the travaux préparatoires hague rules hague-visby rules - Comite ...

766 COMITE MARITIME INTERNATIONALThe Travaux Préparatoires of the Hague and Hague-Visby RulesJe propose de consacrer la présenteréunion aux observations générales queles délégations souhaiteraient émettre ausujet des clauses finales.Puis-je demander à M. Scheffer, Présidentde la commission des clauses finalesde la première phase de faire lepoint de la question.I suggest devoting this meeting to thegeneral observations that the delegationsmight wish to express on the subject offinal clauses.May I ask Mr. Scheffer, Chairman ofthe Committee on final clauses of thefirst phase, to sum up this subject.M. Scheffer (Netherlands). As far as I know, on the question of the final clausesthat are left open for the proposed amendment of the Convention on Bills of Lading,two proposals have been made. One is on the question of how many ratifications [56]are necessary before the Protocol shall come into force. For the other Conventionswhich were adopted in May last year five ratifications were required. Then the Scandinaviancountries proposed that the number be raised from five to fifteen.The second proposal was that a clause should be inserted, that “As between theparties to this Protocol, the Convention and the Protocol shall be read and interpretedtogether as one single instrument. However, a party to this Protocol shall have no dutyto apply the provisions of this Protocol in relation to carriage from a State which isa party to the Convention but which is not a party to this Protocol”.As far as I am aware, these are the only two points we have to deal with. If thereare any other points they should be raised now so that they can be taken care of, butat the moment only these two proposals have been submitted to the Conference.M. le Président. La parole est à la délégationfrançaise.M. de Bresson (France). Monsieur lePrésident, la délégation française estimeque, dans les clauses finales, seul unpoint reste à discuter. Il s’agit de la miseen vigueur du Protocole.La délégation française souhaite quele système adopté soit simple, c’est-à-direqu’il permette la mise en vigueur aprèscinq ratifications.Nous pensons également qu’il fautun système significatif, c’est-à-dire qu’ilfaut, pour que la Convention soit mise envigueur, que les Etats qui l’auront ratifiéreprésentent au moins un million detonnes de jauge brute.Enfin, nous pensons également quela mise en vigueur devrait intervenir sixmois après le dépôt des instruments deratification.M. le Président. La parole est à la délégationnorvégienne.The Chairman. The French delegationhas the floor.Mr. de Bresson (France). Mr. Chairman,the French delegation is of theopinion that, in the final clauses, thereremains only one point to be discussed.It is the coming into force of the Protocol.The French delegation would preferthat the adopted system be simple, inother words, that it allows its coming intoforce after five ratifications.We also think a significant system isrequired, namely that it is necessary forthe Convention to come into force, thatthe States will have ratified it should representat least one million gross registertons.Lastly, we also think that the cominginto force would take place six monthsafter the deposit of the instruments ofratification.The Chairman. The Norwegian delegationhas the floor.