Depositary
STATUS AS AT : 31-01-2023 12:16:44 EDT
CHAPTER XI
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
B. Road Traffic
3. Protocol on Road Signs and Signals
Geneva, 19 September 1949
Entry into force
:
20 December 1953, in accordance with article 58.
Registration :
20 December 1953, No. 1671
Status :
Signatories : 14. Parties : 40
Text : Certified true copy
United Nations,  Treaty Series , vol. 182, p. 229, and vol. 514, p. 254 (amendments to the Protocol)1.
Note :
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)2 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,  Treaty Series , vol. 125, p. 3.
Participant
 Signature
 Ratification, Accession(a), Succession(d)
Austria
 19 Sep 1949
 2 Nov 1955
Belgium
 19 Sep 1949
23 Apr 1954
Bulgaria
   13 Feb 1963 a
Burkina Faso
   31 Aug 2009 a
Cambodia
   14 Mar 1956 a
Cuba
    1 Oct 1952 a
Czech Republic 3
   2 Jun 1993 d
Denmark
 19 Sep 1949
 1 Jul 1959
Dominican Republic
   15 Aug 1957 a
Ecuador
   26 Sep 1962 a
Egypt
 19 Sep 1949
28 May 1957
Finland
   24 Sep 1958 a
France
 19 Sep 1949
18 Aug 1954
Greece
    1 Jul 1952 a
Haiti
   12 Feb 1958 a
Holy See
    1 Oct 1956 a
Hungary
   30 Jul 1962 a
India
 29 Dec 1949
 
Israel
 19 Sep 1949
 
Italy
 19 Sep 1949
15 Dec 1952
Kyrgyzstan
   22 Mar 1994 a
Lebanon
 19 Sep 1949
 
Liechtenstein
    2 Mar 2020 a
Luxembourg
 19 Sep 1949
17 Oct 1952
Monaco
   25 Sep 1951 a
Montenegro 4
  23 Oct 2006 d
Netherlands 5
19 Sep 1949
19 Sep 1952
Niger
    5 Mar 1968 a
Norway
 19 Sep 1949
 
Poland
   29 Oct 1958 a
Portugal
   15 Feb 1957 a
Romania
   26 Jan 1961 a
Russian Federation
   17 Aug 1959 a
Rwanda
    5 Aug 1964 d
San Marino
   19 Mar 1962 a
Senegal
   13 Jul 1962 a
Serbia 6
  12 Mar 2001 d
Slovakia 3
  28 May 1993 d
Spain
   13 Feb 1958 a
Sweden
 19 Sep 1949
25 Feb 1952
Switzerland
 19 Sep 1949
 
Thailand
   15 Aug 1962 a
Tunisia
    8 Nov 1957 a
Uganda
   15 Apr 1965 a
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
   16 May 1966 a
Declarations and Reservations
(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made
upon ratification, accession or succession.)
Austria 7
       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 8

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 9
       "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 10
       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.
Romania
       The 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 11
       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 10
       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.
Territorial Application
Participant
 Date of receipt of the notification
 Territories
Netherlands 5 14 Jan 1955 Netherlands New Guinea and Suriname
  9 May 1957 Netherlands Antilles
Portugal 15 Feb 1957 Portuguese Overseas Provinces of Angola and Mozambique
Spain 13 Feb 1958 African localities and provinces
End Note
1

Registration: 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 bis to article 35, is not bound by that amendment.  For the text of the Protocol incorporating the said amendments, see  United Nations Conference on Road and Motor Transport, Final Act and Related Documents  (United Nations publication, Sales No.: 1967.VIII.1).
2

Resolutions adopted by the Economic and Social Council, during its seventh session (E/1065), p. 8.
3

Czechoslovakia 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.
4

See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.
5

See note 1 under “Netherlands” regarding “Aruba/Netherlands Antilles” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
6

The 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.
7

The said reservation reads as follows:

"That the signs for the special identification of routes in Austria may be either rectangular or circular in shape."
8

In 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, Treaty Series , vol. 453, p. 354.
9

In 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, Treaty Series , vol. 434, p. 290.
10

The 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."
11

The 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.
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