CHAPTER XI

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

B

Road Traffic3Protocol on Road Signs and SignalsGeneva, 19 September 1949Entry into force20 December 1953, in accordance with article 58.Registration20 December 1953, No. 1671StatusSignatories14Parties39TextUnited Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 182, p. 229, and vol. 514, p. 254 (amendments to the Protocol)<superscript>1</superscript>.The Convention was prepared and opened for signature by the United Nations Conference on Road and Motor Transport held at Geneva from 23 August to 19 September 1949. It was convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations pursuant to resolution 147 B (VII)<superscript>2</superscript> of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, adopted on 28 August 1948. The Conference also prepared and opened for signature the Protocol concerning countries or territories at present occupied and the Protocol on Road Signs and Signals and reached certain other decisions which are recorded in the Final Act of the Conference. For the text of the said Final Act, see United Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 125, p. 3.

ParticipantSignatureRatification, Accession(a), Succession(d)Austria19 Sep 1949 2 Nov 1955 Belgium19 Sep 1949 23 Apr 1954 Bulgaria13 Feb 1963 aBurkina Faso31 Aug 2009 aCambodia14 Mar 1956 aCuba 1 Oct 1952 aCzech Republic<superscript>3</superscript> 2 Jun 1993 dDenmark19 Sep 1949 1 Jul 1959 Dominican Republic15 Aug 1957 aEcuador26 Sep 1962 aEgypt19 Sep 1949 28 May 1957 Finland24 Sep 1958 aFrance19 Sep 1949 18 Aug 1954 Greece 1 Jul 1952 aHaiti12 Feb 1958 aHoly See 1 Oct 1956 aHungary30 Jul 1962 aIndia29 Dec 1949 Israel19 Sep 1949 Italy19 Sep 1949 15 Dec 1952 Kyrgyzstan22 Mar 1994 aLebanon19 Sep 1949 Luxembourg19 Sep 1949 17 Oct 1952 Monaco25 Sep 1951 aMontenegro<superscript>4</superscript>23 Oct 2006 dNetherlands<superscript>5</superscript>19 Sep 1949 19 Sep 1952 Niger 5 Mar 1968 aNorway19 Sep 1949 Poland29 Oct 1958 aPortugal15 Feb 1957 aRomania26 Jan 1961 aRussian Federation17 Aug 1959 aRwanda 5 Aug 1964 dSan Marino19 Mar 1962 aSenegal13 Jul 1962 aSerbia<superscript>6</superscript>12 Mar 2001 dSlovakia<superscript>3</superscript>28 May 1993 dSpain13 Feb 1958 aSweden19 Sep 1949 25 Feb 1952 Switzerland19 Sep 1949 Thailand15 Aug 1962 aTunisia 8 Nov 1957 aUganda15 Apr 1965 aUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland16 May 1969 aAustria<superscript>7</superscript>Subject to the reservation in respect of paragraph 1 of article 45 contained in paragraph 7 (f) of the Final Act of the Conference on Road and Motor Transport.Bulgaria<superscript>8</superscript>Finland"With reference to article 15, paragraph 5 of this Protocol, the Government of Finland reserve the right to use the Saint An drew's Cross at level-crossings with gates."Hungary<superscript>9</superscript>"The Hungarian People's Republic does not consider itself bound by the provision of paragraph 5, article 15 of the Protocol which stipulates that level-crossings with gates shall not be pro- vided with a sign in the form of a Saint Andrew's cross."Norway<superscript>10</superscript>Subject to the reservation in respect of paragraph 5 of article 15 contained in paragraph 7 (e) of the Final Act of the Conference on Road and Motor Transport.RomaniaThe Romanian People's Republic does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 62, under which any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Protocol may be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision by application from any of the States concerned. The position of the Romanian People's Republic is that the agreement of all the parties in dispute is required in each case for the submission of any dispute to the International Court of Justice for decision.Russian Federation<superscript>11</superscript>The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 62 of the Protocol on Road Signs and Signals, which lays down that disputes between Contracting States concerning the interpretation or application of this Protocol may be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision by application from any of the States concerned, and declares that the agreement of all the States in dispute is required in each separate case for the submission of any dispute to the International Court of Justice for decision.Sweden<superscript>10</superscript>Subject to the reservation in respect of paragraph 5 of article 15 contained in paragraph 7 e) of the Final Act of the Conference on Road and Motor Transport.

ParticipantDate of receipt of the notificationTerritories

Netherlands<superscript>5</superscript>14 Jan 1955Netherlands New Guinea and Suriname 9 May 1957Netherlands AntillesPortugal15 Feb 1957Portuguese Overseas Provinces of Angola and MozambiqueSpain13 Feb 1958African localities and provinces1Registration: 22 October 1964, No. 1671. The proposal for these amendments was communicated to the Secretary-General by the Gov- ernment of France on 3 February 1964 pursuant to paragraph 1 of article 60 of the Protocol. In accordance with paragraph 5 of the same article, they entered into force on 22 October 1964 as regards all the Contracting Parties, with the exception that the Government of Portugal, having notified the Secretary-General of its objection to the amendment adding new paragraph 3 <superscript>bis</superscript> to article 35, is not bound by that amendment. For the text of the Protocol incorporating the said amendments, see <i>United Nations Conference on Road and Motor Transport, Final Act and Related Documents </i>(United Nations publication, Sales No.: 1967.VIII.1).2<i>Resolutions adopted by the Economic and Social Council, during its seventh session (E/1065), p. 8.</i>3Czechoslovakia had signed and ratified the Protocol on 28 December 1949 and 3 November 1950, respectively. See also note 1 under “Czech Republic” and note 1 under “Slovakia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.4See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.5See note 1 under “Netherlands” regarding “Aruba/Netherlands Antilles” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.6The former Yugoslavia had signed and ratified the Protocol on 19 September 1949 and 8 October 1956, respectively. See also note 1 under “Bosnia and Herzegovina”, “Croatia”, “former Yugoslavia”, “Slovenia”, “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and “Yugoslavia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.7The said reservation reads as follows:"That the signs for the special identification of routes in Austria may be either rectangular or circular in shape."8In a notification received on 6 May 1994, the Government of Bulgaria notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw the reservation made upon accession with respect to article 62. For the text of the reservation, see United Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 453, p. 354.9In a communication received on 8 December 1989, the Government of Hungary notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw the reservation with respect to article 62 of the Protocol made upon accession. For the text of the reservation see United Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 434, p. 290.10The said reservation reads as follows:"That the use of the Saint Andrew's Cross at level-crossings with gates shall be permitted in Sweden and Norway."11The Government of Greece has informed the Secretary-General that it does not consider itself bound by the provisions to which the reservation is made, as far as the Soviet Union is concerned.