Agreement Between Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Transjordan And Turkey Concerning The Creation Of An International Office For Information Regarding Locusts

Filename: 1926-InternationalOfficeInformationRegardingLocusts.EN.txt
Source: LNTS vol. CIX (109), pp. 122

Agreement Between Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Trans-Jordan And Turkey, Concerning The Creation Of An International Office For Information Regarding Locusts

Source: LNTS vol. CIX (109), pp. 122

THE GOVERNMENTS OF PALESTINE, TRANSJORDAN, IRAQ, TURKEY and SYRIA, deeming it of advantage to organise an " International Office for Information regarding Locusts " in order to give the highest possible efficiency to the campaign against those insects, have decided to conclude an Agreement to this effect, and have agreed on the following provisions:

Article I.

The High Contracting Parties undertake to create and maintain an " International Office for Information regarding Locusts ". Its seat shall be at Damascus, and its expenses shall be defrayed by the Contracting Parties in equal shares.

Article II.

The Office shall operate under the authority and control of a Committee composed of delegates of the Contracting States.

The composition and functions of this Committee, as well as the organisation and powers of the Office, shall be determined by the Organic Statute annexed to the present Agreement, which is considered to form an integral part thereof.

Article III.

The expenses of setting up the office and the annual expenses of running it shall be supported by the Contracting States according to the conditions laid down by the Organic Statute mentioned in Article II.

The contributions of each of the Contracting States shall be paid in through the intermediary of the High Commissariat of the French Republic in the States of Syria to the Bank of Syria and Lebanon at Damascus, whence the money shall be withdrawn, as need arises, on the order of the Director of the Office.

Each of the Contracting States shall make its first annual payment within three months from the date when this Agreement is approved by their respective Governments.

The International Office shall begin to operate after the expiration of this period of three months, in conformity with the provisions of Article VIII.

The financial year of the Office shall run from the date on which the Office begins to operate. The contributions for the following years shall be paid at least one month before the end of the financial year.

The pound sterling shall be the official currency of the Office.

Article V.

Proposals to amend the provisions of the International Agreement and the Organic Statute of the Office shall be submitted by the High Contracting Parties to the Committee referred to in Article II.

The decisions taken by the Committee shall be submitted to the consideration of the Contracting States, and shall only be valid when they have been ratified by the majority of the Contracting States.

Article VI.

The present Agreement is concluded for a period of three years.

It shall be prolonged by tacit consent for an equal period for all States which have not notified their intention of allowing it to lapse so far as they are concerned at least one year before the expiration of each period of three years.

Article VII.

Each Government shall notify its accession as quickly as possible to the High Commissioner of the French Republic, who shall communicate it to the other signatory States.

Article VIII.

For each signatory State the present Agreement shall enter into force on the day of notification of its accession.

The International Office shall not be established unless at least three of the signatory States give their accession.

Article IX.

Governments which have not signed the present Agreement shall be allowed to accede to it on request.

They shall give notice of this accession to the High Commissioner of the French Republic, who shall communicate it to the various Contracting States. Accession shall bind the acceding party to share in the expenses of the Office according to the provisions of Article IV.

Article X.

The representatives of Turkey, Iraq, Transjordan, Palestine, the State of Syria and the High Commissariat of the French Republic, being duly authorised, have drawn up the present Agreement in a single copy, to which they have appended their signatures.

This copy shall be deposited in the archives of the High Commissariat of the French Republic, and certified copies shall be communicated through the diplomatic channel to the High Contracting Parties.

Done at Damascus, May 20, 1926.

For Turkey: AZlZ bey. TEWFIK bey. For Iraq: Anwar KHAYATT. For Transjordan: All TABBARA. For Palestine: J. I. BODKIN. For the State of Syria: Joseph ATALLA. For the High Commissariat: E. ACHARD. ORGANIC STATUTE

OF THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE FOR INFORMATION REGARDING LOCUSTS.

Article I.

An " International Office for Information regarding Locusts ", dependent on the States that agree to share the expenses of its institution and operation, shall be set up at Damascus.

Article II.

The Office may in no way interfere in the administration of the Contracting States.

For administrative purposes it shall be independent of the authorities of the country in which it is instituted.

It shall communicate directly with the Agricultural Departments of the Contracting Countries. By separate agreement with each of the Contracting States, it shall be empowered to communicate directly with the special services dealing with the anti-locust campaign.

Article III.

The High Commissioner of the French Republic in the States of Syria, Lebanon, the Alaouites and the Jebel Druse shall be empowered, on the request of the Committee mentioned in Article II of the International Agreement, to take the necessary steps to have the Office recognised as a public utility institution.

Article IV. The main objects of the Office shall be:

(a) To receive, enter and co-ordinate the particulars sent by the Contracting States or coming from any other suitable source, concerning the places where locusts have laid, the extent and density of their laying-sites, their stages of growth, their known or probable movements, and the means of controlling and fighting them.

(b) To communicate as quickly as possible to each of the Contracting States the information received concerning the places where locusts have laid, the extent and density of their laying-sites, their stages of growth, the directions of their flight, and the means of controlling and fighting them.

(c) To send the Contracting States, as soon as possible after the locusts, laying-period, a map showing the places where locusts have laid and the density of their laying-sites.

(d) To furnish, if possible, such special particulars about locusts as may be requested by the Contracting States.

(e) To obtain from the Contracting States all useful particulars about locusts.

(f) To approach the Contracting States with a view to common action against locusts where such action may be considered necessary or profitable.

With a view to securing common action against locusts along the frontiers, the Office shall endeavour to establish a system of liaison between the States concerned, and shall take the necessary steps to put this system into operation.

(g) To endeavour to secure free postal and telegraphic communication between the Office and the Contracting States for the exchange of information regarding locusts.

(h) To keep a list of all property purchased with the Office funds.

(i) To draw up and submit to the Contracting States an annual report on the work of the Office and the campaign against locusts in the various Contracting States and on the results obtained, as well as on the laws and regulations introduced by these States with regard to locusts.

Article V. The Contracting States shall:

(a) ' Set up a special Service if such a Service does not already exist, to collect particulars concerning the migrations of locusts, and also an anti-locust organisation proportionate to the extent of their invasions.

(b) Communicate urgently to the Office, by telegraph or post, all particulars concerning the places where locusts have laid and hatched, the extent and density of their laying-and hatching-sites, their stages of growth, their movements as observed in the territories of those States and the means of controlling and fighting them.

Send to the various Contracting Countries and to the Office specimens of locusts in their different stages of growth.

(c) Notify the Office as early as possible of new anti-locust laws and regulations.

(d) Reply, as fully as possible, to every request from the Office for information about locusts.

Article VI.

The Office shall be under the authority and control of an International Committee composed of technical representatives chosen by the Contracting States on the basis of one representative for each State.

The members of the Committee shall elect their Chairman by secret ballot. His term of office shall be for one year.

The retiring Chairman may be re-elected.

Article VII.

The Committee shall meet in ordinary session once a year on a summons from its Chairman to the Governments of the Contracting States.

The place and date of the meeting shall be fixed by common agreement during the previous session.

The first meeting shall be convened at Damascus by the Representative of the High Commissioner.

An extraordinary meeting may be held once a year on the request of half the members of the Committee; this half must include the Chairman, who shall fix the date and place of the extraordinary meeting.

Article VIII.

The sessions of the Committee shall be limited in duration.

The decisions of the Committee shall only be valid if they have been passed by the absolute majority of the members present. Should neither side secure a majority, the Chairman shall have the casting vote.

The quorum necessary to make the decisions of the Committee valid shall be deemed to have been secured when more than half the Contracting States are represented.

Decisions taken during an extraordinary meeting shall only be valid if all those members who requested the extraordinary meeting are present.

Article IX.

The Office shall be carried on a paid staff consisting of a director and various employees.

The director shall be nominated by the Committee. He may be chosen from among the members of the Committee. He must be either a scientific agriculturist or an entomologist.

If he is chosen from outside the Committee, he shall attend the meetings of the Committee in an advisory capacity.

The right to appoint or dismiss any employee is reserved for the director, who shall be answerable therefor to the Committee.

Article X.

The official language of the Office shall be French; but communications sent to the Office by any Contracting State may be made in the official language of the State of origin.

Article XI.

The travelling expenses of members of the Committee convened to the ordinary or extraordinary sessions of the Committee shall be borne by the Contracting States.

The travelling expenses and allowances of the director of the Office when called upon to attend the sessions in an advisory capacity shall be chargeable to the Office.

Article XII.

The Committee shall examine the expenditure of the past year and approve the balance sheet after it has been certified by a chartered accountant.

The Committee shall discuss the Regulations for the organisation of the staff and all measures necessary for the working of the Office.

The regulations and measures mentioned above shall be communicated to the Contracting States after being adopted by the Committee. No change may be made in them without the consent of the Contracting States.

Article XIII.

A report on the administration of the Office shall be submitted to the Contracting States after the close of each financial year.

DAMASCUS, May 20, 1926.

For Turkey:

AZIZ bey.

TEWFICK bey.

For Iraq:

ANWAR KHAYATT.

For Transjordan; Ali TEBBARA.

For Palestine:

J. I. BODKIN.

For the State of Syria:

Joseph ATALLA.

For the High-Commissariat:

E. ACHARD.

INTERNATIONAL OFFICE FOR INFORMATION REGARDING LOCUSTS.

DRAFT BUDGET No. I, IN POUNDS STERLING.

'Furnishing expenditure (non-renewable) 75 75

Renewable expenditure

Staff

I Director at £12 per month 144

I Secretary at £16 per month 192

I Typist 192

1 Orderly at £3 a month 36 372

Equipment

Rent of Office 40

Lighting and Heating 10

Office Expenses and Correspondence 20

Various 33 103

550

The quota of each State will be:

In the event of 3 States participating £183

4 137.5

5 110

6 91.7

7 78.6

INTERNATIONAL OFFICE FOR INFORMATION REGARDING LOCUSTS.

DRAFT BUDGET NO. II, IN POUNDS STERLING.

Expenses of installation (non-renewable) 350 350

Annual Expenses

I Director (entomologist) 550

I Assistant (bacteriologist) 420

I Secretary 192

I Typist 192

I Orderly 36 1198

Rent of Office 6o

Lighting and Heating 10

Office Expenses and Correspondence 30

journey from Europe to Syria 6o

Travelling Expenses in the States 200

Laboratory Expenses 100 460

£2008

The quota of each State will be:

In the case of 3 States participating £67o

4 502

5 402

6 335

7 287