CHAPTER XII

NAVIGATION3Convention relating to the unification of certain rules concerning collisions in inland navigationGeneva, 15 March 1960Entry into force13 September 1966, in accordance with article 11 which reads as follows: "1. This Convention shall come into force on the ninetieth day after five of the countries referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession. 2. With respect to any country which ratifies the Convention or accedes to it after five countries have deposited their instruments of ratification or accession, this Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the said country has deposited its instrument of ratification or accession.".Registration13 September 1966, No. 8310StatusSignatories5Parties13TextUnited Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 572, p. 133.The Convention was prepared by the Sub-Committee on Inland Water Transport of the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and its subsidiary bodies (Working Party on River Law and Groups of Rapporteurs). The Inland Transport Committee decided to open it for signature at its nineteenth session, held from 14 to 18 December 1959 (See Report of the Inland Transport Committee on its nineteenth session, document E/ECE/TRANS/514, para. 49).

ParticipantSignatureRatification, Accession(a), Succession(d)Austria14 Jun 1960 27 Sep 1962 Belarus30 Aug 2006 aBelgium15 Jun 1960 France15 Jun 1960 12 Mar 1962 Germany<superscript>1,2</superscript>14 Jun 1960 29 May 1973 Hungary24 Jul 1973 aKazakhstan14 Jul 2003 aMontenegro<superscript>3</superscript>23 Oct 2006 dNetherlands (Kingdom of the)14 Jun 1960 15 Jun 1966 Poland 8 May 1972 aRomania 4 Aug 1969 aRussian Federation26 Jan 1962 aSerbia<superscript>4</superscript>12 Mar 2001 dSwitzerland26 Apr 1972 aAustria[The Government of Austria] considers the German text as authentic, in accordance with article 19 of the Convention.BelarusReservations:Pursuant to article 9, paragraph (a), of the Convention, the Republic of Belarus will not apply the provisions of the Convention to vessels exclusively employed by the public authorities;Pursuant to article 9, paragraph (b), of the Convention, the Republic of Belarus will not apply the provisions of the Convention on waterways reserved exclusively for its own shipping;Pursuant to article 15, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the Republic of Belarus will not apply article 14 of the Convention insofar as it concerns the referral of disputes to the International Court of Justice.Belgium[The Government of Belgium] considers the French text as authentic, in accordance with article 19 of the Convention.FranceIn accordance with article 19 of the Convention, [the Government of France] considers the French text as authentic.Hungary(a) Pursuant to article 9 of the Convention, the Hungarian People's Republic reserves the right to provide by law that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply:- To vessels exclusively employed by the public authorities;- To those waterways in the territory of the Hungarian People's Republic which are reserved exclusively for its own shipping.(b) Pursuant to article 15 of the Convention, the Hungarian People's Republic declares that it does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 14 of the Convention in so far as it concerns the referral of disputes to the International Court of Justice.KazakhstanReservation:The Republic of Kazakhstan having considered the Convention accedes to it subject to the following reservation Republic of Kazakhstan declares pursuant to Article 9 that provisions of the present Convention shall not apply to the vessels designated for exercising functions of the State authority and hereby reserves the right to provide for nonapplicability of these provisions in its legislation to the waterways where the navigation is permitted only for the vessels of Republic Kazakhstan.Montenegro<superscript>3</superscript>Confirmed upon successionReservations:The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia declares in accordance with article 9 of the afore-mentioned Convention:(a) that it reserves the right to provide by law or international agreement that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply to vessels exclusively employed by the public authorities;(b) that it reserves the right to provide by law that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply on waterways reserved exclusively for its own shipping.Poland<superscript>5</superscript>[The Polish People's Republic] reserves the right not to apply the present Convention to inland waterways reserved exclusively for its own shipping.RomaniaThe Socialist Republic of Romania declares, in accordance with the provisions of article 15, that it does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 14 of the Convention.The position of the Socialist Republic of Romania is that disputes relating to the interpretation or application of the Convention may be referred to the International Court of Justice only with the agreement of all the parties in dispute in each particular case.The Socialist Republic of Romania reserves the right, in accordance with article 9, paragraphs (a) and (b) of the Conven- tion, to provide by law or international agreement that the provi-sions of the Convention shall not apply to vessels exclusively employed by the public authorities, or to waterways reserved exclusively for its own shipping.Russian Federation(a) <i>With respect to the Convention as a whole: </i> The Govern- ment of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics declares that the provisions of this Convention will not be applied on inland waterways of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics that are open to navigation only by ships sailing under the flag of the USSR;(b) <i>With respect to article 14: </i> The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not consider itself bound by article 14 of this Convention with regard to the reference of disputes to the International Court.In acceding to the Convention, the Government of the USSR deems it necessary at the same time to state its view that article 10 of the Convention, which limits the number of States which may become Parties to it, is illegal.Serbia<superscript>4</superscript>Confirmed upon successionReservations:The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia declares in accordance with article 9 of the afore-mentioned Convention:(a) that it reserves the right to provide by law or international agreement that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply to vessels exclusively employed by the public authorities;(b) that it reserves the right to provide by law that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply on waterways reserved exclusively for its own shipping.

ParticipantDate of receipt of the notificationTerritories

Netherlands (Kingdom of the)15 Jun 1966Suriname1See note 1 under “Germany” regarding Berlin (West) in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.2The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Convention on 8 October 1976 with reservations and a declaration. For the text of the reservations and the declaration, see United Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 1025, p. 378. See also note 2 under “Germany” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.3See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.4The former Yugoslavia had acceeded to the Convention on 14 February 1962 with the following declarations: The Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia declares in accordance with article 9 of the afore-mentioned Convention: (a) that it reserves the right to provide by law or international agreement that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply to vessels exclusively employed by the public authorities; (b) that it reserves the right to provide by law that the provisions of this Convention shall not apply on waterways reserved exclusively for its own shipping. 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.5On 16 October 1997, the Government of Poland notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw its reservation with regard to article 14 of the Convention made upon accession. For the text of the reservation see United Nations, <i>Treaty Series </i>, vol. 823, p. 414.