First group: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Spain, the United States, and Uruguay. Second group: Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, and Peru. Third group: Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Paraguay. UNITED STATES RELATIONS Authorization. The United States has participated in the Union since 1921 pursuant to the ratification and approval by the Postmaster General and ratification by the President, of the Pan American Postal Convention of September 15, 1921, and subsequent conventions. The convention now in force was signed at Rio de Janeiro September 25, 1946, and approved by the President February 27, 1947, following the ratification and approval by the Postmaster General.21 The Postmaster General is authorized by the Act of June 12, 1934 21 (derivation, Act of June 8, 1872) to negotiate and conclude postal treaties and conventions by and with the advice and consent of the President. Payments. United States contributions are paid from funds appropriated to the Post Office Department. The United States paid 3,696 Uruguayan pesos ($1,583) as its share of the expenses of the Office for the year 1946, and 4,490 Uruguayan pesos ($2,424) for the year 1947. Its quota presently represents 8.16 percent of total assessments. Agencies Chiefly Concerned. The Post Office Department is the agency responsible for United States relations with the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain. The Postmaster General is authorized by law to negotiate and conclude postal treaties or conventions, by and with the advice and consent of the President.21 RELATIONS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS The Union is organized in conformity with the Universal Postal Union Convention (last revised at Paris, July 5, 1947), which permits members to enter into restricted postal unions for the purpose of reducing postal rates or otherwise improving postal relations. Under the terms of the convention of the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain the signatories are obligated to vote at universal postal congresses in accordance with the principles of the Americo-Spanish Union in order to present a solid front at these congresses. By a reservation embodied in the final protocol of the convention, however, the United States has refused to encumber its liberty of action at congresses of the Universal Postal Union. 21See Basic Texts and Publications, p. 300. BASIC TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS United States Participation: 48 Stat. 943, 5 U.S.C. 372 (Post Office authority); 42 Stat. 2154 (convention of 1921); 45 Stat. 2409 (convention of 1926); 47 Stat. 1924 (convention of 1931); 50 Stat. 1657 (convention of 1936). U.S. Department of State. Postal Union of the Americas and Spain: Convention, and Final Protocol and Regulations of Execution of the Convention, Between the United States of America and Other Governments. Signed at Rio de Janeiro September 25, 1946. Entered into force January 1, 1947. Pub. 3043. Treaties and Other International Acts Series 1680. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1948. (61 Stat. pt. 4, 3479.) Postal Union of the Americas and Spain. Circular. Montevideo, 1940– Provisional Maritime Consultative Council ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT The Provisional Maritime Consultative Council (PмCC) was established by an agreement concluded at Washington, October 30, 1946, at a meeting of the United Maritime Consultative Council. This agreement entered into force on April 23, 1947, upon the acceptance of 12 governments, as required by the agreement.22 The PMCC is a temporary organization to exist only "pending the establishment of a permanent intergovernmental agency in the maritime field." It was established to serve as an interim forum until the proposed intergovernmental maritime organization comes into effect. At the Washington Conference of 1946 at which the Agreement for the Provisional Maritime Consultative Council was concluded, there was also concluded a draft convention for an Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO). This draft agreement, which was drawn up upon the request of the United Nations, served as the basic working document for the discussions held by the United Nations Maritime Conference meeting in Geneva in February-March 1948. The Geneva Conference concluded the convention of the IMCO, which is now awaiting ratification. It also provided for the establishment of a Preparatory Committee, with responsibility for preparing the agenda and necessary documentation for the first assembly of the IMCO, and for entering into negotiations with the United Nations with a view toward the eventual conclusion of an agreement whereby the IMCO would become a specialized agency of the United Nations. This agreement is in draft form and has been approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations. It will come into effect when approved by the first Assembly of the IMCO. The PMCC will cease to exist upon the entry into force of the Iмco Convention, which requires the ratification of 21 States, seven of which shall each have 1,000,000 gross tons of shipping. The Preparatory Committee will cease to exist upon resolution of the First Session of the Assembly of the Iмco. As of September 15, 1949, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom had ratified and Canada had adhered to the IMCO Convention. MEMBERSHIP As of September 15, 1949, the following Governments deposited their acceptances of the agreement for the Pмcc: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Greece, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. PURPOSES, POWERS, AND FUNCTIONS The purposes of the organization are to provide machinery for cooperation among governments in regulatory and technical matters affecting shipping engaged in international trade; to encourage the adoption of the highest practicable safety standards in matters affecting shipping; to encourage the removal of discriminatory and restrictive actions by governments; and to provide for consideration of problems referred to it by the United Nations. It is specifically provided that "matters which are suitable for settlement through the normal processes of international shipping business are not within the scope of the Council." STRUCTURE According to the agreement, "the Council shall consist of all member governments." It is further provided that the Council may elect an Executive Committee which is not to be established, however, until at least 20 governments have accepted this agreement. There is no provision for a secretariat. FINANCES The PMCC has no secretariat or permanent organization. Therefore no budget has been provided nor are the members called upon to make any financial contributions. UNITED STATES RELATIONS Authorization. The United States Government accepted the agreement under the Executive authority to conduct foreign relations, its acceptance being deposited with the British Government by an exchange of letters.23 Agencies Chiefly Concerned. The Department of State, the U.S. Maritime Commission, and the Treasury Department (Coast Guard) are the agencies chiefly concerned. The U.S. Delegation to the only meeting of the PMCc, which was held in Paris in 1947, was composed of representatives from the three agencies. RELATIONS WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS The PMCC has no formal relationships with other organizations. However, in response to an invitation by the United Nations, it did designate representatives to attend the meeting of the Preparatory Committee of Experts which met prior to the 1948 Safety of Life at Sea Conference to consider the coordination of activities in the fields of aviation, shipping, and telecommunications with regard to safety of life at sea and in the air. Upon the establishment of the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization, when the PмCƠ will go out of existence, it is expected that whatever relations the latter may have had with other international organizations will be taken over by IMCO. BASIC TEXTS AND PUBLICATIONS U.S. Department of State-Shipping-Provisional Maritime Consultative Council: Agreement and Accompanying Notes Between the United States of America and Other Governments. Dated at Washington October 30, 1946. Entered into force April 23, 1947. Treaties and Other International Acts Series 1724. Pub. 3125. Washington, Government Printing Office, 1948. (61 Stat. pt. 4, 3796.) The Council publishes no documents. Universal Postal Union International Bureau, Schwarztarstrasse 38, Bern, Switzerland ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT In 1863 representatives of 15 states met at Paris to consider certain principles relating to the systematic exchange of postal matter among countries; this exchange system had theretofore been conducted in great confusion because of the complexity arising from a variety of conflicting regulations. At Bern in 1874 a postal convention signed by the United States, Egypt, and all the states of Europe provided the See Basic Texts and Publications, below. 23 first general agreement standardizing and simplifying international postal rates and created a General Postal Union.24 By this convention an International Bureau was established at Bern under the supervision of the Swiss Government. Following the Paris Congress of 1878, the Union has been known as the Universal Postal Union.1 Subsequent Universal Postal Congresses have been held at Lisbon, 1885; Vienna, 1891; Washington, 1897; Rome, 1906; Madrid, 1920; Stockholm, 1924; London, 1929; Cairo, 1934; Buenos Aires, 1939; and Paris, 1947. In intervals between certain of the congresses, special administrative conferences and meetings of committees have taken place. From these congresses has emerged a codified body of regulations which, periodically revised and expanded to meet new conditions, governs the international exchange of mail matter within the single postal territory of the Union. By the principle of liberty of transit each state is obligated to permit foreign mail matter to circulate within its territory as freely as its own and, for a just and reasonable compensation, to forward such mail matter to its destination by the most rapid means available. At the present time, the Union is governed by the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention of Paris, signed July 5, 1947, effective July 1, 1948, together with the accompanying Regulations of Execution.24 MEMBERSHIP The Union now comprises practically all the states of the world. Certain colonies or possessions or combinations thereof are considered as forming single states or administrations of the Union, especially in regard to voting rights and contributions. States not parties to recent conventions are members of the Union through ratification of earlier conventions. In some cases, failure to ratify a convention has been accompanied by practical observance of the terms of the convention. See Membership Chart, p. 305. PURPOSES, POWERS, AND FUNCTIONS The International Bureau at Bern collects, collates, and distributes information of all kinds concerning the international postal service. It issues an annual statistical report on international postal transactions, maintains a directory of domestic rates affecting postal shipments, and develops cost figures on postal transactions on a comparative basis. It audits accounts and makes awards in connection with disputes 24 See Basic Texts and Publications, p. 307. |