228 1. The Secretary-General and the Directors of the Bureaux shall encourage the enhanced participation in the activities of the Union of the following entities and organizations:

229 PP-98 a) recognized operating agencies, scientific or industrial organizations and financial or development institutions which are approved by the Member State concerned;

230 PP-98 b) other entities dealing with telecommunication matters which are approved by the Member State concerned;

231 c) regional and other international telecommunication, standardization, financial or development organizations.

232 2. The Directors of the Bureaux shall maintain close working relations with those entities and organizations which are authorized to participate in the activities of one or more of the Sectors of the Union.

233 PP-98 3. Any request from an entity listed in No. 229 above to participate in the work of a Sector, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution and this Convention, approved by the Member State concerned shall be forwarded by the latter to the Secretary-General.

234 PP-98 4. Any request from an entity referred to in No. 230 above submitted by the Member State concerned shall be handled in conformity with a procedure established by the Council. Such a request shall be reviewed by the Council with respect to its conformity with the above procedure.

234A PP-98 4bis Alternatively, a request from an entity listed in No. 229 or 230 above to become a Sector Member may be sent direct to the Secretary-General. Those Member States authorizing such entities to send a request directly to the Secretary-General shall inform the latter accordingly.

Entities whose Member State has not provided such notice to the Secretary-General shall not have the option of direct application. The Secretary-General shall regularly update and publish a list of those Member States that have authorized entities under their jurisdiction or sovereignty to apply directly.

234B PP-98 4ter Upon receipt, directly from an entity, of a request under No. 234A above, the Secretary-General shall, on the basis of criteria defined by the Council, ensure that the function and purposes of the candidate are in conformity with the purposes of the Union. The Secretary-General shall then, without delay, inform the applicant's Member State inviting approval of the application. If the Secretary-General receives no objection from the Member State within four months, a reminder telegram shall be sent. If the Secretary-General receives no objection within four months after the date of dispatch of the reminder telegram, the application shall be regarded as approved. If an objection is received from the Member State by the Secretary-General, the applicant shall be invited by the Secretary-General to contact the Member State concerned.

234C PP-98 4quater When authorizing direct application, a Member State may notify the Secretary-General that it assigns author-ity to the Secretary-General to approve any application by an entity under its jurisdiction or sovereignty.

235 5 Any request from any entity or organization listed in No. 231 above (other than those referred to in Nos. 269B and 269C of this Convention) to participate in the work of a Sector shall be sent to the Secretary-General and acted upon in accordance with procedures established by the Council.

236 6 Any request from an organization referred to in Nos. 269B to 269D of this Convention to participate in the work of a Sector shall be sent to the Secretary-General, and the organization concerned shall be included in the lists referred to in No. 237 below.

237 PP-98 7 The Secretary-General shall compile and maintain lists of all entities and organizations referred to in Nos. 229 to 231 and Nos. 269B to 269D of this Convention that are authorized to participate in the work of each Sector and shall, at appropriate intervals, publish and distribute these lists to all Member States and Sector Members concerned and to the Director of the Bureau concerned. That Director shall advise such entities and organizations of the action taken on their requests, and shall inform the relevant Member States.

238 PP-98 8. The conditions of participation in the Sectors by entities and organizations contained in the lists referred to in No. 237 above are specified in this Article, in Article 33 and in other relevant provisions of this Convention. The provisions of Nos. 25 to 28 of the Constitution do not apply to them.

239 PP-94 PP-98 9. A Sector Member may act on behalf of the Member State which has approved it, provided that the Member State informs the Director of the Bureau concerned that it is authorized to do so.

240 PP-98 10 Any Sector Member has the right to denounce such participation by notifying the Secretary-General. Such participation may also be denounced, where appropriate, by the Member State concerned or, in case of the Sector Member approved pursuant to No. 234C above, in accordance with criteria and procedures determined by the Council. Such denunciation shall take effect at the end of six months from the date when notification is received by the Secretary-General.

241 11. The Secretary-General shall delete from the list of entities and organizations any entity or organization that is no longer authorized to participate in the work of a Sector, in accordance with criteria and procedures determined by the Council.

241A PP-98 12. The assembly or conference of a Sector may decide to admit entities or organizations to participate as Associates in the work of a given study group or subgroups thereof following the principles set out below:

241B PP-98 1) An entity or organization referred to in Nos. 229 to 231 above may apply to participate in the work of a given study group as an Associate.

241C PP-98 2) In cases where a Sector has decided to admit Associates, the Secretary-General shall apply to the applicants the relevant provisions of this Article, taking account of the size of the entity or organization and any other relevant criteria.

241D PP-98 3) Associates admitted to participate in a given study group are not entered in the list referred to in No. 237 above.

241E PP-98 4) The conditions governing participation in the work of a study group are specified in Nos. 248B and 483A of this Convention.