Article 91 Each Member shall contribute promptly to the Organization its share of the expenditure of the Organization as apportioned by the Conference. A Member which is in arrears in the payment of its contributions shall have no vote in the organs of the Organization, if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it in respect of the preceding two complete years. The Conference may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote, if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to circumstances beyond the control of the Member. CHAPTER VIII SETTLEMENT OF DIFFERENCES Article 92 Reliance on the Procedures of the Charter 1. The Members undertake that they will not have recourse, in relation to other Members and to the Organization, to any procedure other than the procedures envisaged in this Charter for complaints and the settlement of differences arising out of its operation. 2. The Members also undertake, without prejudice to any other international agreement, that they will not have recourse to unilateral economic measures of any kind contrary to the provisions of this Charter. Article 93 Consultation and Arbitration 1. If any Member considers that any benefit accruing to it directly or indirectly, implicitly or explicitly, under any of the provisions of this Charter other than Article 1, is being nullified or impaired as a result of (a) a breach by a Member of an obligation under this Charter by action or failure to act, or (b) the application by a Member of a measure not conflicting with the provisions of this Charter, or (c) the existence of any other situation the Member may, with a view to the satisfactory adjustment of the matter, make written representations or proposals to such other Member or Members as it considers to be concerned, and the Members receiving them shall give sympathetic consideration thereto. 2. The Members concerned may submit the matter arising under paragraph 1 to arbitration upon terms agreed between them; Provided that the decision of the arbitrator shall not be binding for any purpose upon the Organization or upon any Member other than the Members participating in the arbitration. 3. The Members concerned shall inform the Organization generally of the progress and outcome of any discussion, consultation or arbitration undertaken under this Charter. Article 94 Reference to the Executive Board 1. Any matter arising under sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) of paragraph 1 of Article 93 which is not satisfactorily settled and any matter which arises under paragraph 1 (c) of Article 93 may be referred by any Member concerned to the Executive Board. 2. The Executive Board shall promptly investigate the matter and shall decide whether any nullification or impairment within the terms of paragraph 1 of Article 93 in fact exists. It shall then take such of the following steps as may be appropriate: (a) decide that the matter does not call for any action; (b) recommend further consultation to the Members concerned; (c) refer the matter to arbitration upon such terms as may be agreed between the Executive Board and the Members concerned; (d) in any matter arising under paragraph 1 (a) of Article 93, request the Member concerned to take such action as may be necessary for the Member to conform to the provisions of this Charter; (e) in any matter arising under sub-paragraph (b) or (c) of paragraph 1 of Article 93, make such recommendations to Members as will best assist the Members concerned and contribute to a satisfactory adjustment. 3. If the Executive Board considers that action under sub-paragraph (d) and (e) of paragraph 2 is not likely to be effective in time to prevent serious injury, and that any nullification or impairment found to exist within the terms of paragraph 1 of Article 93 is sufficiently serious to justify such action, it may, subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of Article 95, release the Member or Members affected from obligations or the grant of concessions to any other Member or Members under or pursuant to this Charter, to the extent and upon such conditions as it considers appropriate and compensatory, having regard to the benefit which has been nullified or impaired. 4. The Executive Board may, in the course of its investigation, consult with such Members or inter-governmental organizations upon such matters within the scope of this Charter as it deems appropriate. It may also consult any appropriate commission of the Organization on any matter arising under this Chapter. 5. The Executive Board may bring any matter, referred to it under this Article, before the Conference at any time during its consideration of the matter. Article 95 Reference to the Conference 1. The Executive Board shall, if requested to do so within thirty days by a Member concerned, refer to the Conference for review any action, decision or recommendation by the Executive Board under paragraphs 2 or 3 of Article 94. Unless such review has been asked for by a Member concerned, Members shall be entitled to act in accordance with any action, decision or recommendation of the Executive Board under paragraphs 2 or 3 of Article 94. The Conference shall confirm, modify or reverse such action, decision or recommendation referred to it under this paragraph. 2. Where a matter arising under this Chapter has been brought before the Conference by the Executive Board, the Conference shall follow the procedure set out in paragraph 2 of Article 94 for the Executive Board. 3. If the Conference considers that any nullification or impairment found to exist within the terms of paragraph 1 (a) of Article 93 is sufficiently serious to justify such action, it may release the Member or Members affected from obligations or the grant of concessions to any other Member or Members under or pursuant to this Charter, to the extent and upon such conditions as it considers appropriate and compensatory, having regard to the benefit which has been nullified or impaired. If the Conference considers that any nullification or impairment found to exist within the terms of sub-paragraphs (b) or (c) of paragraph 1 of Article 93 is sufficiently serious to justify such action, it may similarly release a Member or Members to the extent and upon such conditions as will best assist the Members concerned and contribute to a satisfactory adjustment. 4. When any Member or Members, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3, suspend the performance of any obligation or the grant of any concession to another Member, the latter Member shall be free, not later than sixty days after such action is taken, or if an opinion has been requested from the International Court of Justice pursuant to the provisions of Article 96, after such opinion has been delivered, to give written notice of its withdrawal from the Organiza tion. Such withdrawal shall become effective upon the expiration of sixty days from the day on which such notice is received by the Director-General. Article 96 Reference to the International Court of Justice 1. The Organization may, in accordance with arrangements made pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 96 of the Charter of the United Nations, request from the International Court of Justice advisory opinions on legal questions arising within the scope of the activities of the Organization. 2. Any decision of the Conference under this Charter shall, at the instance of any Member whose interests are prejudiced by the decision, be subject to review by the International Court of Justice by means of a request, in appropriate form, for an advisory opinion pursuant to the Statute of the Court. 3. The request for an opinion shall be accompanied by a statement of the question upon which the opinion is required and by all documents likely to throw light upon the question. This statement shall be furnished by the Organization in accordance with the Statute of the Court and after consultation with the Members substantially interested. 4. Pending the delivery of the opinion of the Court, the decision of the Conference shall have full force and effect; Provided that the Conference shall suspend the operation of any such decision pending the delivery of the opinion where, in the view of the Conference, damage difficult to repair would otherwise be caused to a Member concerned. 5. The Organization shall consider itself bound by the opinion of the Court on any question referred by it to the Court. In so far as it does not accord with the opinion of the Court, the decision in question shall be modified. Article 97 Miscellaneous Provisions 1. Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to exclude other procedures provided for in this Charter for consultation and the settlement of differences arising out of its operation. The Organization may regard discussion, consultation or investigation undertaken under any other provisions of this Charter as fulfilling, either in whole or in part, any similar procedural requirement in this Chapter. 2. The Conference and the Executive Board shall establish such rules of procedure as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Chapter. 1 CHAPTER IX GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 98 Relations with Non-Members 1. Nothing in this Charter shall preclude any Member from maintaining economic relations with non-Members. 2. The Members recognize that it would be inconsistent with the purpose of this Charter for a Member to seek any arrangements with non-Members for the purpose of obtaining for the trade of its country preferential treatment as compared with the treatment accorded to the trade of other Member countries, or so to conduct its trade with non-Member countries as to result in injury to other Member countries. Accordingly, (a) no Member shall enter into any new arrangement with a nonMember which precludes the non-Member from according to other Member countries any benefit provided for by such arrangement; (b) subject to the provisions of Chapter IV, no Member shall accord to the trade of any non-Member country treatment which, being more favourable than that which it accords to the trade of any other Member country, would injure the economic interests of a Member country. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, Members may enter into agreements with non-Members in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 3 of Article 15 or of paragraph 6 of Article 44. 4. Nothing in this Charter shall be interpreted to require a Member to accord to non-Member countries treatment as favourable as that which it accords to Member countries under the provisions of the Charter, and failure to accord such treatment shall not be regarded as inconsistent with the terms or the spirit of the Charter. 5. The Executive Board shall make periodic studies of general problems arising out of the commercial relations between Member and non-Member countries and, with a view to promoting the purpose of the Charter, may make recommendations to the Conference with respect to such relations. Any recommendation involving alterations in the provisions of this Article shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of Article 100. |