Overeenkomst inzake de internationale uitwisseling van publikaties

The Contracting States undertake to encourage and facilitate the exchange of publications between both governmental bodies and non-governmental institutions of an educational, scientific and technical, or cultural nature, which are non-profit-making in character, in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention.

1. For the purpose of the present Convention, the following publications may be considered appropriate articles to be exchanged, for use but not for resale, between the bodies and institutions referred to in Article 1 of the present Convention:
(a) publications of an educational, legal, scientific and technical, cultural and informational nature, such as books, newspapers and periodicals, maps and plans, prints, photographs, microcopies, musical works, Braille publications and other graphic material;
(b) publications covered by the Convention concerning the exchange of official publications and government documents between States, adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the third day of December 1958.
2. The present Convention in no way affects exchanges carried out under the Convention concerning the exchange of official publications and government documents between States, adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the third day of December 1958.
3. The present Convention does not apply to confidential documents, circulars and other items which have not been made public.

1. The Contracting States may entrust the national exchange service or, where no such national exchange service exists, the central exchange authority or authorities with the following functions in connexion with the development and co-ordination of the exchange of publications among bodies and institutions referred to in Article I of the present Convention:
(a) facilitating the international exchange of publications, in particular by transmitting, when appropriate, the material to be exchanged;
(b) supplying advice and information on exchange possibilities for bodies and institutions at home and abroad;
(c) encouraging, when appropriate, the exchange of duplicate material.
2. However, when it is deemed undesirable to centralize in the national exchange service or in central authorities the development and co-ordination of exchanges among bodies and institutions referred to in Article 1 of the present Convention, any or all of the functions enumerated in paragraph 1 of the present article may be entrusted to other authority or authorities.

The transmission may be made either directly between the bodies and institutions concerned, or through the national exchange service or exchange authorities.

When transmissions are made directly between exchange partners, the Contracting States shall not be required to bear the cost thereof. If the transmission is made through the exchange authority or authorities, the Contracting States shall bear the cost of the transmission as far ar destination, but, for transport by sea, the cost of packing and carriage shall be paid only as far as the customs office of the port of arrival.

The Contracting States shall take all the necessary measures to ensure that the exchange authorities benefit from the most favourable existing rates and transport conditions, whatever the means of transport chosen: post, road, rail, inland or sea transport, airmail or air cargo.

Each Contracting State shall grant its exchange authorities exemption from customs duties for both imported and exported material under the provisions of the present Convention or under any agreement in implementation thereof and shall accord them the most favourable treatment as regards customs and other facilities.

To assist the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the performance of the functions assigned to it by its Constitution concerning the international co-ordination of exchange, the Contracting States shall send to the Organization annual reports on the working of the present Convention and copies of bilateral agreements entered into in accordance with Article 12.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall publish information received from the Contracting States in application of Article 8 and shall prepare and publish studies on the working of the present Convention.

1. The Contracting States may call upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for technical assistance in connexion with any problem arising out of the application of the present Convention. The Organization shall accord such assistance within the limits fixed by its programme and its resources, in particular, for the creation and organization of national exchange services.
2. The Organization is authorized to make, on its own initiative, proposals on this matter to the Contracting States.

The present Convention shall not affect obligations previously entered into by the Contracting States by virtue of international agreements.

Whenever necessary or desirable, the Contracting States shall enter into bilateral agreements for the purpose of supplementing the present Convention and regulating matters of common concern arising out of its application.

The present Convention is drawn up in English, French, Russian and Spanish, the four texts being equally authoritative.

1. The present Convention shall be subject to ratification or acceptance by States members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, in accordance with their respective constitutional procedures.
2. The instruments of ratification or acceptance shall be deposited with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

1. The present Convention shall be open for accession by all States not members of the Organization invited to do so by the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
2. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The present Convention shall enter into force twelve months after the date of the deposit of the third instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession, but only with respect to those States which have deposited their respective instruments on or before that date. It shall enter into force for each other State which deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession, twelve months after the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or accession.

Any Contracting State may, at the time of ratification, acceptance or accession, or at any time thereafter, declare by notification adressed to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization that the present Convention shall extend to all or any of the territories for whose international relations it is responsible. The said notification shall take effect twelve months after the date of its receipt.

1. Each Contracting State may denounce the present Convention on its own behalf or on behalf of any territory for whose international relations it is responsible.
2. The denunciation shall be notified by an instrument in writing, deposited with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
3. The denunciation shall take effect twelve months after the receipt of the instrument of denunciation.

The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall inform the States members of the Organization, States not members of the Organization referred to in Article 15, as well as the United Nations, of the deposit of all the instruments of ratification, acceptance and accession provided for in Articles 14 and 15 and of the notifications and denunciations provided for respectively in Articles 17 and 18.

1. The present Convention may be revised by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, any such revision, however, binding only those States which shall become parties to the revising convention.
2. Should the General Conference adopt a new convention revising the present Convention in whole or in part, and unless the new convention otherwise provides, the present Convention shall cease to be open to ratification, acceptance or accession as from the date when the new revising convention enters into force.

In accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, the present Convention shall be registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations at the request of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.