[ 1952 ] Part 2 H. the Universal Postal Union (UPU)

The Universal Postal Union 887

D. HEADQUARTERS 5. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE Temporary Address: World Health Organization Address: Regional Office of the World Health Palais des Nations Organization for Europe Geneva, Switzerland Palais des Nations Cable Address: UNISANTE GENEVA Geneva, Switzerland Cable Address: UNISANTE GENEVA E. OTHER OFFICES 6. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN 1. NEW YORK OFFICE Address: Regional Office of the World Health Address: World Health Organization Organization for the Eastern Medi- United Nations terranean New York P. O. Box 1517 Cable Address: UNSANTE NEW YORK Alexandria, Egypt Cable Address: UNISANTE ALEXANDRIA 2. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR AFRICA 7. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE WESTERN Address: Regional Office of the World Health PACIFIC Organization for Africa Address: Regional Office of the World Health P. O. Box 6 Organization for the Western Pacific Brazzaville, French Equatorial Africa Colon Office, 25th Street Cable Address: UNISANTE BRAZZAVILLE Port Area, Post Box 2932 Manila, Philippines Cable Address: UNISANTE MANILA 3. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE AMERICAS 8. SINGAPORE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INTELLIGENCE Address: Regional Office of the World Health STATION Organization for the Americas 1501 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W. Address: Epidemiological Intelligence Station Washington 6, D. C. World Health Organization 8, Oxley Rise Cable Address: OFSANPAN WASHINGTON Singapore 9 Cable Address: EPIDNATION SINGAPORE 4. REGIONAL OFFICE FOR SOUTH-EAST ASIA 9. TUBERCULOSIS RESEARCH OFFICE Address: Regional Office of the World Health Address: World Health Organization Tuberculosis Organization for South-East Asia Research Office Patiala House, Hardinge Avenue Scherfigsvej 8 New Delhi, India Copenhagen, Denmark Cable Address: WORLDHELTH NEW DELHI Cable Address: UNIRESEARCH COPENHAGEN

H. The Universal Postal Union (UPU)1

1. Introduction successive revisions of the Treaty although it was somewhat elaborated by the Stockholm Cong- The Postal Union was founded in 1874 by the ress of 1924 and the Paris Congress of 1947. The first International Postal Congress held at Berne, former added that it was also the aim of the Union before which international exchanges of mail had "to provide for the organisation and improvement been regulated by numerous special agreements of the various international postal services" and concluded between countries or groups of coun- the latter that it was "to promote the development tries. of international collaboration in this sphere". For This first International Postal Treaty which well-defined classes of mail (such as letters, post- entered into force in July 1875 considerably cards and printed matter) addressed to any part changed and simplified the existing state of af- of the territory of the Postal Union, the Berne fairs. It declared that the countries concluding the Treaty formed a single postal territory for 1 For further information concerning UPU, see the reciprocal exchange of mail between their L'Union postale universelle: Sa fondation et son de- veloppement, 1874-1949. Mémoire (Berne: Bureau in- post offices. This formulation of the aims of the ternational de l'Union, 1950); annual reports of UPU Union remained substantially the same through and previous issues of the Yearbook, 888 Yearbook of the United Nations

Treaty provided that each country was to charge of the Union was changed from General Postal uniform rates and all apportionment of charges Union to Universal Postal Union. between sender and receiver countries was abol- On 1 July 1948 the Universal Postal Convention ished. Freedom of transit was guaranteed through- as revised by the Paris Congress in 1947 entered out the territory of the Union. into force. This Congress introduced a new article A congress of plenipotentiaries of the par- into the Convention providing that the Union ticipating countries was to meet periodically with would be brought into relationship with the United a view to perfecting the machinery of the Union, Nations in accordance with the terms of an Agree- introducing necessary improvements, and dis- ment, the text of which was annexed to the Con- 2 cussing matters of common interest. Thirteen such vention. As a result of this Agreement, and be- congresses met up to the end of 1952. These con- cause of circumstances arising from the Second gresses drew up the Acts by which the functions World War, the article relating to accession to the of the Union are determined. These Acts com- Convention was modified. Under the new terms, prise: the Swiss Government has been required, since 1 July 1948, to submit each new request for admis- (1) a main Convention laying down (a) the statute of the Union and (b) provisions governing the letter- sion to the Members of the Union, and the post, which includes letters, postcards, printed matter, country concerned is considered admitted only if samples, commercial papers, small parcels and phono- its request is approved by at least two thirds of post articles (for example, phonograph records); the Members constituting the Union. (2) seven accessory agreements covering insured letters and boxes, parcel post, cash-on-delivery articles, money orders, collection orders, transfers to and from 2. Organization postal cheque accounts and subscriptions to newspapers UPU is composed of the Universal Postal and periodicals. (Special provisions annexed to the main Convention and the parcel post agreement govern Congress, the Executive and Liaison Committee, the optional transport of these articles by air. Similarly, and the International Bureau of the UPU. Special a supplement to the money order agreement regulates sessions of the Congress may be called at the re- the optional exchange of travellers' orders.) quest of at least two-thirds of the Members of Accession to the main Convention is obligatory the Union. Committees of a temporary character for all Members, but accession to the other agree- may be established by the Congress to study par- ments is optional. The performance of certain ticular questions. special services referred to in the Convention The Universal Postal Congress meets at the is therefore limited to arrangements between latest within five years from the date of entry countries which have agreed to undertake them. into force of the Acts of the preceding Congress The provisions of these Acts of the Union acquire in order to revise these Acts or to complete them, the status of law in each country which ratines if necessary. Each Member is represented at the them, and it is therefore the responsibility of Congress by one or more plenipotentiary repre- each party to the Convention or to one of the sentatives, who are given the necessary powers by agreements to ensure the application of the re- their governments. A Member may also be rep- spective provisions. Each of these Acts is ac- resented by the delegation of another Member, companied by executive regulations, which have although no delegation may represent more than also been adopted by the Congress but signed by one country other than its own. Each Member has representatives in the name of their respective one vote in the Congress. Every Congress fixes the postal administrations and not, as in the case place of meeting of the following Congress, which of the Convention and the Agreements, in their is convened, after consultation with the Inter- capacity as plenipotentiaries of their governments. national Bureau, by the government of the country In addition to the congresses, several conferences in which it is to meet. This government is also or committees of representatives of postal ad- responsible for notifying all other Members of ministrations met, under the Union's auspices, to the Union of the decisions taken by the Congress. examine and discuss special technical questions The Executive and Liaison Committee is com- referred to them by congresses or to prepare for posed of twenty Member States elected by the congresses. Congress to function during the period between Provisions for the admission of new Members 2 For texts of the Universal Postal Convention of were eased by the Paris Congress of 1878, which Paris, 1947, the Final Protocol of the Convention and laid down that countries would be admitted to the Agreement between the United Nations and UPU, see Y.U.N., 1947-48, pp. 893-908. The revised Uni- membership at their request without prior consul- versal Postal Convention of Brussels, 1952, will enter tation among Members being required. The name into force on 1 July 1953. The Universal Postal Union 889

Congresses. At least half of the members of the The most important event of the year was the Committee must be re-elected at each Congress, meeting in Brussels of the 13th Universal Postal but no country can be elected by three successive Congress from 14 May to 11 July, at which 91 Congresses. The Committee usually holds one of the Members of the Union were represented session a year; it meets normally at Berne. Its by plenipotentiaries. The principal tasks before functions include: the Congress were to amend the Universal Postal (1) the maintenance of close relations with Members Convention of 1947, to receive the report of the of the Union, with a view to improving the inter- Executive and Liaison Committee covering the national postal service; activities of the Union since 1947 and to fix a (2) the study of technical questions affecting that budget ceiling for the next five years. It was service and the transmission of the results of such studies to the Members of the Union; provided that the Acts, signed at Brussels on 11 (3) the establishment and maintenance of working July 1952, would enter into force on 1 July relations with the United Nations, specialized agencies 1953. and other international organizations; For the first time in the history of the Union, (4) the control of activities of the International 3 the Congress used a system of simultaneous inter- Bureau. pretation. It was decided that English, Spanish The Committee elects from among its own and Russian as well as French might be used members its President and four Vice-Presidents, at future congresses, conferences, etc., and that the and appoints, on the recommendation of the Swiss use of other languages would be permitted on Government, the Director and other top-ranking request under certain conditions. French, how- personnel of the International Bureau. ever, was to remain the only official language of The International Bureau of the UPU, operating the Union. at Berne under the supervision of the Swiss Super- Slightly over 1,700 proposals were submitted to visory Authority, serves as the organ of liaison, the Congress by States Members of the Union. information and consultation for Members of the The following are some of the principal decisions Union. In particular, it: taken by the Congress. (1) assembles, publishes and distributes information of all kinds which administrations have to communicate It increased the membership of the Executive to one another in order to carry on the various inter- and Liaison Committee from nineteen to twenty national postal services; and stipulated that the Committee should be (2) gives opinions, at the request of the interested designated by the Congress on the basis of parties, on questions in dispute; equitable geographical distribution. The Com- (3) notifies Members of requests for amendments to mittee was empowered to submit to the Congress the Acts of the Congress and of changes adopted; proposals resulting from studies undertaken by it (4) makes the necessary preparations for congresses and conferences; and on request of the Congress or resulting from its (5) in general, undertakes studies, consultations and own activities. It was also empowered to examine, other matters as requested by Members of the Union. at the request of the originating country, any The Bureau also serves postal administrations proposal transmitted to the International Bureau as a clearing house for the settlement of postal and to prepare comments on it which would be accounts, especially those relating to transit pay- submitted with the proposal to Member Admin- ments and reply coupons. istrations by the Bureau. The Congress also re- elected the new members of the Committee.4 As regards the finances of the Union, the 3. Activities during 1952 Congress decided to raise from 600,000 gold francs (of which 100,000 gold francs were for With the admission of Laos and Libya by the the Executive and Liaison Committee) to 1,300,- 13th Universal Postal Congress, the membership 000 gold francs the budgetary limit for the or- of UPU increased to 93, excluding Germany, dinary expenses of the Union. The change was which is temporarily prevented by the Paris Con- to take effect on the date of the entry into force vention of 1947 from adhering to the Convention of the Brussels Convention (that is, on 1 July and the Agreements of the Union. 1953). The two figures are, however, not com- The Union continued during the year to pur- parable since the greater part of the rise in or- sue its aim of assuring the organization and im- dinary expenses is explained by the fact that provement of the various international postal 3 For functions assigned to the Committee by the services and of promoting the development of Brussels Convention, see "Activities during 1952". international collaboration in this sphere. 4 For members see Annex B. 890 Yearbook of the United Nations in the future a large part of the expenses hitherto postal administrations were authorized to increase classed as "extraordinary expenses" will come the rates fixed by the Convention by an amount under the heading of "ordinary expenses". up to 40 per cent or to reduce them by an Since the Union has been in existence for more amount up to 20 per cent. The Final Protocol than three quarters of a century and the succes- of the new Convention provided that the rates sive Postal Congresses have introduced in its may be increased by up to 60 per cent or reduced Acts those improvements found to be necessary by up to 20 per cent. or desirable, the only changes remaining to be The Congress also took the following, among made are of a technical character. In this respect other, decisions. It referred to the Executive and two important decisions were taken by the Brus- Liaison Committee the problem of the transport sels Congress involving (1) transit rates for of dangerous goods, which had been raised by surface mail and (2) the basic rates for airmail. the United Nations in accordance with Economic 5 Under the 1947 and previous Conventions, and Social Council resolution 379 E (XIII); different transit rates, that is, the rates paid by it further asked ICAO to study the problem of the Administrations of origin for the carriage the transmission by airmail of substances liable of mail by intermediate Administrations, were to imperil aircraft. It adopted a resolution on the applicable to letters and postcards and to other dispatch through the post of perishable biological objects of correspondence. The Brussels Congress material, providing for concerted action by the adopted a uniform scale of transit rates applicable World Health Organization (WHO) and the to all objects of correspondence. It also adopted Union. It referred to the Executive and Liaison a more detailed scale of distances, with the cor- Committee the question, raised by the United responding transit rates, for both land and sea Nations, of what provisions relating to the ship- carriage. ment of narcotics should be included in the new single narcotics convention and what provisions As regards airmail rates, which had been the in the Universal Postal Convention and Arrange- subject of extensive discussions and studies be- ments. It also adopted a resolution which, among tween the Union, the International Civil Avia- other things, recognized from the postal point of tion Organization (ICAO) and the International view the establishment of the United Nations Air Transport Association (IATA), the Congress Postal Administration.6 took the following decisions after considerable discussion. It decided: Prior to the Congress the Executive and Liaison (1) that the maximum rate for the carriage of LC Committee held its annual meeting at Berne, (letters and postcards) and assimilated objects of cor- Switzerland, from 21 to 28 January. Its discussions respondence, such as money-orders, etc., should be fixed were concerned principally with the proposals at three gold francs per ton-kilometre; (2) that this to be presented by the Committee to the Brussels uniform rate would be increased to a maximum of four gold francs per ton-kilometre, for LC mail carried by Congress and dealt, among other things, with: a air services for which the rate applied on 1 July 1952 revision of the Acts of Paris concerning parcel was higher than three gold francs; (3) for other objects post; the textual revision of the Acts of Paris of correspondence, the maximum rate was fixed at 1.25 concerning insured letters and boxes; the redraft gold francs per ton-kilometre; (4) for periodicals and papers the maximum rate per ton-kilometre was fixed of the Acts of Paris concerning subscriptions to at one gold franc. newspapers and periodicals; proposals for a postal The Congress also stipulated that airmail sur- franchise for prisoners and internees; and ques- charges should be closely related to transportation tions relating to airmail, particularly tariff ques- charges and, as a general rule, receipts from air tions. postage surcharges should not on the whole exceed The new Executive and Liaison Committee the cost of carriage of the airmail. It instructed elected by the Congress held its first meeting on the Executive and Liaison Committee to study 12 July 1952 to elect its officers and fix the date airmail rates and report to the next Congress. of its next session. The scale of postage rates, units of weight, Independently of its specialized activities, the and weight and size limits for all objects of UPU, through the medium of its International correspondence adopted by the Congress was, with Bureau and in accordance with the terms of article very few exceptions, the same as that provided in 26 of the Universal Postal Convention of Paris, the Paris Convention of 1947; the only signifi- 1947, has served as the organ of liaison, informa- cant change concerned the extension of postal franchise to Braille material. Under the provisions 5 See also p. 411. of the Final Protocol of the Convention of 1947, 6 See pp. 129-31. The Universal Postal Union 891 tion and consultation of the countries of the will belong from the point of view of contributing Union. Thus the Bureau published and sent to to the expenses of the Bureau. the Administrations in 1952 a total of 306 cir- Pursuant to the decision of the Paris Congress culars, 119 bulletins, 12,009,500 international of 1947, the annual ordinary expenses of the reply coupons, 155,375 postal identity cards and International Bureau must not exceed 500,000 about 840 proposals for modifications of the gold francs (equivalent to approximately 714,- Acts of the Union submitted by the Administra- 826 Swiss francs), and those of the Executive tions for examination by the Brussels Congress. and Liaison Committee 100,000 gold francs It also edited, or re-edited, and transmitted to (equivalent to approximately 142,857 Swiss the Administrations the following records, lists, francs). To these sums must be added the expenses documents, etc.: analytic report of the 1952 resulting from the special work assigned to the session of the Executive and Liaison Committee, Bureau (see above). general account of transit charges for 1951, general account of international reply coupons The Swiss Administration supervises the ex- for 1951, the report of the work of the Inter- penses of the International Bureau and advances national Bureau for 1951, list of heads of Postal the necessary funds. These sums must be repaid Administrations, compilation of addresses of by the debtor administrations as quickly as pos- Postal Administrations, record of the organization sible and at the latest before the end of the year and internal services of the Administrations, rec- in which the account is rendered. If this time is ord of postal rates of internal services, statistical exceeded, the sums due are charged interest at summary of postal services for 1950, the review the rate of 5 per cent per year, from the date Union Postale and seven technical postal studies. of the expiration of the period. In addition, the International Bureau distributed As of 31 December 1952, countries were clas- 2,623 kinds of postage stamps and printed and sified as follows for the apportionment of con- embossed stamps, comprising 2,180 postage stamps tributions: of all kinds, 29 blocks, 387 sheets and 27 printed 1st class: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, and embossed stamps, bringing to 958,937 the France, Germany,7 India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, total number of stamps distributed to the Ad- Pakistan, Spain, Union of South Africa, USSR, United ministrations during 1952. Kingdom, United States 2nd class: None 3rd class: Algeria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, French Overseas Territories and Territories administered as such, Indonesia, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Ro- 4. Budget mania, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukrainian SSR, United Kingdom Overseas Colonies, Protectorates and Territories under Trusteeship, United States Possessions, Each Congress fixes the maximum figure for Yugoslavia the ordinary annual expenses of the International 4th class: Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Korea, Bureau. These expenses, as well as extraordinary Norway, Portugal, Portuguese Colonies in West Africa, charges resulting from sessions of the Congress, Portuguese Colonies in East Africa, Asia and Oceania conferences or committees, and the charges which 5th class: Austria, Bulgaria, Byelorussian SSR, Ceylon, Chile, Colombia, French Morocco, Greece, Iran, Peru, arise from special work entrusted to the Bureau, Spanish Morocco, Tunisia are met in common by all the Members of the 6th class: Afghanistan, Albania, Bolivia, Burma, Costa Union. These are divided, for this purpose, into Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, seven classes, of which each contributes to the Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Israel, Luxem- expenditures in the following proportion: bourg, Netherlands Antilles and Surinam, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet- First class: 25 units nam Second class: 20 units 7th class: Belgian Congo, Cambodia, Iceland, Iraq, Third class: 15 units Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Philippines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Spanish Colonies, Syria, Vatican Fourth class: 10 units City, Yemen Fifth class: 5 units Sixth class: 3 units Contributory shares covering the ordinary and Seventh class: 1 unit extraordinary expenses for the year 1952 were fixed as follows: In case of a new accession to the Convention, the Government of the Swiss Confederation 7 Germany is temporarily prevented from adhering to the Convention and the Agreements of the Union determines, in agreement with the government by virtue of Art. XVII of the Final Protocol of the of the Member concerned, the class to which it Universal Postal Convention of Paris 1947. 892 Yearbook of the United Nations

Contributory Shares EXPENDITURE Class of Contribution (gold francs) (Swiss francs) Ordinary: Swiss Francs 1st class: 25 units 33,442.50 47,775.00 Personnel ...... 386,707.40 2nd class: 20 units 26,754.00 38,220.00 Premises ...... 34,935.67 3rd class: 15 units 20,065.50 28,665.00 Supplies ...... 271,436.49 Miscellaneous 4th class: 10 units 13,377.00 19,110.00 ...... 6,557.10 5th class: 5 units 6,688.50 9,555.00 699,636.66 6th class: 3 units 4,013.10 5,733.00 Expenses of the Executive and Liaison 7th class: 1 unit 1,337.70 1,911.00 84,002.44 Surplus of contributions for 1952 (to Receipts and expenditures for the year 1952 be added to the receipts for 1953) 337.84 may be summarized as follows: Special payment to the Pensions Fund 67,966.55

RECEIPTS TOTAL ORDINARY EXPENDITURE 851,943.49 Ordinary: Swiss francs Extraordinary: Sale of documents and other receipts 52,541.82 Special work ...... 553,925.45 Extraordinary: Brussels Congress ...... 384,421.16 New directory of post offices, advance Technical Transit Committee 15,224.55 sale ...... 3,632.44 TOTAL EXTRAORDINARY Contributions from members (includ- EXPENDITURE ...... 953,571.16 ing surplus of contributions for 1950 1,749,340.39 TOTAL OF ORDINARY AND EXTRA- TOTAL RECEIPTS ...... 1,805,514.65 ORDINARY EXPENDITURE ...... 1,805,514.65

ANNEX. MEMBERS, OFFICERS AND HEADQUARTERS (As of 31 December 1952)

A. MEMBERS OF UPU8 Poland9 Turkey9 Portugal9 Ukrainian SSR9 Afghanistan9 Germany10 Portuguese Colonies Union of South Africa9 9 9 Albania Greece of West Africa USSR9 Algeria Guatemala Portuguese Colonies United Kingdom9 Argentina Haiti of East Africa, United Kingdom Overseas Australia9 Honduras Asia and Oceania Colonies, Protectorates 9 Austria Hungary9 Romania9 and Territories under Belgium9 Iceland9 San Marino9 Trusteeship9 Belgian Congo9 India9 Saudi Arabia United States9 Bolivia Indonesia9 Spain United States Possessions Brazil Iran Spanish Colonies Uruguay Bulgaria9 Iraq Spanish Morocco Vatican City Burma Ireland9 Sweden9 Venezuela9 Byelorussian SSR9 Israel Switzerland9 Vietnam Cambodia Italy9 Syria Yemen 9 Canada9 Japan Thailand Yugoslavia9 Ceylon Jordan Tunisia9 Chile9 Korea, Rep. of China9 Laos11 Colombia Lebanon9

Costa Rica Liberia 8 11 The Official nomenclature as notified to UPU by the Cuba Libya Members concerned, which is used to designate some Czechoslovakia9 Luxembourg9 9 Members in this list, differs in certain instances from Denmark Mexico9 the official nomenclature of the United Nations. UPU's Dominican Republic Netherlands9 official listing of its Members and Associate Members Ecuador Netherlands Antilles is in the French alphabetical order of their names. 8 9 Egypt and Surinam 9 These members had deposited their instruments of El Salvador New Zealand9 ratification of the Universal Postal Convention by 31 Ethiopia Nicaragua December 1952. 9 9 Finland Norway 10 Germany is temporarily prevented from adhering France9 Pakistan 9 to the Convention and the Agreements of the Union French Morocco Panama by virtue of Art. XVII of the Final Protocol of the French Overseas Territories Paraguay Universal Postal Convention of Paris 1947. 9 and Territories admin- Peru 11 9 9 These members had deposited their instruments of istered as such Philippines accession to the Universal Postal Convention in 1952. The International Telecommunication Union 893

B. OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE C. OFFICERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE AND LIAISON COMMITTEE BUREAU OF UPU Director: President: Belgium (E. Pineux)12 Fritz Hess (Switzerland) Vice-Director: Vice-Presidents: Fulke R. Radice (United Kingdom) 1. USSR 3. Australia Counsellors: 2. United States 4. Egypt F. Deprez (Switzerland) A. Guillaume (France) Secretary-General: E. Kern (Switzerland) Fritz Hess (Switzerland), Director of the International First-Class Secretaries: Bureau A. Vuilleumier (Switzerland) M. Rahi (Egypt) W. Schlaefli (Switzerland) Members: D. HEADQUARTERS Brazil Pakistan Chile Poland Address: Bureau international de l'Union postale universelle Denmark Switzerland Schosshaldenstrasse 46 France Syria Berne, Suisse India Union of South Africa Postal Address: Case postale Berne 15, Suisse Indonesia Uruguay Cable Address: UPU BERNE Italy Venezuela 12 Mr. Pineux died in March 1953 and the Presidency Japan was subsequently assumed by J. B. L. Lemmens.

I. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)1

1. Introduction and the regulations governing international telegraph, telephone and radiocommunications. By The Convention establishing an International means of a permanent secretariat, known as the Telegraph Union was signed at Paris on 17 May Bureau of the Union, it circulated information 1865 by the plenipotentiaries of 20 founding furnished by Member countries as necessary for States. In 1885, at Berlin, the first regulations the smooth functioning of the international tele- relating to international telephone services were communications services, and published a monthly inserted in the Telegraph Regulations annexed journal. After the Second World War, in view to the Convention. of post-war political changes and of scientific At the first International Radiotelegraph Con- advances, it became necessary to expand the ference, held at Berlin, 27 States signed the structure of the organization. The Plenipotentiary International Radiotelegraph Convention of 3 Conference, held at Atlantic City in 1947, drafted November 1906 establishing the principle of com- a new Convention,2 which was signed in October pulsory intercommunication between vessels at 1947 by 72 of the 78 States, territories or groups sea and the land. of territories which, according to Annex I of In 1932, the International Telegraph Conven- this Convention, can become Members of the tion and the International Radiotelegraph Con- Union with full rights upon signature and ratifica- vention were merged to form the International tion of or accession to the Convention. The new Telecommunication Convention, which was signed Convention reorganized the Union and estab- at Madrid on 9 December 1932. Under this Con- lished new permanent organs, including the Ad- vention, which came into force on 1 January 1934, the International Telecommunication Union 1 For further information concerning ITU, see previous replaced the International Telegraph Union. volumes of the Yearbook; reports of ITU to the United From the outset, ITU was an agency which, by Nations; Final Acts of the International Telecommunica- tion and Radio Conferences, Atlantic City, 1947; and means of conferences meeting normally every five the Telecommunication Journal. years (except during the two world wars), 2 For text of the Convention, see Y.U.N., 1947-48, revised and kept up to date the basic Convention pp. 932-49.