Overeenkomst inzake de uitwisseling van officiële publikaties en regeringsdocumenten tussen Staten

The Contracting States express their willingness to exchange their official publications and government documents, on a reciprocal basis, in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention.

1. For the purpose of the present Convention, the following are considered official publications and government documents when they are executed by the order and at the expense af any national governmental authority: parliamentary documents, reports and journals and other legislative papers; administrative publications and reports from central, federal and regional governmental bodies; national bibliographies, State handbooks, bodies of law, decisions of the Courts of Justice; and other publications as may be agreed.
2. However, in the application of the present Convention, the Contracting States shall be free to determine the official publications and government documents which shall constitute exchange material.
3. The present Convention does not apply to confidential documents, circulars and other items which have not been made public.

The Contracting States, whenever they deem it appropriate, shall enter into bilateral agreements for the purpose of implementing the present Convention and regulating matters of common concern arising out of its application.

1. In each Contracting State, the national exchange service or, where no such service exists, the central authority or authorities designated for the purpose, shall carry out the functions of exchange.
2. The exchange authorities shall be responsible within each Contracting State for the implementation of the present Convention and of bilateral agreements as referred to in Article 3, whenever appropriate. Each Contracting State shall give its national exchange service or the central exchange authorities the powers required to obtain the material to be exchanged and sufficient financial means to carry out the functions of exchange.

The list and number of official publications and government documents for exchange shall be agreed between the exchange authorities of the Contracting States. This list and the number of official publications and government documents for exchange may be modified by arrangements between such authorities.

Transmissions may be made directly to exchange authorities or to recipients named by them. The method of listing consignments may be agreed between exchange authorities.

Unless otherwise agreed, the exchange authority which undertakes the transmission shall bear the cost thereof as far as 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 concerning the international co-ordination of exchange assigned to it by its Constitution, 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 3.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall publish information received from the Contracting States in conformity with Article 10 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 these matters to the Contracting States.

The present Convention shall not affect obligations previously entered into by the Contracting States by virtue of international agreements. It shall not be construed as requiring a duplication of exchanges conducted under existing agreements.

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 addressed 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 16, as well as the United Nations, of the deposit of all the instruments of ratification, acceptance and accession provided for in Articles 15 and 16 and of the notifications and denunciations provided for respectively in Articles 18 and 19.

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.