GATT: Status of Legal instruments

This volume, prepared by the Secretariat of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, supersedes the Status of Multilateral Protocols (PROT/l and PROT/2) of 1955 and 1964. It continues a service which is part of the depositary functions of the Director-General to the CONTRACTING PARTIES. Like the past issues, this revised edition is presented in loose-leaf form designed to permit up-dating of relevant material.

Updates

12/1993    12/1978
06/1992    09/1977
04/1988    12/1976
11/1986    09/1975
05/1983    09/1974
04/1982    11/1973
04/1981    09/1972
02/1980    09/1971

Instruments covered by this publication

From the inception of the GATT on I January 1948, the CONTRACTING PARTIES drew up a large number of multilateral international instruments under the following titles: Protocol, Agreement, Declaration, Proces-Verbal, Memorandum, Certification, Arrangement. This volume is concerned with the instruments drawn up by the CONTRACTING PARTIES or drawn up under their auspices.

From 1948 to 1 February 1955, GATT legal instruments were deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Instrument 32, although concluded in October 1953, was not deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. From 1 February 1955, the Director-General to the CONTRACTING PARTIES was entrusted with the functions of depositary.

The depositary informed the CONTRACTING PARTIES and governments concerned of the signatures affixed, of the receipt of instruments of ratification, accession or acceptance, of successions and withdrawals, of the entry into force of instruments, and of the various relevant notifications, declarations or reservations received by him.

The present volume represents a consolidated compilation of these data for each instrument. Unlike the previous two editions, the Status of Legal Instruments also gives complete information on those thirty-one instruments which are deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The volume also lists instruments and actions which have ceased to have legal effect, or did not enter into force.

The instruments are generally numbered in the chronological order in which they were concluded. They are classified under sixteen chapter headings (see page XIII). Within each chapter, they are generally listed in chronological order of their conclusion.