CONFIDENTIAL
International Agreement for
the Suppression of Obscene Publications, 1910 and the Protocol amending the Agreement, 1949
Item 10
The Agreement
The International Agreement for the Suppression of
Obscene Publications ("the Agreement") aims to facilitate
exchange Of information for the discovery and suppression of offences relating to obscene publications (Preamble)
(text at Annex A).
2.
required
Contracting
to
Governments
to
an provide
authority
to
the Agreement are
all co-ordinate
information which may help combat
offences involving
obscene writings, designs, pictures OF objects or their import (Article 1). Authorities so designated must be able to correspond direct with each other (Article 2).
3.
The Agreement was signed at Paris on 4 May 1910 and entered into force on 15 September 1911. Non-signatory states may accede to the Agreement by declaration deposited with the French government (Article 4). The United Kingdom ratified the Agreement on 15 March 1911 and applied it to Hong Kong on 3 January 1913, in accordance with Article 7
(reference at Annex B).
The Protocol
4.
A Protocol amending the Agreement was signed on May 1949 at Lake Success (text at Annex C) whereby certain intermediary and depositary functions vested in the French government were transferred to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The United Kingdom ratified the Protocol on 4 May 1949, when it was applied also to Hong Kong.
CONFIDENTIAL