Draft Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia: Amendments to the Draft Convention

Article 7, paragraph 1: Substitute the following text:

"The personal status of refugees having a nationality shall be determined in accordance with the regulations applicable in each country to aliens who are nationals of another country. The personal status of refugees having no nationality shall be governed by the law of the country of their domicile or, if they have no domicile, by the law of the country of their residence."

Paragraph 2: After the word "Rights" insert the words "and duties".

Article 11, paragraph 3:

After the words "habitual residence" insert the following words:

"and if he is considered by such countries as being a refugee under the terms of this Convention...."

Article 12: Substitute the following text:

"As regards the right to engage in wage-earning employment, the Contracting States shall accord to refugees lawfully living in their territory the same treatment as they accord to their own nationals."

Delete paragraphs 2 and 3.

Article 13:

In place of the words "treatment as favourable as possible and, in any event, not less favourable than that accorded generally to aliens in the same circumstances" insert the words "the same treatment as is accorded to their own nationals".

Article 16: Substitute the following text:

"As regards housing, the Contracting States in so far as the matter is regulated by laws or regulations, or is subject to the control of public authorities, shall accord to refugees lawfully settled in their territory the same treatment as they accord to their own nationals."

Article 17: Substitute the following text:

"The Contracting States shall accord the same treatment to refugees as to their own nationals with respect to elementary education and also to education other than elementary education and, in particular, as regards access to studies, the remission of fees and charges and the award of scholarships."

Article 21

Delete the full-stop at the end of the paragraph and add the words:

"and to the conditions under which the said refugees were admitted,"

Article 23

Paragraph 1.

Substitute the word: "may" for "shall" before "issue" on line 1.

Paragraph 2: Substitute the following text:

"Travel documents issued to refugees under previous international agreements by parties thereto shall be replaced, within one year, by documents issued in accordance with the provisions of this Convention."

Article 24

Delete paragraphs 2 and 3.

Article 30

Delete the words "or other agency charged by the United Nations with the international protection of refugees".

Article 34

Paragraph 1:

Replace the words "the Economic and Social Council" by "the General Assembly".

Article 35. Substitute the following for the present text:

"The provisions of this Convention shall extend or apply both to the metropolitan territory of a signatory state and to all territories, whether Non-Self-Governing, Trust or Colonial territories, administered or governed by that State".

Article 36

Mention also the following Articles: 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24.

Article 37

First paragraph: Substitute the word "tenth "for "second".

Second paragraph: Replace the words "after the deposit of the second" by "after the deposit of the tenth".

Article 38

Delete paragraph 3.

Article 39

Second paragraph: Replace the present text by the following:

"The General Assembly shall recommend the steps, if any, to be taken in respect of such request".

ANNEX

Paragraph 3

Replace the present text by the following:

"The fees charged for issue of the document shall not exceed the lowest scale of charges for national passports".

Paragraph 5

Replace the words "of either one or two years" by "or between six months and two years". The text will thus read: "The document shall have a validity of between six months and two years, at the discretion of the issuing a authority".

Paragraph 9

Insert a new paragraph to read as follows: "The issue of such visas may be refused on grounds which would justify refusal of a visa to any alien. A visa may also be refused to any person regarded by the State for which such visa is requested as its own national".

Paragraph 12

Delete the full-stop at the end of the text, and add: "…and return it to the country of issue".