Volume I Part 64 (2/2)

[Footnote 821: See below, -- 583, No. 1.]

[Sidenote: Permanent Office of the Sugar Convention.]

-- 471. The States which concluded on March 5, 1902, at Brussels the Convention concerning bounties on sugar[822] have, in compliance with article 7 of this Convention, inst.i.tuted a permanent office at Brussels.

The task of this office, which is attached to the permanent commission,[823] also inst.i.tuted by article 7, is to collect, translate, and publish information of all kinds respecting legislation on and statistics of sugar.

[Footnote 822: See below, -- 585, No. 3.]

[Footnote 823: See above, -- 462.]

[Sidenote: Agricultural Inst.i.tute.]

-- 471_a_. In 1905 the Agricultural Inst.i.tute[824] was established at Rome. It consists of a General a.s.sembly and a Permanent Committee with a general secretary.

[Footnote 824: See below, -- 586, No. 1.]

[Sidenote: International Health Office.]

-- 471_b_. In 1907 the International Health Office[825] was established at Paris. It consists of a director, a general secretary, and a number of clerks. It publishes at least once a month a bulletin in French.

[Footnote 825: See below, -- 590, No. 6.]

VI

THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF ARBITRATION

Lawrence, -- 221--Bonfils, No. 970[8]--Despagnet, Nos. 736-740.

[Sidenote: Organisation of Court in general.]

-- 472. In compliance with articles 20 to 29 of the Hague Convention for the peaceful adjustment of international differences, the signatory Powers in 1900 organised the International Court of Arbitration at the Hague. This organisation comprises three distinct bodies--namely, the Permanent Administrative Council of the Court, the International Bureau of the Court, and the Court of Arbitration itself. But a fourth body must also be distinguished--namely, the tribunal to be const.i.tuted for the decision of every case. Articles 20 to 29 are now replaced by articles 41 to 50 of the Convention for the peaceful adjustment of international differences produced by the second Hague Peace Conference of 1907.

[Sidenote: The Permanent Council.]

-- 473. The Permanent Council (article 49) consists of the diplomatic envoys of the contracting Powers accredited to Holland and the Dutch Secretary for Foreign Affairs, who acts as president of the Council. The task of the Council is the control of the International Bureau of the Court, the appointment, suspension, and dismissal of the _employes_ of the bureau, the fixing of the payments and salaries, the control of the general expenditure, and the decision of all questions of administration with regard to the business of the Court. The Council has, further, the task of furnis.h.i.+ng the signatory Powers with a report of the proceedings of the Court, the working of the administration, and the expenses. At meetings duly summoned, the presence of nine members is sufficient to give the Council power to deliberate, and its decisions are taken by a majority of votes.

[Sidenote: The International Bureau.]

-- 474. The International Bureau (article 43) serves as the Registry for the Court. It is the intermediary for communications relating to the meetings of the Court. It has the custody of the archives and the conduct of all the administrative business of the Court. The contracting Powers have to furnish the Bureau with a certified copy of every stipulation concerning arbitration arrived at between them, and of any award concerning them rendered by a special tribunal. They likewise have to communicate to the Bureau the laws, regulations, and doc.u.ments, if any, showing the execution of the awards given by the Court. The Bureau is (article 47) authorised to place its premises and its staff at the disposal of the contracting Powers for the work of any special[826]

tribunal of arbitration not const.i.tuted within the International Court of Arbitration. The expense (article 50) of the Bureau is borne by the signatory Powers in the proportion established for the International Office of the International Postal Union.

[Footnote 826: See below, vol. II. -- 20.]

[Sidenote: The Court of Arbitration.]

-- 475. The Court of Arbitration (article 44) consists of a large number of individuals ”of recognised competence in questions of International Law, enjoying the highest moral reputation,” selected and appointed by the contracting Powers. No more than four members may be appointed by one Power, but two or more Powers may unite in the appointment of one or more members, and the same individual may be appointed by different Powers. Every member is appointed for a term of six years, but his appointment may be renewed. The place of a resigned or deceased member is to be refilled by the respective Powers, and in this case the appointment is made for a fresh period of six years. The names of the members of the Court thus appointed are enrolled upon a general list, which is to be kept up to date and communicated to all the contracting Powers. The Court thus const.i.tuted has jurisdiction over all cases of arbitration, unless there shall be an agreement between the parties for a special tribunal of arbitrators not selected from the list of the members of the Court (article 42).

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