Convention (No.30) on the international communication by electronic means
signed at Athens on 17 September 2001
The signatory States to this Convention, members of the International Commission on Civil Status,
Being desirous of facilitating the international communication of data relating to the status of persons or to nationality,
Being convinced of the importance of exchanges in a dematerialised form,
Have agreed as follows:
Being desirous of facilitating the international communication of data relating to the status of persons or to nationality,
Being convinced of the importance of exchanges in a dematerialised form,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
The object of this Convention is to permit data the exchange or issue whereof are provided for in Conventions concluded or to be concluded within the International Commission on Civil Status to be transmitted electronically from one Contracting State to another.
Article 2
Transmission of data must be effected in such a way as to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the contents and the security and confidentiality of the communication.
Article 3
The Contracting States shall attribute to data transmitted electronically in conformity with the conditions set out in the preceding Article the same value in law as they do to data transmitted in a material form.
Article 4
1. The Contracting States may empower certain authorities to ask for, transmit and receive data electronically at the request of individuals entitled to have those data issued to them.
2. The Contracting States may also authorise authorities receiving data transmitted electronically to issue a certified copy of the transmission to the individual who made the request.
Article 5
1. Any member State of the International Commission on Civil Status may declare that it will extend the application of the Convention to data relating to the status of persons or to nationality other than those referred to in the Conventions mentioned in Article 1.
2. Such extension shall have effect only as regards relations with those States that have declared that they accept it.
Article 6
The International Commission on Civil Status will adopt all measures designed to facilitate the international communication of data by electronic means, in conformity with the conditions indicated in Article 2.
Article 7
1. This Convention is open to signature by the member States of the International Commission on Civil Status.
2. The Convention shall be ratified, accepted or approved and the instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Swiss Federal Council.
Article 8
1. Any other State may accede to this Convention for the communication of data provided for in a Convention of the International Commission on Civil Status to which it is party.
2. The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the Swiss Federal Council.
Article 9
1. This Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the fourth month following the month of deposit of the second instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.
2. In respect of a State ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding after its entry into force, the Convention shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the month of deposit by that State of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
Article 10
1. Any member State of the International Commission on Civil Status may, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance or approval or at any later date, declare that it will extend the application of this Convention in accordance with Article 5, paragraph 1.
2. Any Contracting State which is a member of the International Commission on Civil Status may at any time declare that it accepts the declaration by another State mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
3. Any State may, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or at any later date, declare that this Convention shall extend to all of the territories for whose international relations it is responsible, or to one or more of them.
4. The Swiss Federal Council shall be notified of such declarations. They shall take effect when the Convention enters into force for that State or, subsequently, on the first day of the fourth month following the month of receipt of the notification.
5. Any declaration of territorial extension made pursuant to paragraph 3 may be withdrawn by notification to the Swiss Federal Council. The Convention shall cease to apply to the designated territory on the first day of the fourth month following the month of receipt of that notification.
Article 11
No reservations to this Convention shall be permitted.
Article 12
Each State shall, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or at any later date, communicate to the Swiss Federal Council a list of the authorities empowered to act on behalf of individuals in accordance with Article 4.
Article 13
1. This Convention shall remain in force indefinitely.
2. However, any State party to this Convention shall have the option of denouncing it at any time after the expiry of a period of one year from the date of entry into force of the Convention in respect of that State. Denunciation shall be notified to the Swiss Federal Council and shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month following the month of receipt of that notification. The Convention shall remain in force among the other States.
Article 14
1. The Swiss Federal Council shall notify the member States of the International Commission on Civil Status and any other State which has acceded to this Convention of:
(a) the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;
(b) any date of entry into force of the Convention;
(c) any declaration of extension provided for in Article 10, paragraph 1;
(d) any declaration of acceptance provided for in Article 10, paragraph 2;
(e) any declaration concerning the territorial extension of the Convention or its withdrawal, provided for in Article 10, paragraphs 3 and 5, together with the date on which it will take effect;
(f) any denunciation of the Convention, provided for in Article 13, paragraph 2, and the date on which it will take effect;
(g) the list, provided for in Article 12, of the authorities empowered to act on behalf of individuals in accordance with Article 4.
(a) the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;
(b) any date of entry into force of the Convention;
(c) any declaration of extension provided for in Article 10, paragraph 1;
(d) any declaration of acceptance provided for in Article 10, paragraph 2;
(e) any declaration concerning the territorial extension of the Convention or its withdrawal, provided for in Article 10, paragraphs 3 and 5, together with the date on which it will take effect;
(f) any denunciation of the Convention, provided for in Article 13, paragraph 2, and the date on which it will take effect;
(g) the list, provided for in Article 12, of the authorities empowered to act on behalf of individuals in accordance with Article 4.
2. The Swiss Federal Council shall inform the Secretary General of the International Commission on Civil Status of any notification made in pursuance of paragraph 1.
3. On the entry into force of this Convention, a certified copy shall be transmitted by the Swiss Federal Council to the Secretary General of the United Nations for the purposes of registration and publication, in accordance with Article 102 of the United Nations Charter.
In witness whereof the undersigned, duly authorised to this end, have signed this Convention.
Done at Athens, on 17 September 2001, in a single copy in the French language, which shall be deposited in the archives of the Swiss Federal Council and a certified copy of which shall be transmitted, through diplomatic channels, to each of the member States of the International Commission on Civil Status and to the acceding States. A certified copy shall also be sent to the Secretary General of the International Commission on Civil Status.
Only the French original is authentic.