CONSIDERING that the efforts made by the railway authorities to ensure efficiency in the international transport of registered baggage deserve to be supported,

DESIRING, to that end, to facilitate the expeditious handling of such baggage by simplifying Customs formalities,

CONSIDERING that, in so far as possible, passengers should not be required to report in person to the Customs authorities of the countries of departure and destination for the clearance of their registered baggage, and should be able to claim their baggage immediately on arrival at their destination,

RECOMMENDS that Members of the Council and members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies, and Customs or Economic Unions, apply the following provisions with regard to registered baggage :

1. When having their baggage registered by the railway authorities, passengers shall have the possibility of making a declaration on the appended form in order to expedite Customs formalities;

2. The form shall be printed either on the back of the consignment note made out by the railway authorities or on a separate sheet to be glued to the consignment note; it shall be printed in the language (or one of the official languages) of the country of departure, but the passenger shall be given the opportunity to obtain a translation in another language;

3. The declaration shall be presented by the railway authorities to the Customs authorities of the countries of departure and destination where so required;

4. The written declaration shall be regarded as being in substitution for, and shall have the same effect as, the declaration normally required from passengers;

5. The Customs authorities shall, so far as they deem it possible, waive the examination of the contents of baggage covered by a written declaration;

6. Where the Customs authorities waive examination of the contents of baggage, it shall be released immediately to the railway authorities for forwarding to destination;

7. The Customs authorities remain free to adopt any control measures they deem necessary in order to prevent abuses;

REQUESTS Members of the Council and members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies, and Customs or Economic Unions which accept this Recommendation to notify the Secretary General of the Council of the date from which they will apply the Recommendation and of the conditions of its application. The Secretary General will transmit this information to the Customs administrations of all Members of the Council. He will also tranmsit it to the Customs administrations of the members of the United Nations Organization or its specialized agencies and to Customs or Economic Unions which have accepted this Recommendation. He will also transmit it to the International Unions of Railways.

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