The MULTILATERALS PROJECT, The Fletcher School, Tufts University BH245.txt (126 UNTS 237) AGREEMENTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A GENERAL FISHERIES COUNCIL FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN. DRAWN UP AT ROME, ON 24 SEPTEMBER 1949 Entry into Force: 20 Feb 1952 Preamble The Governments of France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Turkey, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia, Members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, having a mutual interest in the development and proper utilization of the resources of the Mediterranean and contiguous waters, and desiring to further the attainment of their objectives through international cooperation which would be furthered by the establishment of a General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean agree, as follows: ARTICLE I The Council 1. The contracting Governments agree to establish a Council to be known as the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean, hereinafter referred to as the Council, for the purpose of exercising the functions and discharging the responsibilities set forth in Article III below. 2. The Members of the Council shall be the Governments which accept this Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Article VIII below. ARTICLE II Organization 1. Each Member Government shall be represented at sessions of the Council by one delegate, who may be accompanied by an alternate and by experts and advisers. Participation in meetings of the Council by alternates, experts and advisers shall not entail the right to vote, except in the case of an alternate who is acting in the place of a delegate during his absence. 2. Each Member Government shall have one vote. Decisions of the Council shall be taken by a simple majority of the votes cast, except as otherwise provided by this Agreement. A majority of the total membership of the Council shall constitute a quorum. 3. The Council shall elect a Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen. 4. The Council shall determine the frequency, dates and place of its sessions, form such committees as it deems desirable, and establish rules governing its procedure. 5. The Chairman shall call a session of the Council at least once a year, unless directed otherwise by a majority of the Member Governments. The initial session shall be called by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations within six months after the entry into force of this Agreement and at such place as it may designate. 6. The seat of the Council shall be at the seat of the European Regional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations now at Rome, Italy. 7. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations shall provide the Secretariat for the Council. ARTICLE III Functions The Council shall have the following functions and responsibilities: a. To formulate all oceanographical and technical aspects of the problems of development and proper utilization of aquatic resources; b. To encourage and coordinate research and the application of improved methods employed in fishery and allied industries with a view to the utilization of aquatic resources; c. To assemble, publish or otherwise disseminate all oceanographical and technical information relating to aquatic resources; d. To recommend to Member Governments such national and international research and development projects as may appear necessary or desirable to fill gaps in such knowledge; e. To undertake, where appropriate, cooperative research and development projects directed to this end; f. To propose, and where necessary to adopt, measures to bring about the standardization of scientific equipment, techniques and nomenclature; g. To make comparative studies of the fishery legislation of different countries with a view to making recommendations to its Member Governments respecting the greatest possible coordination; h. To encourage research into the hygiene and prevention of the diseases peculiar to the calling of fishermen; i. To extend its good offices in assisting Member Governments to secure essential materials and equipments; j. To report upon such questions relating to all oceanographical and technical problems as may be recommended to it by Member Governments or by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and, if it thinks proper to do so, by other international, national or private organisations, with related interests; k. To report annually upon its activities to Member Governments and to the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; and to make such other reports to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on matters falling within the competence of the Council as may seem to it necessary and desirable. ARTICLE IV Area The Council shall carry out the functions and responsibilities set forth in Article III in the Mediterranean waters as they are geographically described. If, however, the Council contemplates studies outside this area, it shall make the necessary arrangements with the Governments and Organizations concerned, in conformity with paragraph (j) of Article III. ARTICLE V Cooperation with International Organisations 1. The Council shall cooperate closely with other international organizations in matters of mutual interest. 2. The Council shall, if it so deems opportune and useful, entrust to the international bodies referred to above, those responsibilities set forth in Article III which are of a scientific nature. ARTICLE VI Expenses 1. The expenses of delegates and their alternates, experts and advisers occasioned by attendance at meetings of the Council shall be determined and paid by their respective Governments. 2. The expenses of the Secretariat, including publications, and communications and the expenses incurred by the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Council, when performing duties on behalf of the Council between Council sessions, shall be determined and paid by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations within the limits of an annual budget prepared and approved in accordance with the current regulations of that Organization. 3. The expenses of research and development projects undertaken by individual members of the Council, whether independently or upon recommendation of the Council, shall be determined and paid by the Governments concerned. 4. The expenses incurred in connection with cooperative research or development projects undertaken in accordance with the provisions of Article III, paragraphs (d) and (e) unless otherwise available shall be determined and paid by the Member Governments in the form and proportion to which they shall mutually agree. ARTICLE VII Amendments Any amendment to this Agreement shall require the approval of a two- thirds majority of all the Members of the Council. An exception to this rule is made in the following cases: (1) Amendments to the Agreement enlarging the functions of the Council require the approval of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in addition to approval by a two-thirds majority of all the Members of the Council; (2) Amendments to the Agreement enlarging the powers of the Council to incur expenses to be borne by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, shall require the approval of a two-thirds majority of all the Members of the Council and of the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ARTICLE VIII Acceptance 1. This Agreement shall be open to acceptance by Governments which are members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2. This Agreement shall also be open to acceptance by Governments which are not members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with the approval of its Conference and of two-thirds of the Members of the Council. Participation by such Governments in the activities of the Council shall be contingent upon the assumption of a proportionate share in the expenses of the Secretariat, as determined by the Council and approved by the Food and Agriculture Organization Conference. 3. The notifications of acceptance of this Agreement shall be deposited with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Nations, who shall immediately inform all the Governments concerned of their receipt. ARTICLE IX Entry into Force 1. This Agreement shall enter into force as from the date of receipt of the fifth notification of acceptance. 2. Notifications of acceptance received after the entry into force of this Agreement shall take effect on the date of their receipt by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations who shall immediately inform all the Governments concerned and the Council of their receipt. ARTICLE X Withdrawal Any Member Government may denounce this Agreement after the expiration of two years from the date upon which the Agreement entered into force with respect to that Government by giving written notice of its withdrawal to the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations who shall immediately inform all the Governments concerned and the Council of such withdrawal. Notices of withdrawal shall become effective three months from the date of its receipt by the Director-General. Drafted at Rome this twenty-fourth day of September one thousand nine hundred and forty-nine, in the French language, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, which shall furnish certified copies thereof to the Member Governments of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.