[Preamble]

The States Parties to this Convention,

Recognising:

(a) That international multimodal transport is one means of facilitating the orderly expansion of world trade;

(b) The need to stimulate the development of smooth, economic and efficient multimodal transport services adequate to the requirements of the trade concerned;

(c) The desirability of ensuring the orderly development of international multimodal transport in the interest of all countries and the need to consider the special problems of transit countries;

(d) The desirability of determining certain rules relating to the carriage of goods by international multimodal transport contracts, including equitable provisions concerning the liability of multimodal transport operators;

(e) The need that this Convention should not affect the application of any international convention or national law relating to the regulation and control of transport operations;

(f) The right of each State to regulate and control at the national level multimodal transport operators and operations;

(g) The need to have regard to the special interest and problems of developing countries, for example, as regards introduction of new technologies, participation in multimodal services of their national carriers and operators, cost efficiency thereof and maximum use of local labour and insurance;

(h) The need to ensure a balance of interests between suppliers and users of multimodal transport services;

(i) The need to facilitate customs procedures with due consideration to the problems of transit countries;

Agreeing to the following basic principles:

(a) That a fair balance of interests between developed and developing countries should be established and an equitable distribution of activities between these groups of countries should be attained in international multimodal transport;

(b) That consultation should take place on terms and conditions of service, both before and after the introduction of any new technology in the multimodal transport of goods, between the multimodal transport operator, shippers, shippers' organisations and appropriate national authorities;

(c) The freedom for shippers to choose between multimodal and segmented transport services;

(d) That the liability of the multimodal transport operator under this Convention should be based on the principle of presumed fault or neglect;

Have decided to conclude a Convention for this purpose and have thereto agreed as follows: