Status- Table of contents Participants Declarations Notes Chapter XI-B Previous treaty Next treaty  

3. Protocol on Road Signs and Signals

Geneva, 19 September 1949

 

Entry into force: 20 December 1953, in accordance with article 58.
Registration: 20 December 1953, No. 1671.
Status: Signatories: 14 ,Parties: 38.
Text: United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 182, p. 229, and vol. 514, p. 254 (amendments to the Protocol)1

Note: The Convention was prepared and opened for signature by the United Nations Conference on Road and Motor Transport held at Geneva from 23 August to 19 September 1949. It was convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations pursuant to resolution 147 B (VII)2 of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, adopted on 28 August 1948. The Conference also prepared and opened for signature the Protocol concerning countries or territories at present occupied and the Protocol on Road Signs and Signals and reached certain other decisions which are recorded in the Final Act of the Conference. For the text of the said Final Act, see United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 125, p. 3.

 

 

PARTICIPANTS


Participant  Signature  Ratification, Accession (a), Succession (d) 
Austria  19 Sep 1949  2 Nov 1955 
Belgium  19 Sep 1949  23 Apr 1954 
Bulgaria    13 Feb 1963 a 
Cambodia    14 Mar 1956 a 
Cuba    1 Oct 1952 a 
Czech Republic2    2 Jun 1993 d 
Denmark  19 Sep 1949  1 Jul 1959 
Dominican Republic    15 Aug 1957 a 
Ecuador    26 Sep 1962 a 
Egypt  19 Sep 1949  28 May 1957 
Finland    24 Sep 1958 a 
France  19 Sep 1949  18 Aug 1954 
Greece    1 Jul 1952 a 
Haiti    12 Feb 1958 a 
Holy See    1 Oct 1956 a 
Hungary    30 Jul 1962 a 
India  29 Dec 1949   
Israel  19 Sep 1949   
Italy  19 Sep 1949  15 Dec 1952 
Kyrgyzstan    22 Mar 1994 a 
Lebanon  19 Sep 1949   
Luxembourg  19 Sep 1949  17 Oct 1952 
Monaco    25 Sep 1951 a 
Montenegro3    23 Oct 2006 d 
Netherlands4  19 Sep 1949  19 Sep 1952 
Niger    5 Mar 1968 a 
Norway  19 Sep 1949   
Poland    29 Oct 1958 a 
Portugal    15 Feb 1957 a 
Romania    26 Jan 1961 a 
Russian Federation    17 Aug 1959 a 
Rwanda    5 Aug 1964 d 
San Marino    19 Mar 1962 a 
Senegal    13 Jul 1962 a 
Serbia5    12 Mar 2001 d 
Slovakia2    28 May 1993 d 
Spain    13 Feb 1958 a 
Sweden  19 Sep 1949  25 Feb 1952 
Switzerland  19 Sep 1949   
Thailand    15 Aug 1962 a 
Tunisia    8 Nov 1957 a 
Uganda    15 Apr 1965 a 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland    16 May 1969 a 
 

 

DECLARATIONS


Declarations and Reservations

(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made

upon ratification, accession or succession.)

Austria6

Subject to the reservation in respect of paragraph 1 of article 45 contained in paragraph 7 (f) of the Final Act of the Conference on Road and Motor Transport.

Bulgaria7

Finland

"With reference to article 15, paragraph 5 of this Protocol, the Government of Finland reserve the right to use the Saint An drew's Cross at level-crossings with gates."

Hungary8

"The Hungarian People's Republic does not consider itself bound by the provision of paragraph 5, article 15 of the Protocol which stipulates that level-crossings with gates shall not be pro- vided with a sign in the form of a Saint Andrew's cross."

Norway9

Subject to the reservation in respect of paragraph 5 of article 15 contained in paragraph 7 (e) of the Final Act of the Conference on Road and Motor Transport.

Romania

The Romanian People's Republic does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 62, under which any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the Protocol may be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision by application from any of the States concerned. The position of the Romanian People's Republic is that the agreement of all the parties in dispute is required in each case for the submission of any dispute to the International Court of Justice for decision.

Russian Federation10

The Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics does not consider itself bound by the provisions of article 62 of the Protocol on Road Signs and Signals, which lays down that disputes between Contracting States concerning the interpretation or application of this Protocol may be referred to the International Court of Justice for decision by application from any of the States concerned, and declares that the agreement of all the States in dispute is required in each separate case for the submission of any dispute to the International Court of Justice for decision.

Sweden9

Subject to the reservation in respect of paragraph 5 of article 15 contained in paragraph 7 e) of the Final Act of the Conference on Road and Motor Transport.

Territorial Application

Participant:  Date of receipt of the notification:  Territories: 
Netherlands4   14 Jan 1955  Surinam and the Netherlands New Guinea 
  9 May 1957  The Netherlands Antilles 
Portugal  15 Feb 1957  Portuguese Overseas Provinces of Angola and Mozambique 
Spain  13 Feb 1958  African localities and provinces 
 

 

NOTES


1. Registration: 22 October 1964, No. 1671. The proposal for these amendments was communicated to the Secretary-General by the Gov- ernment of France on 3 February 1964 pursuant to paragraph 1 of article 60 of the Protocol. In accordance with paragraph 5 of the same article, they entered into force on 22 October 1964 as regards all the Contracting Parties, with the exception that the Government of Portugal, having notified the Secretary-General of its objection to the amendment adding new paragraph 3bis to article 35, is not bound by that amendment. For the text of the Protocol incorporating the said amendments, see United Nations Conference on Road and Motor Transport, Final Act and Related Documents (United Nations publication, Sales No.: 1967.VIII.1).


2. Czechoslovakia had signed and ratified the Protocol on 28 December 1949 and 3 November 1950, respectively. See also note 1 under "Czech Republic" and note 1 under "Slovakia" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.


3. See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.


4. See note 1 under "Netherlands" regarding "Aruba/Netherlands Antilles" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.


5. The former Yugoslavia had signed and ratified the Protocol on 19 September 1949 and 8 October 1956, respectively. 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.


6. The said reservation reads as follows:

"That the signs for the special identification of routes in Austria may be either rectangular or circular in shape."


7. In a notification received on 6 May 1994, the Government of Bulgaria notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw the reservation made upon accession with respect to article 62. For the text of the reservation, see United Nations, Treaty Series , vol. 453, p. 354.


8. In a communication received on 8 December 1989, the Govern- ment of Hungary notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw the reservation with respect to article 62 of the Protocol made upon accession. For the text of the reservation see United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 434, p. 290.


9. The said reservation reads as follows:

"That the use of the Saint Andrew's Cross at level-crossings with gates shall be permitted in Sweden and Norway."


10. The Government of Greece has informed the Secretary-General that it does not consider itself bound by the provisions to which the reservation is made, as far as the Soviet Union is concerned.