UN Palestine Commission – Mail services to and from Palestine – Agreement with Haifa Chamber of Shipping

AGREEMENT BETWEEN UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE
COMMISSION AND THE HAIFA CHAMBER OF SHIPPING

(As approved at the seventy-fourth meeting, 5 May 1948)

The United Nations Palestine Commission, (hereinafter referred to as the Commission), having considered the importance of maintaining to the extent possible in the existing circumstances mail services to and from Palestine hereby authorizes the Haifa Chamber of Shipping (hereinafter referred to as the Chamber) to undertake as from the date of approval of the present arrangement by the Bureau of the Universal Postal Union and not later then 16 May 1948 the reception of foreign mail in Palestine and the dispatch of foreign mail out of Palestine subject to the following conditions and arrangements which have been agreed between the Commission and the President of the Haifa Chamber of Shipping,

Mr. Heinz Rudolph Graetz, on behalf of the Chamber:

1. The Commission authorizes the Chamber without delay to consult with the Postmaster General of the Palestine Government and to receive from him copies of all existing contracts, between the Postmaster General of Palestine end various Carriers, for the consequence of mail whether by land, sea or air, all of which will be terminated an a date not later than 15 May 1948, and to take steps to have these contracts temporarily renewed either between the Chamber and the Carriers or between local postal agencies and the Carriers.

2. The Chamber will undertake all normal functions in connection with the connection and dispatch of mail by sea or air to and from Palestine and may employ as its sub-agent the Jaffa-Tel-Aviv Chamber of Shipping.

3. The Chamber shall without delay deliver all mail in sealed bags to such local postal agencies as may be functioning. In the case of localities in which no postal agency is functioning, the Chamber may deliver the mail to municipal bodies or other local authorities provided that the Chamber is satisfied that they will be able to beadle the mail in a satisfactory manner.

4. Mail for the Arab controlled parts of Palestine may not be handed to any Jewish postal agency and mail for the Jewish controlled parts of Palestine may not be handed to any Arab postal agency, but shall be transferred directly from the Chamber to the agencies concerned, if necessary, through the intervention of the International Red Cross Organization operating in Palestine.

5. Should the Chamber not find itself in a position to deliver mail in certain localities such mail shall be safely stored by the Chamber and this fact communicated through the medium of the International Red Cross Organization to the local authorization concerned.

6. This arrangement concerns only regular-mail cervices (la poste aux lettres) within the meaning of Art. 3 of the Universal Postal Union Convention of 1939, and parcel post at senders’ risk only. Other mail such as registered mail, money orders, etc. is not covered by this arrangement.

7. The Chamber is authorized to make any necessary arrangements with local authorities to recover expenses incurred through the present arrangement.

8. It is understood that the present agreement constitutes en emergency arrangement -to secure, insofar as possible, the continuation of Palestine wail services. The Chamber accepts the functions entrusted to it by this arrangement as a service in the interest not only of the public of Palestine as a whole, but of parties in other countries having an interest in maintaining correspondence with Palestine.

9. The Chamber shall relinquish its functions to such organization or organizations as may be designated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations and at such time as he may indicate, and Shall render at that time a complete account of its administration to the Secretary-General of the United Nations and to owl organization or organizations in Palestine.

10. The present arrangement is subject to the approval of the Bureau of the Universal Postal Union to rich it shall be communicated immediately.