prints or other printing or timbrage processes in accordance with UPU Acts can only be used on the authorization of the postal administration.
Article 9
Postal security
1. Member Countries adopt and implement a security action strategy at all levels of postal operations in order to maintain and increase public confidence in postal services, in the interest of all agents involved. Such a strategy should involve the exchange of information relating to the maintenance of safety and security of transport and transit of dispatches between the Member Countries.
Article 10
Environment
1. Member Countries must adopt and implement a dynamic environmental strategy at all levels of postal operation and promote awareness of environmental issues within the context of postal services.
Article 11
Offences
1. Postal shipments
1.1 The Member Countries undertake to take all necessary measures to prevent the following acts and to prosecute and punish their perpetrators:
1.1.1 Postal shipments of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or explosive, flammable or otherwise dangerous substances not expressly authorized by the Convention;
1.1.2 insertion into the postage of child pornography or pornographic objects representing children.
2. General disconnection and means of easing in particular
2.1 Members shall undertake to take all necessary measures to prevent, punish and punish offences relating to the means of deprivation provided for in this Convention:
2.1.1 Postage stamps, in circulation or removed from circulation;
2.1.2 the trademarks;
2.1.3 fingerprints of flawed machines or printing presses;
2.1.4 international coupons-response.
2.2 For the purposes of this Convention, an offence relating to means of deprivation is defined as one of the following acts, committed with the intention of providing an illegitimate enrichment to the author or to a third party. Must be punished:
2.2.1 the falsification, imitation or counterfeiting of means of deprivation, or any unlawful or criminal act related to their unauthorized manufacture;
2.2.2 Use, circulation, marketing, distribution, diffusion, transport, presentation or exhibition, including for advertising purposes, falsified, imit or counterfeit means;
2.2.3. the use or release for postage purposes of means of postage that have already been used;
2.2.4 attempts to commit one of the above-mentioned offences.
3. Reciprocity
3.1 With regard to sanctions, no distinction must be made between the acts provided for in 2, whether they are national or foreign means of enforcement; this provision may not be subject to any condition of legal or conventional reciprocity.
Part two. - Rules applicable to posting of letters and postal parcels
CHAPTER 1. - Provision of benefits
Article 12
Basic services
1. Members shall ensure the admission, processing, transportation and distribution of mail to letters.
2. Mail to letters shall include:
2.1 Priority and non-priority shipments up to 2 kilograms;
2.2 letters, postcards, printed and small packages up to 2 kilograms;
2.3 Ecograms up to 7 kilograms;
2.4 Special bags containing newspapers, periodical writings, books and printed documents similar to the address of the same recipient and the same destination, known as "M bags", up to 30 kilograms.
3. Shipments of mail to letters are classified according to the speed of their processing or according to their content, in accordance with the order of mail to letters.
4. Weight limits above those indicated in 2 apply optionally to certain categories of mail-to-letter shipments, as specified in the Post-to-letter Regulations.
5. The Member Countries also provide for the admission, processing, transport and distribution of postal parcels up to 20 kilograms, either by following the provisions of the Convention, or, in the case of starting packages and after bilateral agreement, using any other more advantageous means for their customers.
6. Weight limits greater than 20 kilograms are optionally applicable to certain categories of postal parcels, as specified in the Postal Package Regulations.
7. Any country whose postal administration is not responsible for the transport of parcels has the ability to enforce the provisions of the Convention by transport companies. At the same time, it may limit this service to parcels from or to localities served by these companies.
8. By derogation from the provisions of 5, countries which, before 1^er January 2001, were not parties to the Postal Package Arrangement are not required to provide service for postal parcels.
Article 13
Additional services
1. Member Countries provide the following additional mandatory services:
1.1 recommendation service for aircraft consignments and priority consignments from mail to letters;
1.2 recommendation service for mail shipments to non-priority and surface letters for destinations for which no priority or air mail service is provided;
1.3 Recommended Service for all mail-entry shipments.
2. The provision of a recommendation service for non-priority and surface shipments from mail to letters for destinations for which a priority service or air mail is provided is optional.
3. Member Countries may provide the following additional discretionary services as part of the inter-agency relations that have agreed to provide such services:
3.1 Service of shipments with declared value for mail shipments to letters and parcels;
3.2 Service of certified delivery for mail to letters;
3.3 Reimbursement service for mail and parcels;
3.4 express mailing service for mailings to letters and parcels;
3.5 Clean hand-delivery service for mail shipments to recommended letters, with certified delivery or with declared value;
3.6 Service of free mailings of taxes and duties for mailings to letters and parcels;
3.7 service of fragile packages and bulky packages;
3.8 "Consignment" grouping service for bundled consignments of a single consignor destined abroad.
4. The following three additional services include both mandatory and optional aspects:
4.1 Commercial correspondence-international response service (CCRI), which is essentially optional; but all jurisdictions are obligated to provide the return service for CCRI shipments;
4.2 International coupon-response service; these coupons can be exchanged in any Member country, but their sale is optional;
4.3 Receipt notices for mail shipments to registered or certified letters, packages and shipments with declared value; all postal administrations accept notifications of receipt for arrivals; However, the provision of a notice of receipt service for sending consignments is optional.
5. These services and related taxes are described in the regulations.
6. If the following items of service are subject to special domestic taxes, postal administrations are authorized to collect the same taxes for international shipments, as specified in the regulations:
6.1 distribution of small packages over 500 grams;
6.2 Filing of mail shipments to last-time letters;
6.3 Remittance of shipments outside the normal opening hours of the windows;
6.4 pick-up at the sender's home;
6.5 withdrawal from mail to letters outside the normal hours of opening of windows;
6.6 remaining posts;
6.7 store mail shipments in letters exceeding 500 grams and postal parcels;
6.8 delivery of packages in response to the notice of arrival;
6.9 coverage against the risk of force majeure.
Article 14
Electronic mail, EMS, integrated logistics and new services
1. Postal administrations may agree to participate in the following services described in the regulations:
1.1. e-mail, which is a service that uses electronic transmission of messages;
1.2 the SGS, which is an express postal service for documents and goods and which, as far as possible, constitutes the fastest postal service by physical means; Postal administrations have the ability to provide this service on the basis of the Multilateral EMS Standard Agreement or bilateral agreements;
1.3 The integrated logistics service, which fully meets the logistics needs of the customer and includes the steps before and following the physical transmission of the goods and documents;
1.4 the electronic postal stamp, which probatively attests to the reality of an electronic fact, in a given form, at any given time, and to which one or more parties participated.
2. Postal administrations may, in common agreement, create a new service not expressly provided for in the Union Acts. Fees for the new service are set by each interested administration, taking into account the operating costs of the service.
Article 15
Unsubmitted. Prohibitions
1. General provisions
1.1 Shipments that do not meet the requirements of the Convention and regulations are not allowed. Shipments sent for fraudulent acts or deliberate non-payment of all amounts due are not allowed either.
1.2 Exceptions to the prohibitions set out in this section are prescribed in the regulations.
1.3 All postal administrations may extend the prohibitions set out in this article, which may be applied immediately after their inclusion in the appropriate collection.
2. Prohibitions against all types of shipments
2.1 The insertion of the following objects is prohibited in all shipment categories:
2.1.1 Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances;
2.1.2. obscene or immoral objects;
2.1.3. objects whose import or traffic is prohibited in the country of destination;
2.1.4 articles that, by their nature or packaging, may pose a danger to agents or the general public, salt or damage other consignments, postal equipment or property belonging to third parties;
2.1.5 documents having the present and personal correspondence between persons other than the sender and the recipient or persons living with them.
3. Explosive, flammable or radioactive materials and other hazardous materials
3.1 The insertion of explosive, flammable or other hazardous materials and radioactive materials is prohibited in all shipment categories.
3.2 Exceptionally, the following substances and substances are allowed:
3.2.1. the radioactive material shipped in mail shipments to the letters and postal parcels referred to in 16.1;
3.2.2 biological substances shipped in mail shipments to letters referred to in section 16.2.
4. Live animals
4.1 The insertion of live animals is prohibited in all shipment categories.
4.2 Exceptionally, the following animals are admitted to mailings other than shipments with declared value:
4.2.1 bees, straps and silk worms;
4.2.2 pests and noxious insect destroyers for the control of these insects and exchanged between officially recognized institutions;
4.2.3 flies of the drosophilid family used for biomedical research between officially recognized institutions.
4.3 Exceptionally, the following animals are allowed in the packages:
4.3.1 live animals whose mail transport is authorized by the postal regulations of the countries concerned.
5. Insertion of correspondence in packages
5.1 The insertion of the following objects is prohibited in the postal packages:
5.1.1 documents having the current and personal correspondence character;
5.1.2 correspondence of any kind exchanged between persons other than the sender and the recipient or persons living with them.
6. Currency, bank notes and other valuables
6.1 It is forbidden to insert coins, bank notes, currency notes or any value to the bearer, travel checks, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, stoneware, jewellery and other valuable items:
6.1.1. in mail shipments to unreported letters;
6.1.1.1, however, if the domestic legislation of the countries of origin and destination permits, such items may be shipped under closed envelope as recommended consignments;
6.1.2 in packages without declared value unless the domestic legislation of the countries of origin and destination permits it;
6.1.3 in unreported packages exchanged between two countries that admit the declaration of value;
6.1.3.1 In addition, each administration has the power to prohibit the insertion of gold in the ingots in packages with or without declared value from or to its territory or transmitted in transit to discovered by its territory; it may limit the actual value of these shipments.
7. Prints and Ecograms
7.1 Prints and charts:
7.1.1. cannot bear any annotation or contain any correspondence;
7.1.2 shall not contain any postage stamps, any postage formula, whether obliterated or not, or any paper representative of a value, except in cases where the shipment includes a pre-paid card, envelope or strip for return and on which is printed the address of the sender of the shipment or his agent in the country of deposit or destination of the original shipment.
8. Treatment of wrongly admitted consignments
8.1 The processing of wrongly admitted consignments was regulated. However, consignments that contain objects referred to in 2.1.1, 2.1.2 and 3.1 are not sent to the destination, delivered to the consignees or returned to the origin. If objects under 2.1.1 and 3.1 are discovered in transit shipments, they will be processed in accordance with the national legislation of the transit country.
Article 16
Eligible radioactive and biological materials
1. Radioactive material is allowed in the mailings to the letters and in the postal parcels, in the context of the relations between the postal administrations that have agreed to admit these shipments either in their mutual relations or in a single sense, under the following conditions:
1.1. the radioactive material shall be packed and packed in accordance with the respective provisions of the regulations;
1.2 When they are sent to the mail in the letters, they are subject to the priority mail tariff or to the letter tariff and recommendation;
1.3 the radioactive material contained in mail shipments to letters or postal parcels shall be routed by the fastest route, normally by air, subject to the carrying out of the corresponding air surtaxes;
1.4 Radioactive material may only be deposited by duly authorized shippers.
2. Biological substances are allowed in mailings under the following conditions:
2.1 Perishable biological materials, infectious substances and solid carbon dioxide (carbon snow), when used to refrigerate infectious substances, can only be delivered through mail through exchanges between officially recognized qualified laboratories. These dangerous goods may be accepted in the mail for their air transport, provided that national legislation, the existing technical instructions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the IATA regulations concerning dangerous goods permit.
2.2 Perishable biological materials and infectious substances conditioned and packaged according to the respective provisions of the Regulations are subject to the tariff of priority consignments or to the tariff of letters and to the recommendation. Postal processing of these shipments may be subject to a surtax.
2.3 The admission of perishable biological materials and infectious substances is limited to Member countries whose postal administrations have agreed to accept these shipments either in their mutual relations or in a single sense.
2.4 These substances or materials are transported by the fastest route, normally by air, subject to the acquittal of the corresponding air surtaxes, and are given priority to delivery.
Article 17
Claims
1. Each postal administration is required to accept claims for a shipment filed in its service or another postal administration, provided that these claims are filed within six months of the day after the day on which the shipment was filed. The six-month period concerns the relationship between claimants and postal administrations and does not cover the transmission of claims between postal administrations.
1.1 However, the acceptance of claims regarding the non-receipt of a mail to ordinary letters is not mandatory. For example, postal administrations that accept claims relating to non-receipt of mail to ordinary letters have the ability to limit their investigations to searches in the waste service.
2. Claims are admitted under the conditions set out in the regulations.
3. Claim processing is free of charge. However, the additional costs associated with a request for transmission by the EMS service are normally borne by the applicant.
Article 18
Customs inspection. Customs and other duties
1. The postal administration of the country of origin and that of the country of destination are allowed to subject the shipments to customs control, according to the laws of these countries.
2. Consignments subject to customs control may be subject to a customs presentation fee for postal purposes, the indicative amount determined by the regulations. This tax is collected only for the purposes of the customs presentation and customs clearance of shipments that have been subject to customs duties or any other similar duty.
3. Postal administrations that have obtained authorization to operate the customs clearance on behalf of customers are authorized to collect a tax on customers based on the actual costs of the transaction.
4. Postal administrations are authorized to collect on shippers or consignees of consignments, as the case may be, customs duties and any other duties.
Article 19
Exchange of closed dispatches with military units
1. Letter mail closures may be exchanged through territorial, marine or air services in other countries:
1.1 between the post offices of one of the Member Countries and the commanders of the military units made available to the United Nations;
1.2 between the commanders of these military units;
1.3 between the post offices of one of the Member Countries and commanders of naval, air or land divisions, warships or military aircraft of that same country station abroad;
1.4 between commanders of naval, air or land divisions, warships or military aircraft of the same country.
2. Shipments of the mail to the letters included in the dispatches referred to in 1 shall be exclusively at the address or from members of the military units or staff and crews of ships or aircraft of destination or dispatchers of the dispatches. The rates and conditions of shipment applicable to them are determined, according to its regulations, by the postal administration of the country that has made available the military unit or to which ships or aircraft belong.
3. Except as a special agreement, the postal administration of the country that has made available the military unit or that is owned by the warships or military aircraft shall be liable to the relevant administrations for the transit costs of dispatches, terminal costs and air transportation costs.
Rule 20
Quality of Service Standards and Objectives
1. Administrations must establish and publish their standards and objectives for the distribution of mail shipments to letters and packages arriving.
2. These standards and objectives, which are increased from the time normally required for clearance, must not be less favourable than those applied to comparable shipments of their domestic service.
3. Authorities of origin must also set and publish standards from end to end for priority shipments and aircraft shipments from mail to letters as well as for economic/surface packages and packages.
4. Postal administrations assess the application of quality of service standards.
CHAPTER 2. - Accountability
Article 21
Responsibility of postal administrations. Compensation
1. General
1.1 Except as provided in section 22, the postal authorities shall reply:
1.1.1 the loss, spoliation or agrarian of recommended shipments, ordinary packages and shipments with declared value;
1.1.2 loss of certified delivery;
1.1.3 of the removal of a package whose reason for non-distribution is not given.
1.2 Postal administrations do not assume responsibility for shipments other than those listed in 1.1.1 and 1.1.2.
1.3 In any other case not provided for in this Convention, postal administrations are not responsible.
1.4 When the total loss or avagance of a recommended consignment, ordinary parcel or declared consignment results from a case of force majeure that does not result in compensation, the consignor is entitled to the restitution of the fees paid, with the exception of the insurance tax.
1.5 The amounts of the allowance to be paid may not be greater than the amounts set out in the order of the mail to the letters and in the payment for the postal parcels.
1.6 In the event of liability, indirect damage or unrealized profits are not considered in the amount of compensation payable.
1.7 All liability provisions of postal administrations are strict, mandatory and comprehensive. Postal administrations do not in any case undertake their responsibility - even in the event of a serious error (serious error) - outside the limits established in the Convention and the regulations.
2. Recommended shipments
2.1 In the event of loss, total spoliation or total avagance of a recommended consignment, the consignor shall be entitled to compensation determined by the regulation of the mail to the letters. If the sender claims an amount less than the amount set out in the order of the mail to the letters, the authorities are entitled to pay the lesser amount and to be reimbursed on that basis by the other jurisdictions, if any.
2.2 In the event of partial spoliation or partial avagance of a recommended consignment, the consignor is entitled to an indemnity that in principle corresponds to the actual amount of the spoliation or agrarian.
3. Certified delivery
3.1 In the event of loss, total spoliation or total avagance of a certified delivery, the shipper is entitled only to the restitution of the paid taxes.
4. Regular
4.1 In the event of loss, total spoliation or total avagance of an ordinary package, the shipper is entitled to an allowance set out in the postal package regulations. If the sender claims an amount less than the amount set out in the Postal Packages Regulations, the postal administrations are entitled to pay the lesser amount and to be reimbursed on that basis by the other posting administrations that may be concerned.
4.2 In the event of partial spoliation or partial agrarian of an ordinary parcel, the consignor is entitled to compensation that is, in principle, the actual amount of spoliation or agrarian.
4.3 Postal administrations may agree to apply in their reciprocal relations the amount per parcel fixed by the regulation concerning postal parcels, regardless of the weight of the package.
5. Payments with declared value
5.1 In the event of loss, total spoliation or total avagance of a consignment with declared value, the consignor is entitled to an indemnity that in principle corresponds to the amount in SDR of the declared value.
5.2 In the event of partial spoliation or partial agrarian of a consignment with declared value, the consignor shall be entitled to an indemnity that in principle corresponds to the actual amount of spoliation or agrarian. However, it cannot in any case exceed the amount in SDR of the declared value.
6. In the cases referred to in 4 and 5, the allowance is calculated according to the current price, converted to SDRs, objects or goods of the same nature, at the place and at the time the shipment was accepted for carriage. In the absence of a common price, the allowance is calculated on the basis of the ordinary value of the objects or goods assessed on the same basis.
7. Where an allowance is payable for the loss, total segregation or total avagance of a recommended consignment, ordinary parcel or a consignment with declared value, the consignor or, as the case may be, the consignee shall be entitled, in addition, to the restitution of taxes and duties paid, with the exception of the recommendation or insurance tax. The same is true of recommended shipments, ordinary parcels or shipments with declared value refused by the recipients because of their poor condition, if it is attributable to the postal service and is responsible.
8. By derogation from the provisions of 2, 4 and 5, the consignee is entitled to compensation after having taken delivery of a recommended consignment, a regular package or a consignment with a declared spoliated or damaged value.
9. The original postal administration has the power to pay to shippers in its country the allowances provided for in its domestic legislation for recommended shipments and unreported parcels, provided that they are not less than those set out in 2.1 and 4.1. The same applies to the postal administration of destination when the allowance is paid to the recipient. However, the amounts set out in 2.1 and 4.1 remain applicable:
9.1 in case of appeal against the responsible administration;
9.2 if the sender disclaims his rights in favour of the recipient or vice versa.
10. No reserve for payment of compensation to postal administrations, except in the case of a bilateral agreement, is applicable to this section.
Article 22
Non-responsibility of postal administrations
1. Postal administrations cease to be responsible for the recommended shipments, certified delivery shipments, parcels and shipments with declared value, which they have delivered under the conditions prescribed by their regulations for shipments of the same nature. However, liability is maintained:
1.1 where a spoliation or damage is found either before delivery or when delivery of the shipment;
1.2 where, the domestic regulation permitting, the consignee, if any, the consignor if the consignor is referred to the origin, shall make reservations by taking delivery of a consigned or damaged consignment;
1.3 where, the domestic regulations permitting, the recommended shipment was distributed in a mailbox and the recipient declares not to have received it;
1.4 where the consignee or, in the event of reference to the origin, the consignor of a parcel or consignment with declared value, notwithstanding a given discharge regularly, shall declare without delay to the administration which has delivered the consignment that has found a damage; it must administer evidence that spoliation or agrarian did not occur after delivery; the term "without delay" must be interpreted in accordance with national legislation.
2. Postal administrations are not responsible:
2.1 in case of force majeure, subject to 13.6.9;
2.2 where, as proof of their liability has not been otherwise administered, they cannot account for shipments as a result of the destruction of service documents resulting from a case of force majeure;
2.3 where the damage was caused by the fault or negligence of the shipper or by the nature of the content;
2.4 in the case of shipments that fall under the prohibitions provided for in section 15;
2.5 in the event of seizure, under the laws of the country of destination, according to notification of the administration of that country;
2.6 in the case of shipments with declared value having been the subject of a fraudulent declaration of value greater than the actual value of the content;
2.7 where no claim has been made by the shipper within six months of the day after the day on which the shipment was filed;
2.8 in the case of prisoners of war and civil internees;
2.9 when the shipper is suspected to have acted with fraudulent intentions in order to receive compensation.
3. Postal administrations do not assume any responsibility for the Chief of Customs declarations, in any form they are made, and decisions taken by the customs services during the verification of shipments subject to customs control.
Article 23
Disclaimer of shipper
1. The consignor of a consignment shall be liable for the bodily harm suffered by the officers of the posts and for all damage caused to other postal consignments as well as to postal equipment as a result of the shipment of objects not admitted to the carriage or non-observance of the conditions of admission.
2. In the event of damage to other postal shipments, the sender is liable within the same limits as the postal administrations for each damaged shipment.
3. The shipper remains responsible even if the depository office accepts such a shipment.
4. On the other hand, where the conditions of admission have been met by the sender, the sender is not liable to the extent that there has been a fault or negligence of postal administrations or carriers in the processing of consignments after their acceptance.
Article 24
Payment of compensation
1. Subject to the right of appeal against the responsible administration, the obligation to pay compensation and to return taxes and duties is, as the case may be, the original administration or the administration of destination.
2. The consignor has the power to resist his rights to compensation in favour of the consignee. Conversely, the recipient has the ability to resist his rights in favour of the shipper. The sender or recipient may authorize a third person to receive compensation if the domestic legislation permits.
Rule 25
Possible recovery of compensation on the sender or recipient
1. If, after payment of compensation, a recommended consignment, a parcel or a consignment with declared value or a portion of the previously considered lost content is found, the consignor or consignee, as the case may be, is notified that the consignment is kept at its disposal for a period of three months, for reimbursement of the amount of the compensation paid. He is asked, at the same time, to whom the shipment must be delivered. In case of refusal or non-response within the specified time limit, the same procedure shall be carried out with the consignee or sender, as the case may be, by giving the same response time.
2. If the consignor and the consignee give up the delivery of the consignment or do not respond within the limits of the time limit set under 1, the consignor becomes the property of the administration or, where appropriate, the administrations that have borne the damage.
3. In the event of a subsequent discovery of a shipment with declared value whose content is recognized as less than the amount of the compensation paid, the shipper or recipient, as the case may be, must refund the amount of that allowance against delivery, without prejudice to the consequences arising from the fraudulent declaration of value.
Rule 26
Reciprocity applicable to reservations concerning liability
1. By derogation from the provisions of sections 22 to 25, any Member Country that reserves the right not to pay compensation under liability shall not be entitled to such compensation on the part of another Member Country that agrees to assume liability in accordance with the provisions of the above-mentioned articles.
CHAPTER 3. - Special provisions for mail to letters
Rule 27
Absence of mail to letters
1. No Member Countries are required to send or distribute to the recipients any mail shipments to the letters that shippers residing in their territory file or file in a foreign country, with a view to benefiting from the more favourable tariff conditions applied therein.
2. The provisions under 1 shall apply without distinction either to the consignments of the post prepared in the country of residence of the consignor and then transported across the border, or to the consignments of the post made in a foreign country.
3. The destination administration has the right to require the sender and, if not, the deposit administration to pay the domestic rates. If neither the consignor nor the depository administration agrees to pay these rates within a time limit set by the destination administration, it may either return the consignments to the deposit administration by having the right to be refunded from the transfer fees or treat them in accordance with its own legislation.
4. No Member country is required to send or distribute to the recipients the mail shipments to the letters that shippers have filed or filed in large quantities in a country other than the country where they reside if the amount of the terminal fees to be charged is less than the amount that would have been collected if the shipments had been deposited in the country of residence of the shippers. The destination authorities have the right to require the deposit administration to pay in respect of the costs incurred, which cannot exceed the highest amount of the following two formulae: 80% of the domestic tariff applicable to equivalent consignments, or 0.14 SDRs per consignment plus 1 SDR per kilogram. If the deposit administration does not agree to pay the amount claimed within a time limit set by the destination administration, the deposit administration may either return the shipments to the deposit administration by having the right to be refunded from the return fee or process them in accordance with its own legislation.
Part three. - Remuneration
CHAPTER 1. - Special provisions for mail to letters
Rule 28
Terminal fees. General provisions
1. Subject to the exemptions prescribed in the regulations, each administration that receives from another administration mail shipments to letters shall be entitled to receive compensation from the dispatching administration for the costs incurred by the international mail received.
2. For the purposes of the provisions concerning the payment of terminal expenses, postal administrations are classified as countries and territories of the target system or countries and territories entitled to be part of the transitional system, in accordance with the list established by the Congress in its resolution C 12/2004. In the provisions on terminal costs, countries and territories are named "country".
3. The provisions of this Convention concerning the payment of terminal fees are transitional measures leading to the adoption of a payment system taking into account elements specific to each country.
4. Access to the internal regime
4.1 Each administration shall make available to other jurisdictions all of the rates, terms and conditions it offers in its domestic system, under identical conditions, to its national customers.
4.2 A sender administration may, under comparable conditions, request the destination administration of the target system to benefit from the same conditions that the target system has planned with its national customers for equivalent shipments.
4.3 Transient system administrations should indicate whether they authorize access to the conditions referred to in 4.1.
4.3.1 Where an administration of the transitional system declares that it authorizes access to the conditions offered in its domestic system, that authorization applies to all the Union administrations in a non-discriminatory manner.
4.4 It is up to the destination administration to decide whether the conditions of access to its internal system are met by the original administration.
5. Rates of the number of mail terminal fees should not exceed the most favourable rates applied by the destination administration under bilateral or multilateral arrangements for terminal costs. It is for the destination administration to judge whether or not the original administration has met the access conditions.
6. Terminal fees will be based on the performance of service quality in the country of destination. The Postal Operations Council will therefore be authorized to award compensation in accordance with sections 29 and 30 in order to encourage participation in the control system and to reward administrations that achieve their quality objective. The Postal Operating Board may also set penalties for insufficient quality, but the remuneration may not go below the minimum wage set out in sections 29 and 30.
7. Any administration may fully or partially waive the remuneration under 1.
8. Interested jurisdictions may, by bilateral or multilateral agreement, apply other pay systems for the settlement of accounts for terminal costs.
Rule 29
Terminal fees. Provisions applicable
countries in the target system
1. Compensation for mail shipments to letters, including mail in numbers, excluding M bags, is based on the application of rates per shipment and per kilogram reflecting processing costs in the country of destination; these costs must be in relation to domestic rates. The calculation of the rates is carried out according to the conditions specified in the regulation of the mail to the letters.
2. Rates per consignment and per kilogram are calculated from a percentage of the tax of a priority letter of 20 grams of the domestic regime, as follows:
2.1 for 2006: 62 per cent;
2.2 for 2007: 64 per cent;
2.3 for 2008: 66 per cent;
2.4 for 2009: 68%.
3. Rates cannot exceed:
3.1 for 2006: 0.226 SDRs per consignment and 1.768 SDRs per kilogram;
3.2 for 2007: 0.231 SDRs per consignment and 1.812 SDRs per kilogram;
3.3 for 2008: 0.237 SDRs per consignment and 1.858 SDRs per kilogram;
3.4 for 2009: 0.243 SDRs per consignment and 1.904 SDRs per kilogram.
4. For the period from 2006 to 2009, rates to be applied may not be less than 0.147 SDRs per shipment and 1.491 SDRs per kilogram. As long as the rate increase does not exceed 100% of the tax of a priority letter of 20 grams of the domestic regime of the country concerned, the minimum rates will take the following values:
4.1 for 2006: 0.151 SDRs per consignment and 1.536 SDRs per kilogram;
4.2 for 2007: 0.154 SDRs per consignment and 1.566 SDRs per kilogram;
4.3 for 2008: 0.158 SDRs per consignment and 1.598 SDRs per kilogram;
4.4 for 2009: 0.161 SDRs per shipment and 1.630 SDRs per kilogram.
5. For M bags, the rate to be applied is 0.793 DTS per kilogram.
5.1 M bags of less than 5 kilograms are considered to weigh 5 kilograms for payment of terminal expenses.
6. Additional pay of 0.5 SDRs per consignment is provided for recommended consignments and an additional pay of 1 SDR per consignment is provided for consignments with declared value.
7. The provisions between countries of the target system apply to any country in the transient system stating that they want to join the target system. The Postal Operations Council may determine the transitional measures in the regulation of the mail to letters.
8. No reservation, except in the case of a bilateral agreement, is applicable to this article.
Rule 30
Terminal fees. Provisions applicable to mail flows to, from and between countries of the transitional system
1. Remuneration
1.1 Compensation for mail-to-letter shipments, excluding M-bags, is 0.147 SDRs per shipment and 1.491 SDRs per kilogram.
1.1.1 For flows less than 100 tonnes per year, both components are converted to a total rate of 3.727 SDRs per kilogram based on a global average number of 15.21 consignments per kilogram.
1.1.2 For flows greater than 100 tonnes per year, the total rate of 3.727 SDRs per kilogram is applied if neither the destination administration nor the original administration require a revision of the rate based on the actual number of shipments per kilogram of the flow in question. In addition, this rate is applied when the actual number of shipments per kilogram is between 13 and 17.
1.1.3 When one of the administrations requests the application of the actual number of shipments per kilogram, the calculation of the remuneration of the particular flow is carried out according to the review mechanism provided for in the regulation of the mail to letters.
1.1.4 The downward revision of the total rate indicated in 1.1.2 cannot be invoked by a country of the target system against a country of the transitional system, unless the latter country requests a reverse revision.
1.2 For M bags, the rate to be applied is 0.793 DTS per kilogram.
1.2.1 M bags of less than 5 kilograms are considered to weigh 5 kilograms for payment of terminal expenses.
1.3 Additional pay of 0.5 SDRs per consignment is provided for recommended consignments and an additional pay of 1 SDR per consignment is provided for consignments with declared value.
2. Systems harmonization mechanism
2.1 When an administration of the target system receiving a mail flow of more than 50 tonnes per year finds that the annual weight of this flow exceeds the threshold calculated according to the conditions specified in the regulation of the mail to the letters, it may apply to the mail exceeding this threshold the compensation system provided that it has not applied the review mechanism.
2.2 Where an administration of the transitional system that receives in one year a flow of mail greater than 50 tons of another country of the transitional system establishes that the annual weight of that flow exceeds the threshold calculated under the conditions specified in the regulation of the mail to the letters, it may apply to mail exceeding that threshold the surcharge of remuneration provided for in section 31, provided that it has not applied the review mechanism.
3. Number
3.1 The number pay for mail to the countries of the target system is based on the application of the rates per consignment and per kilogram provided for in section 29.
3.2 Administrations of the transitional system may request, for the number received, a remuneration of 0.147 SDRs per shipment and 1.491 SDRs per kilogram.
4. No reservation, except in the case of a bilateral agreement, is applicable to this article.
Rule 31
Quality of Service Improvement Fund
1. Except for large M bags and consignments, terminal fees payable by all countries and territories to countries classified by the Economic and Social Council in the least developed countries are increased to 16.5 per cent of the rate of 3.727 SDRs per kilogram indicated in Article 30 for the purpose of feeding the Fund to improve the quality of service in least developed countries. No such payment takes place between the least developed countries.
2. The UPU member countries and the territories included in the Union have the right to file with the Governing Council a duly justified request for their country or territory to be considered as requiring additional resources. TRAC 1 (formerly developing countries) has the capacity to apply to the Board of Directors to benefit from the Fund for the Improvement of Quality of Service under the same conditions as the least developed countries. In addition, countries classified by the United Nations Development Programme in the category of net contributors have the ability to apply to the Board of Directors to benefit from the Fund for the Improvement of Quality of Service under the same conditions as countries eligible for TRAC 1. The applications considered favourably under this section shall take effect on the first day of the calendar year following that of the Governing Council decision. The Board of Directors assesses the application and decides, on the basis of severe assessment criteria, whether or not a country may be considered a less advanced country or a country eligible for TRAC 1, as the case may be, under the Quality of Service Fund. The Board of Directors reviews and updates annually the list of UPU member countries and territories included in the Union.
3. Except for M-bags and numbered shipments, the terminal costs payable by the countries and territories classified by the Congress in the category of industrialized countries for the purpose of payment of terminal fees to countries and territories classified by the United Nations Development Programme in the category of countries other than the least developed countries eligible for TRAC 1 resources are the subject of an increase of 8 per cent of the rate of 3,727 DTS per kilogram
4. Except for M bags and large consignments, the terminal fees payable by the countries and territories classified by the Congress in the category of industrialized countries for the purpose of payment of terminal fees to the countries and territories classified by the same Congress in the category of developing countries other than those listed under 1 and 3 are the subject of an increase of 1% of the rate of 3.727 SDRs per kilogram indicated in Article 30, under that heading
5. Countries and territories eligible for TRAC 1 resources can seek to improve the quality of their services through regional or multinational projects for least developed countries or low-income countries. These projects would directly benefit all parties that would contribute to their funding through the Quality of Service Improvement Fund.
6. In particular, regional projects should promote the implementation of UPU programmes for improving service quality and establishing analytical accounting systems in developing countries. The Postal Operations Council will adopt appropriate procedures for financing these projects by 2006.
Rule 32
Transit costs
1. Broken dispatches and uncovered transit shipments exchanged between two jurisdictions or between two offices in the same country using one or more other administrations (third party services) are subject to payment of transit costs. These are a reward for services related to territorial transit, maritime transit and air transit.
CHAPTER 2. - Other provisions
Rule 33
Base rate and provisions for air transportation
1. The basic rate to be applied to the regulation of air transport accounts between administrations is approved by the Postal Operations Council. It is calculated by the International Bureau according to the formula specified in the regulation of the mail to letters.
2. The calculation of the air transportation costs of closed dispatches, priority shipments, aircraft consignments and uncovered transit packages, as well as the related accounting modes, is described in the regulation of the mail in letters and the regulation of postal parcels.
3. The transportation costs for the entire air route are:
3.1 in the case of closed dispatches, at the expense of the administration of the country of origin, including when these dispatches transit through one or more intermediary postal administrations;
3.2 in the case of priority shipments and uncovered transit carriers, including those that are poorly routed, at the expense of the administration that delivers shipments to another administration.
4. These same rules apply to shipments free of territorial and maritime transit charges if they are routed by air.
5. Each destination administration that provides air transportation of international mail within its country is entitled to reimbursement of the additional costs incurred by this transport, provided that the weighted average distance of the routes carried out exceeds 300 kilometres. The Postal Operations Council may replace the weighted average distance with another relevant criterion. Unless free of charge is granted, the fees must be uniform for all priority dispatches and aircraft dispatches from abroad, whether or not they are re-routed by air.
6. However, where compensation for terminal costs received by the destination administration is based specifically on domestic costs or rates, no additional reimbursement for domestic air transportation costs is made.
7. The destination administration excludes, with a view to calculating the weighted average distance, the weight of all dispatches for which the calculation of the offset of terminal costs is specifically based on the costs or the internal rates of the destination administration.
Rule 34
Territorial and maritime assessments of postal parcels
1. Packages exchanged between two postal administrations are subject to the territorial quotas of arrival calculated by combining the base rate per package and the base rate per kilogram fixed by the regulation.
1.1 Taking into account the above basic rates, postal administrations may also be allowed to benefit from additional rates per package and per kilogram, in accordance with the provisions of the regulations.
1.2 The quotas referred to in 1 and 1.1 shall be borne by the administration of the country of origin, unless the regulations concerning postal parcels provide for exemptions to that principle.
1.3 The territorial quotas for arrival must be uniform for the entire territory of each country.
2. Packages exchanged between two jurisdictions or between two offices of the same country by means of the land services of one or more other jurisdictions are subject, for the benefit of countries whose services participate in the territorial transport, to the territorial transit quotas fixed by the by-law according to the distance level.
2.1 For uncovered transit packages, intermediary administrations are allowed to claim the lump sum per consignment fixed by the regulations.
2.2 The territorial quotas for transit are the responsibility of the administration of the country of origin, unless the regulations concerning postal parcels provide for exemptions to this principle.
3. Each country whose services participate in the shipping of parcels is authorized to claim maritime quotas. These quotas are to be borne by the administration of the country of origin, unless the regulations concerning postal parcels provide for exemptions to this principle.
3.1 For each borrowed marine service, the maritime quota is set out in the Postal Package Regulations at the distance level.
3.2 Postal administrations have the capacity to increase the maritime quota calculated in accordance with 3.1 by up to 50 per cent. On the other hand, they can reduce it at their will.
Rule 35
Power of the Postal Operations Council to determine the amount of expenses and quotas
1. The Postal Operations Council has the authority to determine the following fees and quotas, which must be paid by postal administrations under the conditions set out in the regulations:
1.1 transit costs for the processing and transport of mail dispatches to letters by at least one third country;
1.2 base rate and air transportation charges applicable to air mail;
1.3 territorial assessment of arrival for the processing of arrival packages;
1.4 territorial transit quotas for the processing and transport of packages by a third country;
1.5 maritime quotas for shipping packages.
2. The revision that can be done, through a methodology that ensures fair remuneration for services administrations, will need to rely on reliable and representative economic and financial data. The possible change that may be decided will come into force on a date fixed by the Postal Operations Council.
Part Four. - Final provisions
Rule 36
Conditions for approval of proposals for the Convention and regulations
1. To become enforceable, proposals submitted to Congress and related to this Convention must be approved by a majority of the Member Countries present and voting with the right to vote. At the time of the vote, at least half of the Member Countries represented at the Congress shall be present.
2. In order to become enforceable, proposals for the regulation of mail to letters and by-law concerning postal parcels must be approved by a majority of the members of the Postal Operations Council entitled to vote.
3. In order to become enforceable, the proposals introduced between two Congresses relating to this Convention and its Final Protocol shall include:
3.1 two thirds of the vote, at least half of the Member Countries of the Union having the right to vote and having participated in the vote, if any amendments are made;
3.2 the majority of votes if this is the interpretation of the provisions.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions laid down in 3.1, any Member country whose national legislation is still incompatible with the proposed amendment has the power to make a written statement to the Director General of the International Bureau stating that it is not possible to accept this amendment within ninety days from the date of notification of the amendment.
Rule 37
Reservations presented at the Congress
1. Any reservation incompatible with the object and purpose of the Union is not permitted.
2. As a general rule, the Member Countries that cannot share their views by the other Member Countries must endeavour, to the extent possible, to rally to the opinion of the majority. The reservation must be made in the event of absolute necessity and be appropriately motivated.
3. The reservation to articles of this Convention shall be submitted to Congress in the form of a written proposal in one of the working languages of the International Bureau in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Congress.
4. To be effective, the reservation submitted to Congress must be approved by the majority required in each case for the amendment of the article to which the reservation relates.
5. In principle, the reservation is applied on a basis of reciprocity between the Member Country having issued it and the other Member Countries.
6. The reservation to this Convention will be inserted in its Final Protocol on the basis of the proposal approved by the Congress.
Rule 38
Implementation and duration of the Convention
1. This Convention will be implemented on 1^er January 2006 and will remain in force until the implementation of the Acts of the next Congress.
In faith, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member Countries signed this Convention in a copy which is deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau. A copy will be given to each Party by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done in Bucharest, October 5, 2004.
FINAL PROTOCOL OF THE UNIVERSAL POST CONVENTION
At the time of signature of the Universal Postal Convention concluded at the date of this day, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries agreed as follows:
Article I
Appearance of mail. Withdrew. Change or correction of address
1. The provisions of Article 5.1 and 2 shall not apply to Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Dominica, Egypt, Fiji, Gambia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
2. The provisions of Article 5.1 and 2 also do not apply to Austria, Denmark and Iran (Islamic Republic), whose legislation does not permit the removal or modification of the address of the mail to the letters at the request of the sender from the time the consignee was informed of the arrival of a consignment to his address.
3. Section 5.1 does not apply to Australia, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
4. Section 5.2 does not apply to the Bahamas, Iraq, Myanmar and the Republic of Korea, whose legislation does not permit the removal or modification of the address of mail to letters at the request of the sender.
5. Section 5.2 does not apply to America (United States).
6. Section 5.2 applies to Australia as it is consistent with the domestic legislation of that country.
7. By derogation from Article 5.2, El Salvador, Panama (Rép.), the Philippines, the Republic of Congo and Venezuela are allowed not to return the parcels after the consignee has requested the clearance of the parcels, as their customs laws oppose it.
Article II
Taxes
1. By derogation from section 6, the postal administrations of Australia, Canada and New Zealand are authorized to collect postal taxes other than those set out in the regulations, where the taxes in question are eligible under the laws of their country.
Article III
Exception to the exemption of postal taxes in favour of the cecograms
1. By derogation from Article 7, the postal administrations of Indonesia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Turkey, which do not grant the postage to the Ecograms in their domestic service, have the ability to collect the taxes for security and special services, which, however, cannot exceed those of their domestic service.
2. By derogation from Article 7, the postal administrations of Germany, America (United States), Australia, Austria, Canada, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Japan and Switzerland have the ability to collect the special services taxes that are applied to the Ecograms in their domestic service.
Article IV
Basic services
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 12, Australia does not approve the extension of basic services to postal parcels.
2. The provisions of Article 12.2.4 do not apply to Britain, whose national legislation imposes a lower weight limit. Health and safety legislation limits the weight of mail bags to 20 kilograms.
Article V
Small packages
1. By derogation from Article 12, the postal administration of Afghanistan is authorized to limit the maximum weight of small arrival and outgoing packages to 1 kilograms.
Article VI
Notice of receipt
1. The postal administration of Canada is authorized not to apply section 13.1.1 with respect to parcels, as it does not offer the notification service for parcels in its domestic regime.
Article VII
Commercial correspondence service
international response (CCRI)
1. By derogation from Article 13.4.1, the postal administration of Bulgaria (Rep.) will provide the CCRI service after negotiation with the postal administration concerned.
Article VIII
Prohibitions (post to letters)
1. On an exceptional basis, the postal administrations of Lebanon and the Republic of Korea do not accept the recommended shipments that contain coins or currency notes or any value to the bearer or travel cheques or platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, precious stones, jewellery and other valuable items. They are not required by the provisions of the order of the mail to the letters in a rigorous manner with respect to their responsibility for the spoliation or avagance of recommended shipments, as well as for shipments containing glass or fragile objects.
2. As an exceptional measure, the postal administrations of Saudi Arabia, Bolivia, China (Population Bank), excluding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Iraq, Nepal, Pakistan, Sudan and Viet Nam do not accept the recommended shipments containing coins, bank notes, currency notes or any value to the bearer, cash cheques
3. The Myanmar Postal Administration reserves the right not to accept shipments with declared value containing the precious objects referred to in Article 15.5, as its domestic legislation opposes the admission of such shipments.
4. The postal administration of Nepal does not accept the recommended shipments or those with declared value containing cuts or coins, unless the special agreement is reached.
5. The postal administration of Uzbekistan does not accept the recommended shipments or those with declared value containing coins, bank notes, cheques, postage stamps or foreign currencies and declines any liability for loss or damage of such shipments.
6. The postal administration of Iran (Islamic Republic) does not accept shipments containing objects contrary to Islamic religion.
7. The Philippine Postal Administration reserves the right not to accept shipments from mail to letters (usual, recommended or with declared value) containing coins, currency notes or any value to the bearer, travel cheques, platinum, gold or money, manufactured or not, precious stones or other valuable items.
8. The postal administration of Australia does not accept any postal shipment containing ingots or bank notes. In addition, it does not accept recommended shipments to Australia or uncovered transit shipments that contain valuable items, such as jewellery, precious metals, precious or semi-precious stones, securities, coins or other negotiable effects. It shall not be held liable for any shipments posted in violation of this reservation.
9. The postal administration of China (Population Bank), excluding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, does not accept shipments with declared value containing coins, bank notes, currency notes, bearer values or travel cheques, in accordance with its internal regulations.
10. Postal administrations of Latvia and Mongolia reserve the right not to accept ordinary, recommended or with declared value containing coins, bank notes, bearer effects and travel cheques, as their national legislation opposes them.
11. The postal administration of Brazil reserves the right not to accept ordinary mail, recommended or with declared value containing coins, bank notes in circulation and any values to the bearer.
12. The postal administration of Viet Nam reserves the right not to accept letters containing objects and goods.
Article IX
Prohibitions (postal)
1. Postal administrations in Myanmar and Zambia are authorized not to accept parcels with declared value containing the precious objects referred to in 15.6.1.3.1, as their domestic regulations are opposed to them.
2. On an exceptional basis, the postal administrations of Lebanon and Sudan do not accept parcels containing coins, currency notes or any value to the bearer, travel checks, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, precious stones and other precious objects, or containing liquids and easily liquefiable elements or glass objects or assimilated or fragile. They are not bound by the provisions of the Regulation concerning postal parcels.
3. The postal administration of Brazil is authorized not to accept parcels with declared value containing coins and currency notes in circulation, as well as any value to the bearer, as its domestic regulations oppose it.
4. The postal administration of Ghana is authorized not to accept parcels with declared value containing coins and currency notes in circulation, as its domestic regulations oppose it.
5. In addition to the items mentioned in Article 15, the postal administration of Saudi Arabia does not accept parcels containing coins, currency notes or any value to the bearer, travel checks, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, stoneware and other precious objects. It also does not accept packages containing medications of any kind, unless accompanied by a medical order from a competent official authority, products intended for the suppression of fire, chemical liquids or objects contrary to the principles of Islamic religion.
6. In addition to the objects mentioned in Article 15, the post office of Oman does not accept the packages containing:
6.1 of any kind, unless accompanied by a medical order from a competent official authority;
6.2. products intended for fire suppression and chemical liquids;
6.3 objects contrary to the principles of Islamic religion.
7. In addition to the objects mentioned in Article 15, the postal administration of Iran (Islamic Republic) is authorized not to accept packages containing articles contrary to the principles of Islamic religion.
8. The postal administration of the Philippines is authorized not to accept parcels containing coins, currency notes or any value to the bearer, travel checks, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or unmanufactured, precious stones or other precious objects, or containing liquids and easily liquefiable elements or glass objects or assimilated or fragile.
9. The postal administration of Australia does not accept any postal shipment containing ingots or bank notes.
10. The postal administration of China (Population Bank) does not accept ordinary parcels containing coins, currency notes or any value to the bearer, travel cheques, platinum, gold or silver, manufactured or not, precious stones or other valuable items. In addition, except for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, packages with declared value containing coins, currency notes, bearer values or travel cheques are not accepted either.
11. The postal administration of Mongolia reserves the right not to accept, according to its national legislation, parcels containing coins, bank notes, bills and travellers' cheques.
12. The postal administration of Latvia does not accept ordinary parcels or parcels with declared value containing coins, bank notes, any values (cheques) to the bearer or foreign currencies, and it does not accept any liability in the event of loss or damage to such shipments.
Article X
Objects subject to customs duties
1. By reference to Article 15, the postal administrations of the following countries do not accept shipments with declared value containing objects subject to duty: Bangladesh and El Salvador.
2. By reference to Article 15, the postal administrations of the following countries do not accept the ordinary and recommended letters containing objects subject to duty: Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Peru, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Venezuela.
3. By reference to Article 15, the postal administrations of the following countries do not accept the ordinary letters containing objects subject to customs duties: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire (Rép.), Djibouti, Mali and Mauritania.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of 1 to 3, consignments of serums, vaccines as well as consignments of urgent drugs that are difficult to obtain are admitted in all cases.
Article XI
Claims
1. By derogation from Article 17.3, the postal administrations of Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria (Rép.), Cape Verde, Egypt, Gabon, the Overseas Territories dependent on the United Kingdom, Greece, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, the Syrian pop tax.
2. By derogation from Article 17.3, the postal administrations of Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Slovakia and the Czech Republic (Rép.) reserve the right to collect a special tax when, following the steps taken following the claim, it is revealed that it is unjustified.
3. Postal administrations of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Bulgaria (Rép.), Cape Verde, Congo (Rép.), Egypt, Gabon, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic (Arab Republic), Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Syrian Arab Republic collect their parcels of tax on behalf of their customers.
4. By derogation from Article 17.3, the postal administrations of America (United States), Brazil and Panama (Rep.) reserve the right to collect a claim tax on customers for mail shipments and postal parcels deposited in countries that apply this type of tax under the provisions under 1 to 3.
Article XII
Customs presentation fee
1. The postal administration of Gabon reserves the right to collect a tax of presentation to customs on its customers.
2. The postal administrations of the Congo (Rep.) and Zambia reserve the right to collect a tax of presentation to customs on their customers for parcels.
Article XIII
Absence of mail to letters
1. Postal administrations of America (United States), Australia, Austria, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece and New Zealand reserve the right to collect a tax, in relation to the cost of the work occasioned, on any postal administration that, under 27.4, returns it objects that have not originally been shipped as mailed.
2. By derogation from section 27.4, the Postal Administration of Canada reserves the right to receive compensation from the original administration that allows it to recover to a minimum the costs caused by the processing of such shipments.
3. Section 27.4 authorizes the postal administration of destination to claim appropriate compensation to the deposit administration for the distribution of mail shipments to letters posted abroad in large quantities. Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reserve the right to limit this payment to the domestic tariff of the country of destination applicable to equivalent shipments.
4. Section 27.4 authorizes the postal administration of destination to claim appropriate compensation to the deposit administration for the distribution of mail shipments to letters posted abroad in large quantities. The following countries reserve the right to limit this payment to the limits allowed in the by-law for mail in number: America (United States), Bahamas, Barbados, Brunei Darussalam, China (Population Bank), United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Overseas Territories dependent on the United Kingdom, Grenada, Guyana, India, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Suriname, Netherlands, Saint Lucia and Aruba,
5. Notwithstanding the reservations under 4, the following countries reserve the right to apply in their entirety the provisions of Article 27 of the Convention to the letter received from the Member Countries of the Union: Argentina, Austria, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cyprus, Côte d'Ivoire (Rép.), Denmark, Egypt, France, Greece, Guinea, Israel, Morocco, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Spain, Greece, Greece, Guinea, Israel, Italy, Morocco
6. For the purposes of Article 27.4, the Postal Administration of Germany reserves the right to apply to the Postal Administration of the Land of Filing of Consignments an amount equal to that received from the Postal Administration of the Country where the consignor resides.
7. Notwithstanding the reservations made in Article XIII, China (Pop. Rope) reserves the right to limit any payment in respect of the distribution of mail consignments to letters filed abroad in large quantities to the limits permitted in the UPU Convention and the regulation of mail in numbers.
Article XIV
Territorial quotas of exceptional arrival
1. By derogation from Article 34, the postal administration of Afghanistan reserves the right to receive 7,50 SDRs of additional exceptional territorial quota per parcel.
Article XV
Special rates
1. Postal administrations of America (United States), Belgium and Norway have the ability to collect higher territorial quotas for aircraft parcels than for surface parcels.
2. The postal administration of Lebanon is authorized to collect for parcels up to 1 kilogram the tax applicable to parcels over 1 to 3 kilograms.
3. The postal administration of Panama (Repe.) is authorized to collect 0.20 SDRs per kilogram for airborne surface packages (S.A.L.) in transit.
In faith, the following Plenipotentiaries have drawn up this Protocol, which will have the same strength and value as if its provisions were inserted in the text of the Convention, and have signed it in a copy which is deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau. A copy will be given to each Party by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done in Bucharest, October 5, 2004.

ARRANGEMENT CONCERNING POST PAYMENT SERVICES
Contents
Chapter I
Preliminary provisions
1. Purpose of the Arrangement and Targeted Products
Chapter II
Post requirements
Art.
2. Definition of product
3. Filing of orders
4. Taxes
5. Obligations of the issuing postal administration
6. Transmission of orders
7. Treatment in the country of destination
8. Paying Postal Administration Remuneration
9. Postal Pay Administration obligations
Chapter III
Postal transfer
10. Definition of product
11. Filing of orders
12. Taxes
13. Obligations of the issuing postal administration
14. Transmission of orders
15. Treatment in the country of destination
16. Paying Postal Administration Remuneration
17. Postal Pay Administration obligations
Chapter IV
Licensing accounts, monthly accounts, claims, liability
18. Financial relations between participating postal administrations
19. Claims
20. Accountability
Chapter V
Electronic networks
21. General rules
Chapter VI
Miscellaneous provisions
22. Application to open a postal current account abroad
Chapter VII
Final provisions
23. Final provisions
The undersigned, Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Member States of the Union, in view of Article 22.4, of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union concluded in Vienna on 10 July 1964, have, in common agreement and subject to Article 25.4, of the said Constitution, arrested the following Agreement.
CHAPTER I. - Preliminary provisions
Article 1
Purpose of the Arrangement and Targeted Products
1. This Arrangement governs all postal services for the transfer of funds. The contracting countries agree with mutual agreement on the products of this Agreement that they intend to establish in their mutual relations.
2. Non-postal organizations may participate, through the postal administration, the postal cheque service or an organization that manages a mail transfer network, in exchanges governed by the provisions of this Arrangement. It is up to these organizations to agree with the postal administration of their country to ensure the full implementation of all the provisions of the Agreement and, within the framework of this Agreement, to exercise their rights and fulfil their obligations as postal administration defined by this Agreement. The postal administration serves as an intermediary in their relations with the postal administrations of other contracting countries and with the International Bureau. In the event that a postal administration does not provide the financial services described in this Arrangement or if the quality of service does not meet the customer requirements, postal administrations may cooperate with non-postal agencies in the country.
3. The Member Countries shall notify the International Bureau, within six months of the closure of the Congress, of the name and address of the government agency responsible for overseeing postal financial services as well as the name and address of the operator(s) officially designated to provide postal financial services and fulfill the obligations arising from the Union Acts on their territory.
3.1 The Member Countries shall notify the International Bureau, within six months of the closure of the Congress, of the contact details of persons responsible for the operation of postal financial services and the service of claims.
3.2 Between two Congresses, any change in government bodies, operators and officially designated officials must be notified to the International Bureau as soon as possible.
4. This Arrangement shall govern the following postal payment products:
4.1 the terms of reference, including reimbursement;
4.2 Account transfers to account.
5. Interested postal administrations may provide other benefits governed by bilateral or multilateral agreements.
CHAPTER II. - Post requirements
Article 2
Definition of product
1. Regular mandate
1.1 The ordering client shall remit funds to a post office window or order the debit of his account and request payment of the full amount without deduction of any cash to the beneficiary.
2. Payment terms
2.1 The ordering client remits funds to a post office window and requests that they be paid in full and without deduction on the account of the recipient managed by a postal administration or on an account managed by other financial organizations.
3. Mandate for reimbursement
3.1 The recipient of a "refundable consignment" shall remit funds or order the debit of his account and shall request payment of the full amount without deduction from the consignor of the "refunded consignment".
Article 3
Filing of orders
1. Except as a special agreement, the amount of the post is expressed in currency of the country of destination.
2. The mailing administration sets the rate of conversion of its currency to the country of destination.
3. The maximum amount of posts is set bilaterally.
4. The mailing administration has every freedom to define the documents and terms and conditions for the filing of the mailing warrants. If the mandate is to be transferred by mail, only the formulas provided for in the regulations must be used.
Article 4
Taxes
1. The issuing postal administration freely determines the taxes to be collected at the time of the issuance.
2. The terms of reference exchanged, through a country Party to this Arrangement, between a contracting country and a non-contracting country may be subject, through an intermediate administration, to an additional tax, determined by the latter on the basis of the costs generated by the transactions that it carries out, the amount agreed between the postal administrations concerned and levied from the amount of the post term; However, this tax may be collected on the sender and attributed to the postal administration of the middle country if the postal administrations have agreed to this effect.
3. Documents, securities and orders of payment relating to transfers of postal funds exchanged between postal administrations by post are exempted from all taxes under the conditions set out in sections RL 110 and 111.
Article 5
Obligations of the issuing postal administration
1. The mailing administration must meet the service standards set out in the regulations to provide customer-friendly services.
Article 6
Transmission of orders
1. Post mandates are exchanged through electronic networks established by the UPU International Office or other organizations.
2. Electronic exchanges are carried out by sending directly to the payment office or to an exchange office. Trade safety and quality must be guaranteed by the technical specifications for networks used or by a bilateral agreement between postal administrations.
3. Postal administrations may agree to exchange mandates using paper formulas, as provided by the regulations, and shipped on a priority basis.
4. Postal administrations may agree to use other means of exchange.
Article 7
Treatment in the country of destination
1. The payment of the terms of reference is made according to the regulations of the country of destination.
2. As a general rule, the entire amount of the post term must be paid to the recipient; optional taxes may be collected if it requires additional special services.
3. The validity of e-mail mandates should be determined by bilateral agreements.
4. The validity of the terms of office on paper is, as a general rule, extended until the first month after the date of issue expires.
5. After the period indicated above, an unpaid post is to be returned immediately to the post office.
Article 8
Paying Postal Administration Remuneration
1. For each post-paid term, the post-emission administration assigns to the post-paying administration a remuneration that is set out in the regulations.
2. Instead of the lump-sum rate set out in the regulations, postal administrations may agree on different rates of pay.
3. Transfers of funds made on a tax-free basis are not entitled to any remuneration.
4. Where there is agreement between the postal administrations concerned, transfers of relief funds exempted from taxes by the mailing administration may be exempted from pay.
Article 9
Postal Pay Administration obligations
1. The Pay Postal Administration must meet the service standards set out in the regulations to provide customer-friendly services.
CHAPTER III. - Postal transfer
Article 10
Definition of product
1. The holder of a postal account shall, by debit of his account, request the registration of an amount to the credit of the beneficiary account held by the postal administration, or another account, through the postal administration of the country of destination.
Article 11
Filing of orders
1. The amount of the transfer must be expressed in the currency of the country of destination or in another currency, depending on the arrangement agreed between the issuing and receiving postal administrations.
2. The mailing administration sets the rate of conversion of its currency to that in which the amount of the transfer is expressed.
3. The amount of transfers is unlimited, except as decided by the postal administrations concerned.
4. The mailing administration has every freedom to define the documents and the terms and conditions for issuing transfers.
Article 12
Taxes
1. The mailing administration freely determines the tax to be collected at the time of the issuance. To this main tax, it may add the fees for special services rendered to the shipper.
2. Transfers, made through a country Party to this Agreement, between a contracting country and a non-contracting country may be subject to an additional tax by the intermediate administration. The amount of this tax is agreed between the jurisdictions concerned and deducted from the amount of the transfer. However, this tax may be collected on the consignor and attributed to the administration of the intermediate country if the interested postal administrations have agreed to this effect.
3. The documents, titles and payment orders relating to post-post transfers between postal administrations are exempted from all taxes under the conditions set out in sections RL 110 and 111.
Article 13
Obligations of the issuing postal administration
1. The mailing administration must meet the service standards set out in the regulations to provide customer-friendly services.
Article 14
Transmission of orders
1. Transfers must be made using the electronic networks established by the UPU International Office or other organizations, according to the technical specifications adopted by interested administrations.
2. Trade safety and quality must be guaranteed by the technical specifications for the networks used or by a bilateral agreement between issuing and paying postal administrations.
3. Postal administrations may agree to make transfers using paper formulas, as provided by the regulations, and shipped on a priority basis.
4. Postal administrations may agree to use other means of exchange.
Article 15
Treatment in the country of destination
1. Incoming transfers must be treated according to the regulations in force in the country of destination.
2. As a general rule, duties payable in the country of destination must be paid by the recipient; However, this tax may be collected from the sender and attributed to the postal administration of the country of destination, in accordance with a bilateral agreement.
Article 16
Paying Postal Administration Remuneration
1. For each transfer, the Pay Postal Administration may request the payment of an arrival fee. This tax may be either debited from the beneficiary's account or taken over by the issuing postal administration by debit of its postal mail account.
2. Payments made on a tax-free basis do not result in any remuneration.
3. Where there is an agreement between the postal administrations concerned, transfers of relief funds exempted from taxes by the issuing postal administration may be exempted from pay.
Article 17
Postal Pay Administration obligations
1. The Pay Postal Administration must meet the service standards set out in the regulations to provide customer-friendly services.
CHAPTER IV. - Licensing accounts, monthly accounts, claims, liability
Article 18
Financial relations between participating postal administrations
1. Postal administrations agree on technical means to be used to settle their claims.
2. Liaison accounts
2.1 As a general rule, where postal administrations have an institution of postal cheques, each of them shall be opened, on its behalf with the corresponding administration, a liaison account by which the debts and reciprocal receivables are liquidated, resulting from the exchanges made under the service of transfers and postal warrants and all other transactions that the postal administrations agree to settle by this means.
2.2 When the postal administration of the destination country does not have a postal cheque system, the liaison account may be opened to another administration.
2.3 Postal administrations may agree to settle their financial exchanges through multilaterally agreed administration.
2.4 In the event of a discovery on a liaison account, the amounts due are of interest, the rate of which is fixed in the regulations.
2.5 A link account with a credit balance must be a producer of interest.
3. Monthly accounts
3.1 In the absence of a liaison account, each Pay Postal Administration shall establish a monthly account for the amounts paid for the post office. Monthly accounts are periodically incorporated into a general account that results in the determination of a balance.
3.2 Accounts may also be settled on the basis of monthly accounts, without compensation.
4. It may not be infringed by any unilateral measure such as a moratorium, a prohibition on transfer, etc., to the provisions of this article or to the regulations arising therefrom.
Article 19
Claims
1. Claims are allowed within six months of the day after the day on which a post is filed or the execution of a transfer.
2. Postal administrations have the right to collect a claim tax on their clients for post or transfers.
Rule 20
Accountability
1. Principle and scope of responsibility
1.1 The postal administration is responsible for the sums paid at the counter or carried at the debit of the dasher's account until the mandate has been paid regularly or the beneficiary's account has been credited.
1.2 The postal administration is responsible for the misguided indications it provided and which resulted in either non-payment or errors in the execution of the transfer of funds. Responsibility extends to conversion errors and transmission errors.
1.3 The postal administration is free from any responsibility:
1.3.1 in the event of delay that may occur in the transmission, shipping or payment of securities and orders;
1.3.2 where, as a result of the destruction of service documents resulting from a case of force majeure, it may not report on the execution of a transfer of funds unless the evidence of its liability has been otherwise administered;
1.3.3 where the sender has not made any claim within the time limit provided for in Article 19;
1.3.4 where the limitation period for terms of reference in the issuing country has elapsed.
1.4 In the event of a refund, regardless of the cause, the amount refunded to the sender cannot exceed the amount paid or debited from the account.
1.5 Postal administrations may agree with each other to apply broader conditions of responsibility tailored to the needs of their domestic services.
1.6 The conditions for the application of the principle of liability, including the issues of determining liability, payment of due amounts, appeals, payment period and provisions relating to reimbursement to the participating administration, are those prescribed in the regulations.
CHAPTER V. - Electronic networks
Article 21
General rules
1. For the transmission of payment orders electronically, postal administrations use the UPU network or any other network that allows for quick, reliable and secure transfers.
2. UPU electronic financial services are regulated between postal administrations on the basis of bilateral agreements. The general operating rules of UPU electronic financial services are subject to the appropriate provisions of the Union Acts.
CHAPTER VI. - Miscellaneous provisions
Article 22
Application to open a postal current account abroad
1. When a postal current account or other type of account is opened abroad, or when an application is made to obtain a foreign financial product, the postal agencies of the countries Parties to this Agreement agree to provide assistance on the use of the products considered.
2. The parties may agree bilaterally on the assistance they may lend to each other on the detailed procedure to be followed and agree on the costs of providing such assistance.
CHAPTER VII. - Final provisions
Article 23
Final provisions
1. The Convention shall apply, if any, by analogy, in all that is not expressly settled by this Arrangement.
2. Article 4 of the Constitution is not applicable to this Agreement.
3. Conditions for approval of proposals for this Arrangement and its regulations.
3.1 To become enforceable, proposals submitted to Congress and related to this Arrangement must be approved by the majority of the Member Countries present and voting with the right to vote and which are parties to the Arrangement. At the time of the vote, at least half of these Member Countries represented in Congress and entitled to vote must be present.
3.2 To become enforceable, proposals for the settlement of this Arrangement must be approved by a majority of the members of the Postal Operations Council who are parties to the Arrangement and have the right to vote.
3.3 In order to become enforceable, the proposals introduced between two Congresses and related to this Arrangement must meet:
3.3.1. two thirds of the vote, at least half of the Member Countries Parties to the Arrangement and having the right to vote having participated in the vote, if it is the addition of new provisions;
3.3.2. the majority of votes, at least half of the Member Countries Parties to the Arrangement and having the right to vote having participated in the vote, if any amendments to the provisions of this Arrangement;
3.3.3. the majority of votes in respect of the interpretation of the provisions of this Agreement.
3.4 Notwithstanding the provisions set out in 3.3.1, any Member country whose national legislation is still incompatible with the proposed addition may make a written statement to the Director General of the International Bureau stating that it is not possible to accept this addition within ninety days from the date of notification of the addition.
4. This Arrangement will be implemented on 1^er January 2006 and will remain in force until the implementation of the Acts of the next Congress.
In faith, the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the Contracting Countries have signed this Arrangement in a copy which is deposited with the Director General of the International Bureau. A copy will be given to each Party by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union.
Done in Bucharest, October 5, 2004.
DECLARATION
On behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Austria, Belgium, the Republic of Cyprus, the Kingdom of Denmark, Spain, the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Finland, the French Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the islands of the Channel, and the Isle of Man, Greece, the Republic of Hungary, Italy, the Republic of Slovenia,
"The delegations of the Member Countries of the European Union declare that their countries will implement the Acts adopted by this Congress in accordance with their obligations under the Treaty establishing the European Community and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of the World Trade Organization. »