ReliefWeb Emergency Telecommunications Legal Documents List

This list of international regulatory documents and selected national documents is maintained and continuously updated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Relief Coordination Branch, Geneva, under its Project DPR 121 (29-4), Emergency Telecommunications with and in the Field. Copies of all documents are on file at OCHA Geneva. Please contact wget-secretariat@un.org for more information.

Title of Document:	Convention Télégraphique Internationale de Paris (Paris Convention)
Date:	1865
Event / Institution:	Paris Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 11 says transmission may not be interrupted except for absolute emergency. (Convention in French)
Biblio File No.:	117

Title of Document:	Révision de Vienne de la Convention Télégraphique Internationale de Paris (Vienne Revision of Paris Convention)
Date:	1868
Event / Institution:	Vienna Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 11 says transmission may not be interrupted except for great emergency. (Convention in French)
Biblio File No.:	118

Title of Document:	Règlement de Service International Destiné à Compléter les Dispositions de la Convention Télégraphique Internationale de Paris (Vienne Revision of Paris Convention Regulations)
Date:	1868
Event / Institution:	Vienna Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Sec. VII, para. 2 says transmission may not be interrupted except for great emergency. (Regulations in French)
Biblio File No.:	118(a)

Title of Document:	Règlement de Service International Destiné à Compléter les Dispositions de la Convention Télégraphique Internationale de Paris (Vienne Revision of Paris Convention Regulations)
Date:	1868
Event / Institution:	Vienna Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Sec. VII, para. 2 says transmission may not be interrupted except for great emergency.
Biblio File No.:	118(a)

Title of Document:	Rome Revision of the International Telegraph Convention (Rome Revision of Paris Convention)
Date:	1872
Event / Institution:	Rome Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 12 says transmission may not be interrupted except for great emergency. (Convention in English and French)
Biblio File No.:	119

Title of Document:	Rome Revision of the International Service Regulations Forming a Supplement to the Telegraph Convention (Rome Revision of Paris Convention)
Date:	1872
Event / Institution:	Rome Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Sec. VII, para. 2 says transmission may not be interrupted except for great emergency. (Regulations in English and French)
Biblio File No.:	119(a)

Title of Document:	Berlin Revision of International Service Regulations Annexed to the Telegraph Convention of St. Petersburg (Berlin Revision of Regulation)
Date:	1885
Event / Institution:	Berlin Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Sec. XXXIV, para. 1 says transmission may not be interrupted except for absolute emergency.
Biblio File No.:	120

Title of Document:	International Radio Telegraph Convention of Berlin (Berlin Convention)
Date:	1906
Event / Institution:	Berlin Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 9 requires radiotelegraph stations to accord with absolute priority calls of distress, to reply and to take necessary actions. (French, Japanese and Dutch dispositions available)
Biblio File No.:	121

Title of Document:	Service Regulations Affixed to the International Radio Telegraph Convention (Berlin Convention)
Date:	1906
Event / Institution:	Berlin Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. XVI dictates a distress signal for ships, and requires ships to suspend correspondence and reply when distress signals are heard. (French, Japanese and Dutch dispositions available)
Biblio File No.:	121(a)

Title of Document:	International Radiotelegraph Convention
Date:	1912
Event / Institution:	London Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 9 requires radiotelegraph stations to accord with absolute priority calls of distress, to reply and to take necessary actions.
Biblio File No.:	122

Title of Document:	Detailed Service Regulations Appended to the International Radiotelegraph ConventionI (London Convention)
Date:	1912
Event / Institution:	London Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 11 requires some ships to have emergency radiotelegraph installations. Art. 21 dictates a distress signal for ships, and requires ships to suspend correspondence and reply when distress signals are heard. Art. 45, para. 1 requires administrations to supply their coast stations with meteorological telegrams. Para. 4 requires administrations to facilitate the communication of the information regarding wrecks and casualties at sea.
Biblio File No.:	122(a)

Title of Document:	Draft Convention of the Universal Electrical Communications Union (Washington/Paris) (Draft UECU Convention)
Date:	1920/21
Event / Institution:	UECU
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 7 gives 1st class transmission priority to telegrams regarding the safety of human life. Art. 14 states that radiotelegrams regarding Safety of human life are transmitted free.
Biblio File No.:	123

Title of Document:	UECU Draft of Service Regulations (Washington/Paris) (Draft UECU Convention)
Date:	1920/21
Event / Institution:	UECU
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. XV gives 1st class transmission priority to telegrams regarding the safety of human life. Art. XCV, para. 4 acknowledges the supremacy of the more stringent telecommunication requirements of International Convention on Safety of Life at Sea. Art. XCVII, para. 1 designates the 600m wave to, i. a., distress messages and those regarding safety of life, and provides that reception of distress messages may not be endangered. Para. 2(d) requires distress messages to be repeated on special wave for mobile stations. There shall be no restriction on the apparatus employed in case of distress under para. 3. Para. 4 dedicates time for listening for distress signals. Under para. 5 urgent information regarding safety of navigation shall be transmitted at 600m. Art. XCVIII sets out the requirements of the emergency radiotelegraph installations on ships. Art. XCIX requires radiotelegraph stations to accord with absolute priority distress calls and to give the required effects. Art. CII, para. 6 gives free transmission for distress calls and other danger messages. App. 2 classifies 500 Kc/s as the calling and distress frequency and 550 to 599 Kc/s reserved to protect distress wave. App. 6 specifies the form of an alarm signal. App. 20, para. 110 specifies the distress signal.
Biblio File No.:	123(a)

Title of Document:	International Service Regulations Annexed to the International Telegraph Convention - Revision of Paris (Paris Revision)
Date:	1925
Event / Institution:	Paris Conference
Emergency Telecommunications Related Contents:	Art. 33, sec. 2 states the absolute priority for telegrams regarding safety of human life in sea or air navigation. Sec. 3 requires the reforwarding of these telegrams. Art. 34, sec. 1 says transmission may not be interrupted except for absolute emergency. Art. 37, sec. 1(a)(1) specifies the abbreviation of telegram regarding safety of human life in sea or air navigation. Art. 46, sec. 3 states that telegrams regarding safety of human life are entitled to transmission as a right.
Biblio File No.:	124