CHAPTER XXV
TELECOMMUNICATIONS2Constitution of the Asia-Pacific TelecommunityBangkok, 27 March 197625 February 1979, in accordance with article 18.25 February 1979, No. 17583Signatories18Parties411United Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 1129, p. 3.The Constitution of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity was adopted on 27 March 1976 by resolution 163 (XXXII)<superscript>2</superscript> of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific at its thirty-second session, which took place at Bangkok, Thailand, from 24 March 1976 to 2 April 1976. The Constitution was open for signature at Bangkok from 1 April 1976 to 31 October 1976 and at the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York from 1 November 1976 to 24 February 1979.
ParticipantSignatureRatification, Acceptance(A), Accession(a)Afghanistan12 Jan 1977 17 May 1977 Australia26 Jul 1977 26 Jul 1977 Bangladesh 1 Apr 1976 22 Oct 1976 Bhutan23 Jun 1998 aBrunei Darussalam<superscript>3</superscript>27 Mar 1986 aCambodia 5 Apr 2007 aChina<superscript>1,4</superscript>25 Oct 1976 2 Jun 1977 ACook Islands21 Jul 1987 aDemocratic People's Republic of Korea22 Feb 1994 aFiji29 Nov 1999 aIndia28 Oct 1976 26 Nov 1976 Indonesia29 Apr 1985 aIran (Islamic Republic of)15 Sep 1976 3 Mar 1980 Japan22 Mar 1977 25 Nov 1977 AKiribati 7 Oct 2011 aLao People's Democratic Republic20 Oct 1989 aMalaysia23 Jun 1977 23 Jun 1977 Maldives17 Mar 1980 aMarshall Islands25 Jan 2005 aMicronesia (Federated States of)28 Dec 1993 aMongolia14 Aug 1991 aMyanmar20 Oct 1976 9 Dec 1976 Nauru 1 Apr 1976 22 Nov 1976 Nepal15 Sep 1976 12 May 1977 New Zealand<superscript>5</superscript>13 Jan 1993 aNiue<superscript>6</superscript>14 Nov 1994 aPakistan25 Jan 1977 1 Jul 1977 Palau19 Jun 1996 aPapua New Guinea29 Sep 1976 17 Dec 1992 Philippines28 Oct 1976 17 Jun 1977 Republic of Korea 8 Jul 1977 8 Jul 1977 Samoa 6 Nov 2000 aSingapore23 Jun 1977 6 Oct 1977 Solomon Islands17 May 2010 aSri Lanka 3 Oct 1979 aThailand15 Sep 1976 26 Jan 1979 Tonga14 Feb 1992 aTuvalu13 Sep 2011 aUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<superscript>4</superscript>31 Aug 1977 31 Aug 1977 Vanuatu11 Oct 2010 aViet Nam11 Sep 1979 a
1In addition, Macau is an associate Member. The deposit of the instrument of accession on 9 February 1993 was accompanied by a declaration made by the Government of Portugal in accordance with article 20 of the Constitution to the effect that:...The Government of the Portuguese Republic confirms that Macau, as an associate member of ESCAP, is authorized to be a party to the Constitution of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity and to assume the rights and obligations contained therein. ... In accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the Portuguese Republic and the Government of the People's Republic of China on the Question of Macau signed in Beijing on April 13, 1987, the People's Republic of China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macau from December 20 1999, while the Government of the Portuguese Republic remains responsible for the external relations of Macau until December 19, 1999.Also, on 9 February 1993, and in relation to the said deposit, the Secretary-General received from the Government of the Republic of China, the following communication:In accordance with the Joint Declaration of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Portugal on the Question of Macau signed in Beijing on 13 April 1987, the People's Republic of China will resume the exercise of sovereignty over Macau as of 20 December 1999. Macau, as a part of the territory of the People's Republic of China, will thereupon become a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China and its foreign affairs will be the responsibility of the People's Republic of China.The People's Republic of China is one of the founding members of the Asia Pacific Telecommunity.The Government of the People's Republic of China hereby declares that as of 20 December 1999, the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China may continue to stay in the Asia Pacific Telecommunity as an associate member in the name o "Macau, China" as it still meets the essential requirements for such a membership."See also note 3 under “China” and note 1 under “Portugal” regarding Macao in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.2<i>Official Records of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Sixty-first Session, Supplement No. 9 </i> (E/5786) p. 40.3Brunei Darussalam had been admitted as an associate Member from 2 March 1981. Upon becoming an associate Member, it had declared that it wished to be regarded as having been an associate member of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity with effect from 1 January 1980, the date upon which it became a financial contributor.4See note 2 under “China” and note 2 under “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” regarding Hong Kong in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.5With a declaration of non-application to Niue and Tokelau.6As an associate member.