Artikel 40

1. Any reservation which is incompatible with the object and purpose of the Union shall not be permitted.
2. As a general rule, any member country whose views are not shared by other member countries shall endeavour, as far as possible, to conform to the opinion of the majority. Reservations should be made only in cases of absolute necessity, and proper reasons given.
3. Reservations to any article of the present Convention shall be submitted to Congress as a Congress proposal written in one of the working languages of the International Bureau and in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Rules of Procedure of Congresses.
4. To become effective, proposals concerning reservations must be approved by whatever majority is required for amendment of the article to which the reservation relates.
5. In principle, reservations shall be applied on a reciprocal basis between the reserving member country and the other member countries.
6. Reservations to the present Convention shall be inserted in the Final Protocol to the present Convention, on the basis of proposals approved by Congress.