TNAG-1926-FCO40-2742-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Liaison-Group-sub-gro-1989 — Page 110

CONFIDENTIAL

-

2.

-

the

Organisation to provide space segment for

communication services to aircraft. These amendments are

expected to enter into force later this year. Further

amendments to the Convention were agreed at the sixth

session of the Assembly of Parties (17-19 January 1989) to

extend the competence of the Organisation to provide space

segment for land mobile satellite communications. It will

a number of years before these amendments enter into

force.

be

2.

An essential feature of the Convention is that it

provides for the conclusion of an Operating Agreement

(Article 2(2) of the Convention). Suchan Agreement

entered into force on 16 July 1979, together with the

Amendments to the Operating

original Convention.

Agreement will also enter into force in line with the

amended Convention.

3.

A "Party" to the

Convention must be a State

A "Signatory" to the

(Article 1(b) of the Convention).

Operating Agreement must either be a Party to the

Convention or an entity designated by a Party (Article

1(c) of the Convention).

4.

The UK is a Party to the Convention.

instrument

The UK

of ratification was deposited on 30 April

Convention contains no territorial application

provisions, and accordingly the Convention applies to Hong

1979. The