Registration and publication of treaties and international agreements

X. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE
966. Registration and publication of treaties and international agreements

The General Assembly, Having considered the report[1]1of the Secretary-General and the tenth report[2]2of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions to the General Assembly at its tenth session on the registration and publication of treaties and international agreements, Recalling its resolution 97 (1) of 14 December 1946 adopting regulations to give effect to Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, as amended by its resolutions 364 B (IV) and 482 (V), of 1 December 1949 and 12 December 1950 respectively, Noting the economies which have been achieved during the current year in the publication of the United Nations Treaty Series as a result of more favourable printing contracts and of the use of more economical methods of production, Considering that, in view of the heavy volume of material for publication, further measures should be taken, without unduly impairing the value of the Treaty Series or in any way infringing Article 102 of the Charter, to reduce both the delay in the publication of treaties and international agreements and the expenditure incurred, Believing it desirable, however, that the various measures considered in the course of the present session should be further studied,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to Member States and to the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions by 1 July 1956, for consideration by the General Assembly at its eleventh session, a report covering particularly the following matters:

(a) The desirability and means of supplying translations in English or French of treaties and international agreements;

(b) The possibility of eliminating, as far as practicable, duplication in the publishing of standard form treaties and international agreements in the United Nations Treaty Series by the use of cross references to a model text already published in the Treaty Series;

(c) Possible arrangements with the specialized agencies and other international organizations, including the Contracting Parties to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, whereby duplication in the printing and publication of treaties and international agreements can be avoided while at the same time meeting the needs both of the United Nations and of the other organizations concerned;

(d) The possibility of avoiding duplication in the publishing of the United Nations International Tax Agreements and the Treaty Series;

(e) The method and effect of applying the suggestion concerning the elimination of the publication of annexes contained in part IV, B, of the report[3]3of the Secretary-General and the consequent savings in time and money, illustrated in relation to the treaties and agreements published in the Treaty Series in the course of any one year;

(f) The possibility, having regard to the types of treaties and agreements likely to be filed and recorded in the future under article 10 of the above-mentioned regulations, of effecting further economies in the publication of such treaties and agreements without unduly impairing the usefulness of the Treaty Series;

(g) The possible advantages of publishing sub-series of the Treaty Series for certain categories of treaties and agreements;

2. Invites the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to bring about further printing economies without, however, lowering the present standard of reproduction of the Treaty Series, and to keep under review the distribution of the Treaty Series so as to ensure a strict curtailment of the free mailing list.

550th plenary meeting,
3 December 1955.

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[1] Ibid., agenda item 54, document A/2971. [2] Ibid., document A/3010. [3] Ibid., agenda item 54, document A/2971.