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II SERIE-A — NÚMERO 69

3 — Transit States, in the exercise of their full sovereignty over their territory, shall have the right to take all measures necessary to ensure that the rights and facilities provided for in this part for land-locked States shall in no way infringe their legitimate interests.

Article 126

Exclusion of application of the most-favoured-nation clause

The provisions of this Convention, as well as special agreements relating to the exercise of the right of access to and from the sea, establishing rights and facilities on account of the special geographical position of landlocked States, are excluded from the application of the most-favoured-nation clause.

Article 127

Customs duties, taxes and other charges

1 — Traffic in transit shall not be subject to any customs duties, taxes or other charges except charges levied for specific services rendered in connection whith such traffic.

2 — Means of transport in transit and other facilities provided for and used by land-locked States shall not be subject to taxes or charges higher than those levied for the use of means of transport of the transit State.

Article 128

Free zones and other customs facilities -

For the convenience of traffic in transit, free zones or other customs facilities may be provided at the ports of entry and exit in the transit States, by agreement between those States and the land-locked States.

Article 129

' Co-operation in the construction and improvement of means of transport

Where there- are no means of transport in transit States to give effect to the freedom of transit or where the existing means, including the port installations and equipment, are inadequate in any' respect, the transit States and land-locked States concerned may co-operate in constructing or improving them.

Article 130

Measures to avoid or eliminate delays or other difficulties of a technical nature in traffic in transit

1 — Transit States shall take all appropriate measures to avoid delays or other difficulties of a technical nature in traffic in transit.

2 — Should such delays or difficulties occur, the competent authorities of the transit States and land-locked States concerned shall co-operate towards their expeditious elimination.

Article 131 Equal treatment in maritime ports

Ships flying the flag of land-locked States shall enjoy treatment equal to that accorded to other foreign ships in maritime ports.

Article 132 Grant of greater transit facilities

This Convention does not entail in any way the withdrawal of transit facilities which are greater than those provided for in this Convention and which are agreed between States Parties to this Convention or granted by a State Party. This Convention also does not preclude such grant of greater facilities in the future.

PART XI The Area

SECTION 1 General provisions

Article 133 Use of terms For the purposes of this part:

a) «Resources» means all solid, liquid or gaseous mineral resources in situ in the Area at or beneath the sea-bed, including polymetallic nodules;

b) Resources, when recovered from the Area, are referred to as «minerals».

Article 134

Scope of this part

1 — This part applies to the Area.

2 — Activities in the Area shall be governed by the provisions of this part.

3 — The requirements concerning deposit of, and publicity to be given to, the charts or lists of geographical co-ordinates showing the limits referred to in article 1, paragraph 1,1), are set forth in part vi.

4 — Nothing in this article affects the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf in accordance with part vi or the validity of agreements relating to delimitation between States with opposite or adjacent coasts.

Article 135 Legal status of the superjacent waters and air space .

Neither this part nor any rights granted or exercised pursuant thereto shall affect the legal status of the waters superjacent to the Area or that of the air space above those waters.

SECTION 2 Principles governing the Area

Article 136 Common heritage of mankind

The Area and its resources are the common heritage of mankind.

Article 137 Legal status of the Area and its resources

l — No State shall claim or exercise sovereignty or

sovereign rights over any part of the Area or its