CONVENTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION

CONVENTION ON THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION Whole document The Governments Parties to this Convention, CONSIDERING that the International Hydrographic Bureau was established in June 1921 to contribute to making navigation easier and safer throughout the world by improving nautical charts and documents; DESIRING to pursue on an intergovernmental basis their cooperation in hyrography; HAVE AGREED as follows: ARTICLE I There is hereby established an International Hydrographic Organization, hereinafter referred to as the Organization, the seat of which shall be in Monaco.

ARTICLE II The Organization shall have a consultative and purely technical nature. It shall be the object of the Organization to bring about: (a) The co-ordination of the activities of national hydrographic offices; (b) The greatest possible uniformity in nautical charts and documents; (c) The adoption of reliable and efficient methods of carrying out and exploiting hydrographic surveys; (d) The development of the sciences in the field of hydrography and the techniques employed in descriptive oceanography.

ARTICLE III The Members of the Organization are the Governments Parties to this Convention.

ARTICLE IV The Organization shall comprise: The International Hydrographic Conference, hereinafter referred to as the Conference; The International Hydrographic Bureau, hereinafter referred to as the Bureau, administrated by the Directing Committee.

ARTICLE V The functions of the Conference shall be: (a) To give general directives on the functioning and work of the Organization; (b) To elect the members of the Directing Committee and its President; (c) To examine the reports submitted to it by the Bureau; (d) To make decisions in respect of all proposals of a technical or administrative nature submitted by Member Governments or by the Bureau; (e) To approve the budget by a majority of two thirds of the Member Governments represented at the Conference; (f) To adopt, by a two thirds majority of the Member Governments, amendments to the General Regulations and Financial Regulations; (g) To adopt, by the majority prescribed in the preceding paragraph, any particular regulations that may prove to be necessary, notably on the status of the directors and staff of the Bureau.

ARTICLE VI 1. The Conference shall be composed of representatives of the Member Governments. It shall meet in ordinary session every five years. An extraordinary session of the Conference may be held at the request of a Member Government or of the Bureau, subject to approval by the majority of the Member Governments.

2. The Conference shall be convened by the Bureau on at least six months' notice. A provisional agenda shall be submitted with the notice.

3. The Conference shall elect its President and Vice-President.

4. Each Member Government shall have one vote. However, for the voting on the questions referred to in Article V(b), each Government shall have a number of votes determined by a scale established in relation to the tonnage of their fleets.

5. Conference decisions shall be taken by a simple majority of the Member Governments represented at the Conference, except where this Convention provides otherwise. When voting for or against is evenly divided, the President of the Conference shall be empowered to make a decision. In the case of resolutions to be inserted in the Repertory of Technical Resolutions, the majority shall in any event include the affirmative votes of not less than one third of the Member Governments.

6. Between sessions of the Conference the Bureau may consult the Member Governments by correspondence on questions concerning the technical functioning of the Organization. The voting procedure shall conform to that provided for in paragraph 5 of this Article, the majority being calculated in this case on the basis of the total membership of the Organization.

7. The Conference shall constitute its own Committees, including the Finance Committee referred to in Article VII.

ARTICLE VII 1. The supervision of the financial administration of the Organization shall be exercised by a Finance Committee on which each Member Government may be represented by one delegate.

2. The Committee shall meet during sessions of the Conference. It may meet in extraordinary session.

ARTICLE VIII For the fulfilment of the objects defined in Article II it shall be the responsibility of the Bureau, in particular: (a) To bring about a close and permanent association between national hydrographic offices; (b) To study any matters relating to hydrography and the allied sciences and techniques, and to collect the necessary papers; (c) To further the exchange of nautical charts and documents between hydrographic offices of Member Governments; (d) To circulate the appropriate documents; (e) To tender guidance and advice upon request, in particular to countries engaged in setting-up or expanding their hydrographic service; (f) To encourage co-ordination of hydrographic surveys with relevant oceanographic activities; (g) To extend and facilitate the application of oceanographic knowledge for the benefit of navigators; (h) To cooperate with international organizations and scientific institutions which have related objectives.

ARTICLE IX The Bureau shall be composed of the Directing Committee and the technical and administrative staff required by the Organization.

ARTICLE X 1. The Directing Committee shall administer the Bureau in accordance with the provisions of this Convention and the Regulations and with directives given by the Conference.

2. The Directing Committee shall be composed of three members of different nationality, elected by the Conference, which shall further elect one of them to fill the office of President of the Committee. The term of office of the Directing Committee shall be five years. If a post of director falls vacant during the period between two Conferences, a by-election may be held by correspondence as provided for in the General Regulations.

3. The President of the Directing Committee shall represent the Organization.

ARTICLE XI The functioning of the Organization shall be set forth in detail in the General Regulations and Financial Regulations, which are annexed to this Convention but do not form an integral part thereof.

ARTICLE XII The official languages of the Organization shall be English and French.

ARTICLE XIII The Organization shall have juridical personality. In the territory of each of its Members it shall enjoy, subject to agreement with the Member Government concerned, such privileges and immunities as may be necessary for the exercise of its functions and the fulfilment of its object.

ARTICLE XIV The expenses necessary for the functioning of the Organization shall be met: (a) From the ordinary annual contributions of Member Governments in accordance with a scale based on the tonnage of their fleets; (b) From donations, bequests, subventions and other sources, with the approval of the Finance Committee.

ARTICLE XV Any Member Government which is two years in arrears in its contributions shall be denied all rights and benefits conferred on Member Governments by the Convention and the Regulations until such time as the outstanding contributions have been paid.

ARTICLE XVI The budget of the Organization shall be drafted by the Directing Committee, studied by the Finance Committee and approved by the Conference.

ARTICLE XVII Any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention which is not settled by negotiation or by the good offices of the Directing Committee shall, at the request of one of the parties to the dispute, be referred to an arbitrator designated by the President of the International Court of Justice.

ARTICLE XVIII 1. This Convention shall be open in Monaco on 3 May 1967, and subsequently at the Legation of the Principality of Monaco in Paris from 1 June until 31 December 1967, for signature by any Government which participates in the work of the Bureau on 3 May 1967.

2. The Governments referred to in paragraph 1 above may become Parties to the present Convention: (a) By signature without reservation as to ratification or approval, or (b) By signature subject to ratification or approval and the subsequent deposit of an instrument of ratification or approval.

3. Instruments of ratification or approval shall be handed to the Legation of the Principality of Monaco in Paris to be deposited in the Archives of the Government of the Principality of Monaco.

4. The Government of the Principality of Monaco shall inform the Governments referred to in paragraph 1 above, and the President of the Directing Committee, of each signature and of each deposit of an instrument of ratification of approval.

ARTICLE XIX 1. This Convention shall enter into force three months after the date on which twenty-eight Governments have become Parties in accordance with the provisions of Article XVIII, paragraph 2.

2. The Government of the Principality of Monaco shall notify this date to all signatory Governments and the President of the Directing Committee.

ARTICLE XX After it has entered into force this Convention shall be open for accession by the Government of any maritime state which applies to the Government of the Principality of Monaco specifying the tonnage of its fleets, and whose admission is approved by two thirds of the Member Governments. Such approval shall be notified by the Government of the Principality of Monaco to the Government concerned. The Convention shall enter into force for that Government on the date on which it has deposited its instrument of accession with the Government of the Principality of Monaco which shall inform the Member Governments and the President of the Directing Committee.

ARTICLE XXI 1. Any Contracting Party may propose amendments to this Convention.

2. Proposals of amendment shall be considered by the Conference and decided upon by a majority of two thirds of the Member Governments represented at the Conference. When a proposed amendment has been approved by the Conference, the President of the Directing Committee shall request the Government of the Principality of Monaco to submit it to all Contracting Parties.

3. The amendment shall enter into force for all Contracting Parties three months after notifications of approval by two thirds of the Contracting Parties have been received by the Government of the Principality of Monaco. The latter shall inform the Contracting Parties and the President of the Directing Committee of the fact, specifying the date of entry into force of the amendment.

ARTICLE XXII 1. Upon expiration of a period of five years after its entry into force, this Convention may be denounced by any Contracting Party by giving at least one year's notice, in a notification addressed to the Government of the Principality of Monaco. The denunciation shall take effect upon 1 January next following the expiration of the notice and shall involve the abandonment by the Government concerned of all rights and benefits of membership in the Organization.

2. The Government of the Principality of Monaco shall inform the Contracting Parties and the President of the Directing Committee of any notification of denunciation it receives.

ARTICLE XXIII After the present Convention enters into force it shall be registered by the Government of the Principality of Monaco with the Secretariat of the United Nations in accordance with Article 102 of its Charter.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned*, duly authorized thereto, have signed this Convention.

[* Signature Omitted.] DONE at Monaco on the third day of May nineteen hundred and sixty-seven, in a single copy in the English and French languages, each text being equally authentic, which shall be deposited in the Archives of the Government of the Principality of Monaco, which shall transmit certified copies thereof to all signatories and acceding Governments and to the President of the Directing Committee.