{"html": "<div class=\"lf-doc\"><p class=\"lf-p\">The Bank and its officers shall not interfere in the political affairs of any member; nor shall they be influenced in their decisions by the political character of the member or members concerned. Only economic considerations shall be relevant to their decisions, and these considerations shall be weighed impartially in order to achieve the purposes stated in Article I.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article V. Organization and Management</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 1.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Structure of the Bank.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">The Bank shall have a Board of Governors, Executive Directors, a President and such other officers and staff to perform such duties as the Bank may determine.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 2.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Board of Governors. (a) All the powers of the Bank shall be vested in the Board of Governors consisting of one governor and one alternate appointed by each member in such manner as it may determine. Each governor and each alternate shall serve for five years, subject to the pleasure of the member appointing him, and may be reappointed. No alternate may vote except in the absence of his principal. The Board shall select one of the governors as Chairman. (b) The Board of Governors may delegate to the Executive Directors authority to exercise any powers of the Board, except the power to : (i) Admit new members and determine the conditions of their admission; (ii) Increase or decrease the capital stock; (iii) Suspend a member; (iv) Decide appeals from interpretations of this Agreement given by the Executive Directors; (v) Make arrangements to co-operate with other international organizations (other than informal arrangements of a temporary and administrative character); (vi) Decide to suspend permanently the operations of the Bank and to distribute its assets; (vii) Determine the distribution of the net income of the Bank. (c) The Board of Governors shall hold an annual meeting and such other meetings as may be provided for by the Board or called by the Executive Directors. Meetings of the Board shall be called by the Directors whenever requested by five members or by members having one-quarter of the total voting power. (d) A quorum for any meeting of the Board of Governors shall be a majority of the Governors, exercising not less than two-thirds of the total voting power. (e) The Board of Governors may by regulation establish a procedure whereby the Executive Directors, when they deem such action to be in the best interests of the Bank, may obtain a vote of the Governors on a specific question without calling a meeting of the Board. (f) The Board of Governors, and the Executive Directors to the extent authorized, may adopt such rules and regulations as may be necessary or appropriate to conduct the business of the Bank. (g) Governors and alternates shall serve as such without compensation from the Bank, but the Bank shall pay them reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings. (h) The Board of Governors shall determine the remuneration to be paid to the Executive Directors and the salary and terms of the contract of service of the President.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 3.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Voting. (a) Each member shall have two hundred and fifty votes plus one additional vote for each share of stock held. (b) Except as otherwise specifically provided, all matters before the Bank shall be decided by a majority of the votes cast.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 4.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Executive Directors. (a) The Executive Directors shall be responsible for the conduct of the general operations of the Bank, and for this purpose, shall exercise all the powers delegated to them by the Board of Governors. (b) There shall be twelve Executive Directors, who need not be governors, and of whom : (i) Five shall be appointed, one by each of the five members having the largest number of shares; (ii) Seven shall be elected according to Schedule B by all the Governors other than those appointed by the five members referred to in (i) above.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">For the purpose of this paragraph, “members” means governments of countries whose names are set forth in Schedule A, whether they are original members or become members in accordance with Article II, Section 1 (b). When governments of other countries become members, the Board of Governors may, by a four-fifths majority of the total voting power, increase the total number of directors by increasing the number of directors to be elected.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Executive directors shall be appointed or elected every two years. (c) Each executive director shall appoint an alternate with full power to act for him when he is not present. When the executive directors appointing them are present, alternates may participate in meetings but shall not vote. (d) Directors shall continue in office until their successors are appointed or elected. If the office of an elected director becomes vacant more than ninety days before the end of his term, another director shall be elected for the remainder of the term by the governors who elected the former director. A majority of the votes cast shall be required for election. While the office remains vacant, the alternate of the former director shall exercise his powers, except that of appointing an alternate. (e) The Executive Directors shall function in continuous session at the principal office of the Bank and shall meet as often as the business of the Bank may require. (f) A quorum for any meeting of the Executive Directors shall be a majority of the Directors, exercising not less than one-half of the total voting power. (g) Each appointed director shall be entitled to cast the number of votes allotted under Section 3 of this Article to the member appointing him. Each elected director shall be entitled to cast the number of votes which counted towards his election. All the votes which a director is entitled to cast shall be cast as a unit. (h) The Board of Governors shall adopt regulations under which a member not entitled to appoint a director under (b) above may send a representative to attend any meeting of the Executive Directors when a request made by, or a matter particularly affecting, that member is under consideration. (i) The Executive Directors may appoint such committees as they deem advisable. Membership of such committees need not be limited to governors or directors or their alternates.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 5.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">President and staff. (a) The Executive Directors shall select a President who shall not be a governor or an executive director or an alternate for either. The President shall be Chairman of the Executive Directors, but shall have no vote except a deciding vote in case of an equal division. He may participate in meetings of the Board of Governors, but shall not vote at such meetings. The President shall cease to hold office when the Executive Directors so decide. (b) The President shall be chief of the operating staff of the Bank and shall conduct, under the direction of the Executive Directors, the ordinary business of the Bank. Subject to the general control of the Executive Directors, he shall be responsible for the organization, appointment and dismissal of the officers and staff. (c) The President, officers and staff of the Bank, in the discharge of their offices, owe their duty entirely to the Bank and to no other authority. Each member of the Bank shall respect the international character of this duty and shall refrain from all attempts to influence any of them in the discharge of their duties. (d) In appointing the officers and staff the President shall, subject to the paramount importance of securing the highest standards of efficiency and of technical competence, pay due regard to the importance of recruiting personnel on as wide a geographical basis as possible.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 6.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Advisory Council. (a) There shall be an Advisory Council of not less than seven persons selected by the Board of Governors including representatives of banking, commercial, industrial, labour, and agricultural interests, and with as wide a national representation as possible. In those fields where specialized international organizations exist, the members of the Council representative of those fields shall be selected in agreement with such organizations. The Council shall advise the Bank on matters of general policy. The Council shall meet annually and on such other occasions as the Bank may request. (b) Councillors shall serve for two years and may be reappointed. They shall be paid their reasonable expenses incurred on behalf of the Bank.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 7.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Loan committees.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">The committees required to report on loans under Article III, Section 4, shall be appointed by the Bank. Each such committee shall include an expert selected by the governor representing the members in whose territories the project is located and one or more members of the technical staff of the Bank.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 8.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Relationship to other international organizations. (a) The Bank, within the terms of this Agreement, shall cooperate with any general international organization and with public international organizations having specialized responsibilities in related fields. Any arrangements for such co-operation which would involve a modification of any provision of this Agreement may be effected only after amendment to this Agreement under Article VIII. (b) In making decisions on applications for loans or guarantees relating to matters directly within the competence of any international organization of the types specified in the preceding paragraph and participated in primarily by members of the Bank, the Bank shall give consideration to the views and recommendations of such organization.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 9.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Location of offices. (a) The principal office of the Bank shall be located in the territory of the member holding the greatest number of shares. (b) The Bank may establish agencies or branch offices in the territories of any member of the Bank.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 10.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Regional offices and councils. (a) The Bank may establish regional offices and determine the location of, and the areas to be covered by, each regional office. (b) Each regional office shall be advised by a regional council representative of the entire area and selected in such manner as the Bank may decide.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 11.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Depositories. (a) Each member shall designate its central bank as a depository for all the Bank's holdings of its currency or, if it has no central bank, it shall designate such other institution as may be acceptable to the Bank. (b) The Bank may hold other assets, including gold, in depositories designated by the five members having the largest number of shares and in such other designated depositories as the Bank may select. Initially, at least one-half of the gold holdings of the Bank shall be held in the depository designated by the member in whose territory the Bank has its principal office, and at least 40 per cent. shall be held in the depositories designated by the remaining four members referred to above, each of such depositories to hold, initially, not less than the amount of gold paid on the shares of the member designating it. However, all transfers of gold by the Bank shall be made with due regard to the costs of transport and anticipated requirements of the Bank. In an emergency the Executive Directors may transfer all or any part of the Bank's gold holdings to any place where they can be adequately protected.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 12.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Form of holdings of currency.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">The Bank shall accept from any member, in place of any part of the member's currency paid in to the Bank under Article II, Section 7 (i), or to meet amortization payments on loans made with such currency, and not needed by the Bank in its operations, notes or similar obligations issued by the Government of the member or the depository designated by such member, which shall be non-negotiable, non-interest-bearing and payable at their par value on demand by credit to the account of the Bank in the designated depository.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 13.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Publication of reports and provision of information. (a) The Bank shall publish an annual report containing an audited statement of its accounts and shall circulate to members at intervals of three months or less a summary statement of its financial position and a profit and loss statement showing the results of its operations. (b) The Bank may publish such other reports as it deems desirable to carry out its purposes. (c) Copies of all reports, statements and publications made under this section shall be distributed to members.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 14.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Allocation of net income. (a) The Board of Governors shall determine annually what part of the Bank's net income, after making provision for reserves, shall be allocated to surplus and what part, if any, shall be distributed. (b) If any part is distributed, up to 2 per cent. non-cumulative shall be paid, as a first charge against the distribution for any year, to each member on the basis of the average amount of the loans outstanding during the year made under Article IV, Section 1 (a) (i), out of currency corresponding to its subscription. If 2 per cent. is paid as a first charge, any balance remaining to be distributed shall be paid to all members in proportion to their shares. Payments to each member shall be made in its own currency, or if that currency is not available in other currency acceptable to the member. If such payments are made in currencies other than the member's own currency, the transfer of the currency and its use by the receiving member after payment shall be without restriction by the members.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article VI. Withdrawal and Suspension of Membership: Suspension of Operations</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 1.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Right of members to withdraw.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Any member may withdraw from the Bank at any time by transmitting a notice in writing to the Bank at its principal office. Withdrawal shall become effective on the date such notice is received.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 2.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Suspension of membership.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">If a member fails to fulfil any of its obligations to the Bank, the Bank may suspend its membership by decision of a majority of the Governors, exercising a majority of the total voting power. The member so suspended shall automatically cease to be a member one year from the date of its suspension unless a decision is taken by the same majority to restore the member to good standing.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">While under suspension, a member shall not be entitled to exercise any rights under this Agreement, except the right of withdrawal, but shall remain subject to all obligations.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 3.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Cessation of membership in International Monetary Fund.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Any member which ceases to be a member of the International Monetary Fund shall automatically cease after three months to be a member of the Bank unless the Bank by three-fourths of the total voting power has agreed to allow it to remain a member.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 4.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Settlement of accounts with governments ceasing to be members. (a) When a government ceases to be a member, it shall remain liable for its direct obligations to the Bank and for its contingent liabilities to the Bank so long as any part of the loans or guarantees contracted before it ceased to be a member are outstanding; but it shall cease to incur liabilities with respect to loans and guarantees entered into thereafter by the Bank and to share either in the income or the expenses of the Bank. (b) At the time a government ceases to be a member, the Bank shall arrange for the repurchase of its shares as a part of the settlement of accounts with such government in accordance with the provisions of (c) and (d) below. For this purpose the repurchase price of the shares shall be the value shown by the books of the Bank on the day the government ceases to be a member. (c) The payment for shares repurchased by the Bank under this section shall be governed by the following conditions: (i) Any amount due to the government for its shares shall be withheld so long as the government, its central bank or any of its agencies remains liable, as borrower or guarantor, to the Bank and such amount may, at the option of the Bank, be applied on any such liability as it matures. No amount shall be withheld on account of the liability of the government resulting from its subscription for shares under Article II, Section 5 (ii). In any event, no amount due to a member for its shares shall be paid until six months after the date upon which the government ceases to be a member. (ii) Payments for shares may be made from time to time, upon their surrender by the government, to the extent by which the amount due as the repurchase price in (b) above exceeds the aggregate of liabilities on loans and guarantees in (c) (i) above until the former member has received the full repurchase price. (iii) Payments shall be made in the currency of the country receiving payment or at the option of the Bank in gold. (iv) If losses are sustained by the Bank on any guarantees, participations in loans, or loans which were outstanding on the date when the government ceased to be a member, and the amount of such losses exceeds the amount of the reserve provided against losses on the date when the government ceased to be a member, such government shall be obligated to repay upon demand the amount by which the repurchase price of its shares would have been reduced, if the losses had been taken into account when the repurchase price was determined. In addition, the former member government shall remain liable on any call for unpaid subscriptions under Article II, Section 5 (ii), to the extent that it would have been required to respond if the impairment of capital had occurred and the call had been made at the time the repurchase price of its shares was determined.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">(d) If the Bank suspends permanently its operations under Section 5 (b) of this Article, within six months of the date upon which any government ceases to be a member, all rights of such government shall be determined by the provisions of Section 5 of this Article.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 5.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Suspension of operations and settlement of obligations. (a) In an emergency the Executive Directors may suspend temporarily operations in respect of new loans and guarantees pending an opportunity for further consideration and action by the Board of Governors. (b) The Bank may suspend permanently its operations in respect of new loans and guarantees by vote of a majority of the Governors, exercising a majority of the total voting power. After such suspension of operations the Bank shall forthwith cease all activities, except those incident to the orderly realization, conservation, and preservation of its assets and settlement of its obligations. (c) The liability of all members for uncalled subscriptions to the capital stock of the Bank and in respect of the depreciation of their own currencies shall continue until all claims of creditors, including all contingent claims, shall have been discharged. (d) All creditors holding direct claims shall be paid out of the assets of the Bank, and then out of payments to the Bank on calls on unpaid subscriptions. Before making any payments to creditors holding direct claims, the Executive Directors shall make such arrangements as are necessary, in their judgment, to insure a distribution to holders of contingent claims ratably with creditors holding direct claims. (e) No distribution shall be made to members on account of their subscriptions to the capital stock of the Bank until (i) all liabilities to creditors have been discharged or provided for, and (ii) a majority of the Governors, exercising a majority of the total voting power, have decided to make a distribution. (f) After a decision to make a distribution has been taken under (e) above, the Executive Directors may by a two-thirds majority vote make successive distributions of the assets of the Bank to members until all of the assets have been distributed. This distribution shall be subject to the prior settlement of all outstanding claims of the Bank against each member. (g) Before any distribution of assets is made, the Executive Directors shall fix the proportionate share of each member according to the ratio of its shareholding to the total outstanding shares of the Bank. (h) The Executive Directors shall value the assets to be distributed as at the date of distribution and then proceed to distribute in the following manner: (i) There shall be paid to each member in its own obligations or those of its official agencies or legal entities within its territories, insofar as they are available for distribution, an amount equivalent in value to its proportionate share of the total amount to be distributed.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">(ii) Any balance due to a member after payment has been made under (i) above shall be paid, in its own currency, insofar as it is held by the Bank, up to an amount equivalent in value to such balance. (iii) Any balance due to a member after payment has been made under (i) and (ii) above shall be paid in gold or currency acceptable to the member, insofar as they are held by the Bank, up to an amount equivalent in value to such balance. (iv) Any remaining assets held by the Bank after payments have been made to members under (i), (ii), and (iii) above shall be distributed pro rata among the members. (i) Any member receiving assets distributed by the Bank in accordance with (h) above, shall enjoy the same rights with respect to such assets as the Bank enjoyed prior to their distribution.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article VII. Status, Immunities and Privileges</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 1.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Purposes of Article.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">To enable the Bank to fulfil the functions with which it is entrusted, the status, immunities and privileges set forth in this Article shall be accorded to the Bank in the territories of each member.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 2.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Status of the Bank.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">The Bank shall possess full juridical personality, and, in particular, the capacity: (i) To contract; (ii) To acquire and dispose of immovable and movable property; (iii) To institute legal proceedings.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 3.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Position of the Bank with regard to judicial process.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Actions may be brought against the Bank only in a court of competent jurisdiction in the territories of a member in which the bank has an office, has appointed an agent for the purpose of accepting service or notice of process, or has issued or guaranteed securities. No actions shall, however, be brought by members or persons acting for or deriving claims from members. The property and assets of the Bank shall, wheresoever located and by whomsoever held, be immune from all forms of seizure, attachment or execution before the delivery of final judgment against the Bank.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 4.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Immunity of assets from seizure.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Property and assets of the Bank, wherever located and by whomsoever held, shall be immune from search, requisition, confiscation, expropriation or any other form of seizure by executive or legislative action.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 5.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Immunity of archives.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">The archives of the Bank shall be inviolable.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 6.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Freedom of assets from restrictions To the extent necessary to carry out the operations provided for in this Agreement and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, all property and assets of the Bank shall be free from restrictions, regulations, controls and moratoria of any nature.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 7.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Privilege for communications.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">The official communications of the Bank shall be accorded by each member the same treatment that it accords to the official communications of other members.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 8.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Immunities and privileges of officers and employees.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">All governors, executive directors, alternates, officers and employees of the Bank (i) shall be immune from legal process with respect to acts performed by them in their official capacity except when the Bank waives this immunity; (ii) not being local nationals, shall be accorded the same immunities from immigration restrictions, alien registration requirements and national service obligations and the same facilities as regards exchange restrictions as are accorded by members to the representatives, officials, and employees of comparable rank of other members; (iii) shall be granted the same treatment in respect of travelling facilities as is accorded by members to representatives, officials and employees of comparable rank of other members.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 9.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Immunities from taxation. (a) The Bank, its assets, property, income and its operations and transactions authorized by this Agreement, shall be immune from all taxation and from all customs duties. The Bank shall also be immune from liability for the collection or payment of any tax or duty. (b) No tax shall be levied on or in respect of salaries and emoluments paid by the Bank to executive directors, alternates, officials or employees of the Bank who are not local citizens, local subjects, or other local nationals. (c) No taxation of any kind shall be levied on any obligation or security issued by the Bank (including any dividend or interest thereon) by whomsoever held— (i) which discriminates against such obligation or security solely because it is issued by the Bank; or (ii) if the sole jurisdictional basis for such taxation is the place or currency in which it is issued, made payable or paid, or the location of any office or place of business maintained by the Bank. (d) No taxation of any kind shall be levied on any obligation or security guaranteed by the Bank (including any dividend or interest thereon) by whomsoever held— (i) which discriminates against such obligation or security solely because it is guaranteed by the Bank; or (ii) if the sole jurisdictional basis for such taxation is the location of any office or place of business maintained by the Bank.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 10.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Application of Article.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Each member shall take such action as is necessary in its own territories for the purpose of making effective in terms of its own law the principles set forth in this Article and shall inform the Bank of the detailed action which it has taken.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article VIII. Amendments (a) Any proposal to introduce modifications in this Agreement, whether emanating from a member, a governor or the Executive Directors, shall be communicated to the Chairman of the Board of Governors who shall bring the proposal before the Board. If the proposed amendment is approved by the Board the Bank shall, by circular letter or telegram, ask all members whether they accept the proposed amendment. When three-fifths of the members, having four-fifths of the total voting power, have accepted the proposed amendments, the Bank shall certify the fact by formal communication addressed to all members. (b) Notwithstanding (a) above, acceptance by all members is required in the case of any amendment modifying (i) the right to withdraw from the Bank provided in Article VI, Section 1; (ii) the right secured by Article II, Section 3 (c); (iii) the limitation on liability provided in Article II, Section 6. (c) Amendments shall enter into force for all members three months after the date of the formal communication unless a shorter period is specified in the circular letter or telegram.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article IX. Interpretation (a) Any question of interpretation of the provisions of this Agreement arising between any member and the Bank or between any members of the Bank shall be submitted to the Executive Directors for their decision. If the question particularly affects any member not entitled to appoint an executive director, it shall be entitled to representation in accordance with Article V, Section 4 (h). (b) In any case where the Executive Directors have given a decision under (a) above, any member may require that the question be referred to the Board of Governors, whose decision shall be final. Pending the result of the reference to the Board, the Bank may, so far as it deems necessary, act on the basis of the decision of the Executive Directors. (c) Whenever a disagreement arises between the Bank and a country which has ceased to be a member, or between the Bank and any member during the permanent suspension of the Bank, such disagreement shall be submitted to arbitration by a tribunal of three arbitrators, one appointed by the Bank, another by the country involved and an umpire who, unless the parties otherwise agree, shall be appointed by the President of the Permanent Court of International Justice or such other authority as may have been prescribed by regulation adopted by the Bank. The umpire shall have full power to settle all questions of procedure in any case where the parties are in disagreement with respect thereto.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article X. Approval Deemed Given Whenever the approval of any member is required before any act may be done by the Bank, except in Article VIII, approval shall be deemed to have been given unless the member presents an objection within such reasonable period as the Bank may fix in notifying the member of the proposed act.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Article XI. Final Provisions</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 1.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Entry into force.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">This Agreement shall enter into force when it has been signed on behalf of governments whose minimum subscriptions comprise not less than 65 per cent. of the total subscriptions set forth in Schedule A and when the instruments referred to in Section 2 (a) of this Article have been deposited on their behalf, but in no event shall this Agreement enter into force before May 1, 1945.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 2.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Signature. (a) Each government on whose behalf this Agreement is signed shall deposit with the Government of the United States of America an instrument setting forth that it has accepted this Agreement in accordance with its law and has taken all steps necessary to enable it to carry out all of its obligations under this Agreement. (b) Each government shall become a member of the Bank as from the date of the deposit on its behalf of the instrument referred to in (a) above, except that no government shall become a member before this Agreement enters into force under Section 1 of this Article. (c) The Government of the United States of America shall inform the governments of all countries whose names are set forth in Schedule A, and all governments whose membership is approved in accordance with Article II, Section 1 (b), of all signatures of this Agreement and of the deposit of all instruments referred to in (a) above. (d) At the time this Agreement is signed on its behalf, each government shall transmit to the Government of the United States of America one one-hundredth of 1 per cent. of the price of each share in gold or United States dollars for the purpose of meeting administrative expenses of the Bank. This payment shall be credited on account of the payment to be made in accordance with Article II, Section 8 (a). The Government of the United States of America shall hold such funds in a special deposit account and shall transmit them to the Board of Governors of the Bank when the initial meeting has been called under Section 3 of this Article. If this Agreement has not come into force by December 31, 1945, the Government of the United States of America shall return such funds to the governments that transmitted them. (e) This Agreement shall remain open for signature at Washington on behalf of the governments of the countries whose names are set forth in Schedule A until December 31, 1945. (f) After December 31, 1945, this Agreement shall be open for signature on behalf of the government of any country whose membership has been approved in accordance with Article II, Section 1 (b). (g) By their signature of this Agreement, all governments accept it both on their own behalf and in respect of all their colonies, overseas territories, all territories under their protection, suzerainty, or authority and all territories in respect of which they exercise a mandate. (h) In the case of governments whose metropolitan territories have been under enemy occupation, the deposit of the instrument referred to in (a) above may be delayed until one hundred and eighty days after the date on which these territories have been liberated. If, however, it is not deposited by any such government before the expiration of this period, the signature affixed on behalf of that government shall become void and the portion of its subscription paid under (d) above shall be returned to it.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">(i) Paragraphs (d) and (h) shall come into force with regard to each signatory government as from the date of its signature.</p>\n<h3 class=\"lf-part\">Section 3.</h3>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Inauguration of the Bank. (a) As soon as this Agreement enters into force under Section 1 of this Article, each member shall appoint a governor and the member to whom the largest number of shares is allocated in Schedule A shall call the first meeting of the Board of Governors. (b) At the first meeting of the Board of Governors, arrangements shall be made for the selection of provisional executive directors. The governments of the five countries, to which the largest number of shares are allocated in Schedule A, shall appoint provisional executive directors. If one or more of such governments have not become members, the executive directorships which they would be entitled to fill shall remain vacant until they become members, or until January 1, 1946, whichever is the earlier. Seven provisional executive directors shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of Schedule B and shall remain in office until the date of the first regular election of executive directors which shall be held as soon as practicable after January 1, 1946. (c) The Board of Governors may delegate to the provisional executive directors any powers except those which may not be delegated to the Executive Directors. (d) The Bank shall notify members when it is ready to commence operations.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Done at Washington, in a single copy which shall remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the United States of America, which shall transmit certified copies to all governments whose names are set forth in Schedule A and to all governments whose membership is approved in accordance with Article II, Section 1 (b).</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Schedule A. Subscriptions (millions of dollars) (millions of dollars) Australia 200 India 400 Belgium 225 Iran 24 Bolivia 7 Iraq 6 Brazil 105 Liberia ·5 Canada 325 Luxembourg 10 Chile 35 Mexico 65 China 600 Netherlands 275 Colombia 35 New Zealand 50 Costa Rica 2 Nicaragua ·8 Cuba 35 Norway 50 Czechoslovakia 125 Panama .2 *Denmark Paraguay .8 Dominican Republic 2 Peru 17.5 Ecuador 3.2 Philippine Commonwealth 15 Egypt 40 Poland 125 El Salvador 1 Union of South Africa 100 Ethiopia 3 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1200 France 450 Greece 25 United Kingdom 1300 Guatemala 2 United States 3175 Haiti 2 Uruguay 10.5 Honduras 1 Venezuela 10.5 Iceland 1 Yugoslavia 40 _____ Total 9100 *The quota of Denmark shall be determined by the Bank after Denmark accepts membership in accordance with these Articles of Agreement.</p>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Schedule B. Election of Executive Directors 1. The election of the elective executive directors shall be by ballot of the Governors eligible to vote under Article V, Section 4 (b).</p>\n<div class=\"lf-abs\"><span class=\"lf-abs-num\">2.</span>In balloting for the elective executive directors, each governor eligible to vote shall cast for one person all of the votes to which the member appointing him is entitled under Section 3 of Article V. The seven persons receiving the greatest number of votes shall be executive directors, except that no person who receives less than 14 per cent. of the total of the votes which can be cast (eligible votes) shall be considered elected.</div>\n<div class=\"lf-abs\"><span class=\"lf-abs-num\">3.</span>When seven persons are not elected on the first ballot, a second ballot shall be held in which the person who received the lowest number of votes shall be ineligible for election and in which there shall vote only (a) those governors who voted in the first ballot for a person not elected and (b) those governors whose votes for a person elected are deemed under 4 below to have raised the votes cast for that person above 15 per cent. of the eligible votes 4. In determining whether the votes cast by a governor are to be deemed to have raised the total of any person above 15 per cent. of the eligible votes, the 15 per cent. shall be deemed to include, first, the votes of the governor casting the largest number of votes for such person, then the votes of the governor casting the next largest number, and so on until 15 per cent. is reached.</div>\n<div class=\"lf-abs\"><span class=\"lf-abs-num\">5.</span>Any governor, part of whose votes must be counted in order to raise the total of any person above 14 per cent. shall be considered as casting all of his votes for such person even if the total votes for such person thereby exceed 15 per cent.</div>\n<div class=\"lf-abs\"><span class=\"lf-abs-num\">6.</span>If, after the second ballot, seven persons have not been elected, further ballots shall be held on the same principles until seven persons have been elected, provided that after six persons are elected, the seventh may be elected by a simple majority of the remaining votes and shall be deemed to have been elected by all such votes.</div>\n<p class=\"lf-p\">Privacy Statement Accessibility European Legislation Identifier (PDF) Open Data License Ráiteas Príobháideachais Inrochtaineacht Aitheantóir Eorpach Reachtaíochta (ELI) Ceadúnas Sonraí Oscailte Liosta Fianán © Government of Ireland. Oireachtas Copyright Material is reproduced with the permission of the Houses of the Oireachtas © Rialtas na hÉireann. Atáirgtear ábhar faoi Chóipcheart le cead ó Thithe an Oireachtais</p></div>", "next": 0}