Armament > Communications of importance to the League of Nations at times of emergency

[Distributed to the Members
of the League, the Assembly
and the Council.]
Official No.: A. 73. 1930. IX.
Geneva, September 26th, 1930.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE LEAGUE OF
NATIONS AT TIMES OF EMERGENCY.
Facilities to be granted to Aircraft
and Motor Transport.
REPORT OF THE THIRD COMMITTEE TO THE ASSEMBLY.
Rapporteur : M. Lange (Norway).
I. Aircraft.
At its tenth session the Assembly adopted the following resolution :
“ The Assembly has noted the work undertaken by the International Air Naviga¬
tion Commission with regard to the juridical status of aircraft utilised to ensure air
communications of importance to the working of the League of Nations, and the facilities
to be granted to these aircraft.
“ It trusts that this work will be completed as soon as possible, in order that the
results may be submitted for the examination of Governments.
“ The Assembly accordingly requests the Council, as soon as the work of the Inter¬
national Air Navigation Commission is finished, to have a study made, possibly by the
Committee on Arbitration and Security, of the requisite measures to ensure that aircraft
engaged in transport of importance to the working of the League of Nations may be free in
times of emergency to fly in such a way and over such territory as may be necessary for
the carrying out of their mission, the Secretariat and the Governments having come to
an agreement beforehand as to the rules to be observed and the normal routes to be
followed, and as to any departures therefrom.”
The Third Committee has taken note of the proposals put forward by the Committee
on Arbitration and Security. The latter had at its disposal the results of the work of the
International Air Navigation Commission and the observations and suggestions of the
Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit.
The Committee on Arbitration and Security agreed with the Advisory and Technical
Committee for Communications and Transit in thinking that the measures to be considered
for facilitating air communications of importance to the working of the League of Nations
at times of emergency should be embodied in an Assembly resolution which would allow of
the necessary negotiations being immediately begun between the Secretary-General and the
Governments. The Third Committee supports this view. It is, moreover, clear that the
adoption by the Assembly of a resolution on this subject does not affect the possibility of
States subsquently undertaking a codification of the provisions adopted to facilitate air
transport of importance to the League of Nations by inserting such stipulations as they may
think useful in international Conventions dealing with questions of air transport. On the
contrary, the Third Committee thinks that it would be advantageous if this codification
could be pushed forward as rapidly as possible.
The draft resolution which the Third Committee submits to the Assembly for adoption
aims, in the first place, at providing the measures necessary to assure aircraft carrying out
transport duties of importance to the working of the League all the facilities necessary for
the discharge of their mission ; and, in the second place, to provide full guarantees to States
as regards their national security. Such guarantees in respect of national security are spe¬
cially formulated in paragraphs 2 and 9 of the draft resolution. Paragraph 2 stipulates that
the rules and routes to be normally followed by aircraft and the procedure contemplated
for notifying the Secretary-General without delay of any changes in such rules and routes
shall be fixed in advance. These rules may stipulate, in particular, the conditions under
which a State will be able to insist on an aircraft landing for purposes of supervision ; and
S. d. N. 2.240 (F.) 1.675 (A.) 9/30. Imp. Jent, S. Ai
Series of League of Nations Publications
IX. DISARMAMENT
1930. IX. 6.