Committees
There are four permanent Committees. In principle, all the Member States are represented in the Committees. Non Member States and international organisations and associations may be invited to take part in the Committees in an advisory capacity. The Secretary General convenes the Committees and sends out the calling notices two or three months before the meetings in accordance with each Committee’s Rules of Procedure.
The Committees propose and take decisions on amendments to OTIF’s texts. The Committees may set up working groups to prepare draft amendments in advance.
For amendments to the basic Convention, i.e. COTIF without its Appendices, it is the Revision Committee which is responsible for examining and deciding on amendments, except in cases where the General Assembly is competent.
Three Committees are responsible for the Appendices, depending on their competences. Each Committee has its Rules of Procedure, its area of activity and its own attributions: –
- The Revision Committee takes decisions on amendments to Appendices A, B, D and E and certain amendments to Appendices F and G.
- The Committee of Technical Experts takes decisions on amendments to Appendices F and G and the adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions (UTP).
- The RID Committee of Experts takes decisions on amendments to Appendix C and its annex.
The aim of the Rail Facilitation Committee set up under COTIF 1999 is to propose standards and methods to improve border-crossing in international rail traffic.
The General Assembly may also decide to set up other temporary committees. For example, the 15th General Assembly set up the ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation.
