GENERAL PROVISIONS
ARTICLE I-ASIAN CLEARING UNION
The central banks and other monetary authorities on whose behalf the present Agreement is signed, hereinafter referred to as "participants", agree to establish a system for clearing payments among their respective countries on a multilateral basis, hereinafter referred to as the "Asian Clearing Union", which shall be governed by the provisions of this Agreement and by the rules, regulations and decisions agreed within its framework.
ARTICLE II-PURPOSES
The purposes of this Agreement are:
(a) To provide a facility to settle, on a multilateral basis, payments related to import and export of goods and services, as well as payments mutually agreed between two or more participants among the territories of participants;
(b) To promote the use of participants' currencies in payments related to import and export of goods and services, as well as payments mutually agreed between two or more participants between their respective territories and thereby effect economies in the use of the participants' exchange reserves;
(c) To promote monetary co-operation among the participants and closer relations among the banking systems in their territories and thereby contribute to the expansion of trade and economic activity among the countries of the ESCAP and non-ESCAP regions; and
(d) To provide for currency swap arrangement among the participants so as to make Asian Monetary Units available to them temporarily.
ARTICLE III-PARTICIPATION
SECTION 1- Eligibility to participate
(a) Participation in the Asian Clearing Union shall be open to the central bank or monetary authority of each regional member or associate member of ESCAP as well as central bank or monetary authority of non-ESCAP members.
(b) Participation in another clearing group or arrangement is not precluded by participation in the Asian Clearing Union.
SECTION 2- Original participants
Original participants shall be those central banks or monetary authorities that are eligible to participate in and which sign this Agreement not later than three months from the date this Agreement has been signed by the duly authorized representatives of five such central banks or authorities. Each shall become a participant on the date this Agreement enters into force.
SECTION 3- Other participants
A central bank or monetary authority that is eligible to participate and is not an original participant may apply to the Board of Directors to become a participant and be admitted as a participant if the Board so decides by a two-third vote of all the Directors for each regional member or associate member of ESCAP and by unanimous vote of all the Directors for each non-ESCAP members and upon such central bank or monetary authority signing this Agreement and accepting the rules, regulations and decisions of the Board of Directors. The Chairman of the Board shall determine the date on which the payments and transfers with respect to such a participant shall be included in the clearing facility.
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