the Khedive of Egypt, deeming it expedient to organize the International Office of Public Hygiene, referred to in the Paris Sanitary Convention of December 3, 1903, have resolved to conclude an arrangement to that effect and agreed upon the following: ARTICLE I. The high contracting parties engage to found and maintain an International Office of Public Hygiene with headquarters at Paris. ARTICLE II. The office will perform its functions under the authority and supervision of a committe composed of delegates of the contracting governments. The membership and rights and duties of the committee, as well as the organization and powers of the said office are determined by the organic by-laws which are annexed to the present arrangement and are considered as forming an integral part thereof. ARTICLE III. The costs of installation, as well as the annual expenses for the conduct and maintenance of the office shall be covered by the quotas of the contracting states determined in accordance with the provisions of the by-laws referred to in article II. ARTICLE IV. The sums representing the quotas of the several contracting states shall be deposited by the said states through the ministry of foreign affairs of the French Republic, at the beginning of every year in the "Caisse des dépôts et consignations" at Paris, from which they shall be drawn as needed against warrants of the director of the office. ARTICLE V. The high contracting parties reserve the right to make, by joint agreement, in the present arrangement any change of which the usefulness shall have been demonstrated by experience. ARTICLE VI. Governments that have not signed the present arrangement are, on their request, admitted to adhere thereto. Their adhesion shall be notified, through the diplomatic channel, to the royal government of Italy, and, by the latter, to the other contracting governments; it will imply a pledge to contribute to the payment of the expenses of the office in the manner referred to in article III. ARTICLE VII. The present arrangement shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be deposited at Rome as soon as possible; it shall be put into operation from the date on which the deposit of ratifications shall have been effected. ARTICLE VIII. The present arrangement is concluded for a term of seven years. At the expiration of that period, it shall continue in force for new periods of seven years between the states that shall not have notified, one year before the expiration of each period, their intention to terminate the effects so far as they are concerned. In faith whereof the undersigned, duly empowered thereto, have drawn up the present arrangement to which they have affixed their seals. Done at Rome, the ninth of December one thousand nine hundred and seven, in one copy which shall remain deposited in the archives of the royal government of Italy and duly certified copies thereof shall be delivered, through the diplomatic channel, to the contracting parties. For Belgium: E. BECO For Brazil: For Spain: For the United States: For France: For Great Britain: For Italy: For the Netherlands: For Portugal: For Russia: For Switzerland: For Egypt: O. VELGHE Dr. EGYDIO DE SALLES GUERRA A. M. LAUGHLIN R. S. REYNOLDS HITT CAMILLE BARRERE J. DE CAZOTTE ER. RONSSIN THEODORE THOMSON B. FRANKLIN ROCCO SANTOLIQUIDO ADOLFO COTTA H. DE WEEDE M. DE CARVALHO E VASCONCELLOS J. B. PIODA IBRAHIM NEGUIB MARC ARMAND RUFFER Annex. ORGANIC BY-LAWS OF THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE OF PUBLIC HYGIENE. ARTICLE I. There is established in Paris an International Office of Public Hygiene under the states which accept participation in its operation. ARTICLE II. The office cannot in any way meddle in the administration of the several states. It is independent of the authorities of the country in which it is placed. It corresponds directly with the higher health authorities of the several countries and with the boards of health.1 ARTICLE III. The government of the French Republic shall, on the application of the International Committee referred to in article VI, take such steps as may be requisite to have the office recognized as an institution of public utility. ARTICLE IV. The main object of the office is to collect and bring to the knowledge of the participating states facts and documents of a general character concerning public health and especially regarding infectious diseases, notably the cholera, plague and yellow fever, as well as the measures taken to check these diseases. ARTICLE V. The governments shall inform the office of the measures taken by them towards the enforcement of the international sanitary conventions. ARTICLE VI. The office is placed under the authority and supervision of an International Committee consisting of technical representatives designated 1 It is understood that the phrase "Board of Health" applies to the Sanitary Councils of Alexandria, Constantinople, Tangier, Teheran and to any other councils that may be charged with the duty of enforcing International Sanitary Conventions. by the participating states in the proportion of one representative for each state. Each state is allowed a number of votes inversely proportioned to the number of the class to which it belongs as regards its participation in the expenses of the office. (See article XI.) ARTICLE VII. The committee of the office meets periodically at least once a year; the length of its sessions is unlimited. The members of the committee elect, by secret ballot, a chairman whose term of office shall be three years. ARTICLE VIII. The business of the office is conducted by a salaried staff including: A director; A secretary general, such force as may be necessary to perform the work of the office. The personnel of the office shall not be permitted to fill any other salaried office. The director and secretary general shall be appointed by the committee. The director shall attend the meetings of the committee in an advisory capacity. The appointment and dismissal of employés of all classes appertain to the director and shall be reported by him to the committee. ARTICLE IX. The information collected by the office shall be brought to the knowledge of the participant states by means of a bulletin or of special communications addressed to them either in regular course or at their request. In addition, the office shall show periodically the results of its labors in official reports to be communicated to the participating governments. ARTICLE X. The bulletin, which shall be issued at least once a month, shall include especially: 1. The laws and general or local regulations promulgated in the several countries in regard to contagious diseases; 2. Information concerning the progress of infectious diseases; Information concerning the work done or measures taken toward the sanitation of localities. 3. The official language of the office and bulletin shall be the French language. The committee may order parts of the bulletin to be published in other languages. ARTICLE XI. The expenses necessary for the performance of the duties of the office, estimated at 150,000 francs per annum, shall be defrayed by the states signatory to the convention, their quotas being determined according to the following classes: First class: Brazil, Spain, the United States, France, Great Britain, British India, Italy, Russia, at the rate of 25 units; Second class, at the rate of 20 units; Third class, Belgium, Egypt, the Netherlands, at the rate of 15 units; Fourth class, Switzerland, at the rate of 10 units; Fifth class, at the rate of 5 units; Sixth class, at the rate of 3 units; This sum of 150,000 francs cannot be exceeded except by consent of the signatory powers. Every state is at liberty to have itself entered into a higher class at some future time. The states that may hereafter adhere to the convention shall select the class in which they wish to be entered. ARTICLE XII. A sum intended to form a reserve fund shall be taken from the annual resources. The total sum of said reserve, which cannot exceed the amount of the annual budget, shall be invested in first class state securities. ARTICLE XIII. The members of the committee shall receive, out of the working funds of the office, an allowance for traveling and other expenses. They shall also receive an attendance counter for each meeting which they attend. |