CHAPTER XI

TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

A

Custom Matters17International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of GoodsGeneva, 21 October 1982Entry into force15 October 1985, in accordance with article 17(1).Registration15 October 1985, No. 23583StatusSignatories13Parties581TextUnited Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 1409, p. 3; and depositary notification C.N.81.1984.TREATIES-3 of 4 May 1984 (procès-verbal of rectification of French authentic text);<superscript>2</superscript> C.N.222.2007.TREATIES-1 of 20 February 2007 (Proposal of a new Annex 8 to the Convention) and C.N.127.2008.TREATIES-1 of 25 February 2008 (Entry into force of Annex 8); C.N.157.2008.TREATIES-1 of 25 March 2008 (Correction of the English and French texts of the new Annex 8 to the Convention); C.N.552.2010.TREATIES-2 of 31 August 2010 reissued on 13 March 2013 (Proposal of a new annex 9 to the Convention); C.N.534.2011.TREATIES-1 of 1 September 2011 (Entry into force of Annex 9 to the Convention); C.N.77.2020.TREATIES-XI.A.17 of 27 February 2020 (Proposal of amendment to article 7 of Annex 8) and C.N.83.2021.TREATIES-XI.A.17 of 5 March 2021 (Entry into force of amendment to Annex 8).The Convention was elaborated by the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe and was opened for signature in Geneva from 1 April 1983 to 31 March 1984.

ParticipantSignatureRatification, Accession(a), Acceptance(A), Approval(AA), Succession(d)Albania28 Dec 2004 aArmenia 8 Dec 1993 aAustria22 Jul 1987 aAzerbaijan 8 May 2000 aBelarus 5 Apr 1993 aBelgium31 Jan 1984 12 Jun 1987 Bosnia and Herzegovina<superscript>3</superscript> 1 Sep 1993 dBulgaria27 Feb 1998 aCroatia<superscript>3</superscript>20 May 1994 dCuba15 Apr 1992 aCyprus 1 Jul 2002 aCzech Republic<superscript>4</superscript>30 Sep 1993 dDenmark 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Estonia 4 Mar 1996 aEuropean Union 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Finland 8 Aug 1985 aFrance 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Georgia 2 Jun 1999 aGermany<superscript>5,6</superscript> 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Greece 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Hungary21 Dec 1983 26 Jan 1984 AAIran (Islamic Republic of)18 May 2010 aIreland 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Italy 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Jordan13 Nov 2008 aKazakhstan25 Jan 2005 aKyrgyzstan 2 Apr 1998 aLao People's Democratic Republic29 Sep 2008 aLatvia18 Dec 2003 aLesotho30 Mar 1988 aLiberia16 Sep 2005 aLithuania 7 Dec 1995 aLuxembourg 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Mongolia 2 Nov 2007 aMontenegro<superscript>7</superscript>23 Oct 2006 dMorocco25 Sep 2012 aNetherlands (Kingdom of the)<superscript>8</superscript> 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 ANorth Macedonia<superscript>3</superscript>20 Dec 1999 dNorway10 Jul 1985 aPoland 6 Dec 1996 aPortugal10 Nov 1987 aRepublic of Moldova 3 Dec 2008 aRomania10 Nov 2000 aRussian Federation28 Jan 1986 aSerbia<superscript>3</superscript>12 Mar 2001 dSlovakia<superscript>4</superscript>28 May 1993 dSlovenia<superscript>3</superscript> 6 Jul 1992 dSouth Africa24 Feb 1987 aSpain 2 Jul 1984 aSweden15 Jul 1985 aSwitzerland<superscript>1</superscript>25 Jan 1984 21 Jan 1986 Tajikistan28 Dec 2011 aTunisia11 Mar 2009 aTürkiye21 Mar 2006 aTurkmenistan27 Nov 2016 aUkraine12 Sep 2003 aUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland<superscript>9</superscript> 1 Feb 1984 12 Jun 1987 Uzbekistan27 Nov 1996 aCubaReservation:[The Government of Cuba declares that] it does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7, and that any disputes that may arise among the parties must be resolved by means of negotiation through the diplomatic channel.Cyprus<superscript>10</superscript><right>1 August 2002</right>Reservation in respect of article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7:"The Republic of Cyprus does not consider itself bound by article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7, of the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods concerning the settlement of disputes." HungaryReservation made upon signature and confirmed upon approval:"The Government of the Hungarian's People's Republic does not consider itself bound by Article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7, of this Convention."Iran (Islamic Republic of)Reservation:" ... pursuant to Article 21, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not consider itself bound by the provisions of Article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7, concerning the settlement of disputes."Russian FederationReservation:Regarding article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7:The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not consider itself bound by article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7, of the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods concerning the settlement of disputes;Declaration:Regarding article 16:The participation in the International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods of regional economic integration organizations constituted by sovereign States does not alter the position of the Soviet Union with regard to such international organizations.South Africa"South Africa does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7, of this Convention."SwitzerlandThe Government of Switzerland declared that it accepts resolution No. 230 adopted by the Inland Transport Committee on 4 February 1983, concerning Technical Assistance Measures for the Implementation of the Convention.Türkiye<superscript>11</superscript><right>13 October 2007</right>Reservation regarding article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7:"The Republic of Turkey does not consider itself bound by article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7 of the Convention."1On depositing the instrument of ratification, the Government of Switzerland declared that the provisions of the Convention will apply to the Principality of Liechtenstein so long as it is linked to Switzerland by a customs union treaty.2The rectification was proposed by the Secretary-General on 19 January 1984. It was effected on 18 April in the absence of any objections.3The former Yugoslavia had signed and ratified the Convention on 29 March 1984 and 2 July 1985, respectively. See also note 1 under <a href="/Pages/HistoricalInfo.aspx?clang=_en#BosniaandHerzegovina" target="_blank">“Bosnia and Herzegovina”</a>, <a href="/Pages/HistoricalInfo.aspx?clang=_en#Croatia“ target="_blank">"Croatia”</a>, <a href="/Pages/HistoricalInfo.aspx?clang=_en#TheformerYugoslavRepublicofMacedonia target="_blank">The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"</a>, "the former Yugoslavia”, “Slovenia” and “Yugoslavia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.4Czechoslovakia had acceded to the Convention on 6 September 1991. See also note 1 under “Czech Republic” and note 1 under “Slovakia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.5The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Convention on 22 April 1987, with the following declaration:The German Democratic Republic does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 20, paragraphs 2 to 7 of the Convention according to which a dispute regarding the interpretation or application of the Convention not settled by negotiation shall be subject to arbitration upon the request of one of the Contracting Parties party to the dispute.In this connection the German Democratic Republic takes the view that in each case the consent of all contracting parties to the dispute is required to settle a dispute by arbitration.See also note 2 under “Germany” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.6See note 1 under “Germany” Berlin (West) in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.7See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.8For the Kingdom in Europe, for the Netherlands Antilles and for Aruba. See also note 1 under “Netherlands” regarding Aruba/Netherlands Antilles in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.9For the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena and Saint Helena Dependencies.10By 7 August 2003, i.e. within a period of one year from the date of its notification (that is to say, 8 August 2002) no objection had been notified to the Secretary-General. Consequently, in keeping with the depositary practice followed in similar cases, the Secretary-General proposed to receive the reservation in question for deposit.11Within a period of one year from the date of the depositary notification transmitting the reservation (C.N.845.2006.TREATIES-2 of 13 October 2006), none of the Contracting Parties to the said Convention had notified the Secretary-General of an objection either to the deposit itself or to the procedure envisaged. Consequently, the reservation in question was accepted for deposit upon the above-stipulated one year period, that is on 13 October 2007.