14 FAH-4 H-230
PREPARING unclassified POUCHES FOR DISPATCH TO DIPLOMATIC POUCH AND MAIL/UNCLASSIFIED
(CT:DPM-30; 05-11-2018)
(Office of Origin: A/LM)
14 FAH-4 H-231 preparing LETTERS, FLATS, AND PARCELS
(CT:DPM-15; 12-04-2014)
When post prepares pouches for dispatch, the volume of outgoing items may affect the way in which processing occurs. Care should be taken to avoid confusion by DPMUN or damage to the articles, regardless of the number or nature (registry or nonregistry) of items being sent. Below are the guidelines that should be followed when preparing pouches for dispatch:
(1) Separate registry from nonregistry items;
(2) Bundle letters and flats separately to prevent damage;
(3) Bundle (when possible/feasible) accountable (registry) items separately after they have been individually scanned and invoiced;
(4) Official mail requiring postage must be bundled separately;
(5) Items for other agencies must be bundled by agency; and
(6) Mail with postage affixed must be bundled separately to facilitate entry into the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).
14 FAH-4 H-232 unclassified POUCH INVOICES
14 FAH-4 H-232.1 Use of Form DS-3082, Pouch Invoice
(CT:DPM-30; 05-11-2018)
a. A pouch invoice is required for every unclassified diplomatic pouch dispatched, regardless of contents, to include sac vides pouches which are invoiced separately (see 14 FAH-4 H-216). Sac vides should not contain any other items/mail in them. A copy of Form DS-3082 is printed on plain paper and processed as follows:
(1) Place a copy of the invoice inside the pouch. Upon receipt of the pouch, the destination post verifies that the items received in the pouch match the items listed on Form DS-3082, and updates ILMS DPM to reflect receipt of the pouch and the items therein; and
(2) ILMS DPM posts may, but are not required to, file paper copies of the Form DS-3082 for outgoing or incoming items that are in the ILMS DPM system, as the information is retrievable from the system.
b. Sac vides are required to be processed as individual registry items.
14 FAH-4 H-232.2 Preparing Invoices
(CT:DPM-15; 12-04-2014)
a. Forms DS-3082, Pouch Invoice, are numbered consecutively by the system, beginning with the first pouch after the post goes on-line with ILMS DPM. Invoice numbers do not reset with a new year. Users must not manually change a system-generated invoice number.
b. All accountable items that have been entered into ILMS DPM upon reception must be scanned or keyed in ILMS as they are being put into the pouch.
c. ILMS DPM associates the registry items with the pouch number. When the pouch is ready to be closed, mail room personnel prints the tag and invoice, which reflects the list of all registry items in the pouch, pouch number, destination, and seal number.
14 FAH-4 H-233 CLOSING unclassified POUCHES
(CT:DPM-15; 12-04-2014)
a. Check the following before closing pouches:
(1) Does each item indicate the classification?
(2) Is there a valid return address on each item?
(3) Is the destination address valid and does it display the 9-digit ZIP code?
(4) Are letters and flats segregated into the proper bundles?
(5) Does the number of accountable items in the pouch agree with the number of accountable items listed on Form DS-3082, Pouch Invoice?
b. Parcels are placed on the bottom of the pouch. Unregistered bundles go in next, followed by accountable item bundles. Place pouch invoice on top of the items in the pouch. Do not put the invoice in an envelope.
c. Accountable items must be checked against the invoice as the items are placed in the pouch. One employee may perform this task but the work should not be done by the same employee each week. If possible, the work should be monitored by a Secret-cleared U.S. citizen employee and verified by a witness as indicated on Form DS-3082.
d. For UCAP pouches, a Top Secret-cleared U.S. citizen employee must supervise closing the pouch and must ensure that all unclassified controlled items are listed on Form DS-3082. UCAP pouches can be handled by locally employed staff once the pouch has been sealed.
e. Keep one pouch bag open as long as possible to accommodate items delivered just prior to the scheduled pouch closing time.
14 FAH-4 H-234 readying unclassified pouches for transport
(CT:DPM-30; 05-11-2018)
a. Seal the pouch (see 14 FAH-4 H-213.3).
b. Tag the pouch (14 FAH-4 H-214).
c. Print out the transportation request from the system and send it to the commercial freight forwarder via email. If embassy transport is used, the transportation request must still be generated in the system, but it may be disposed of if not used by post as a record of receipt by the carrier.
d. If local circumstances dictate, the mail room may also prepare the airway bill for the commercial air carrier. The airway bill number must be entered into the comment field on the Pouch Build page and on the Dispatch and Management Shipment page or your shipment will not process correctly.
e. Ensure that the airway bill, whether prepared by post or by the freight forwarder, lists all pouch numbers on the airway bill itself, not as an attachment.
f. Unclassified pouches are transported to the airport by embassy transport or by a commercial freight forwarder unaccompanied by embassy personnel.
g. The mail room staff must update ILMS DPM with the actual dispatch date of the shipment, and send an Advanced Shipment Notification (ASN) via email to the receiving post.
14 FAH-4 H-235 transporting unclassified pouches
(CT:DPM-15; 12-04-2014)
a. Vehicles that transport unclassified pouches to and from the airport must have functioning locks on all doors and windows. At least two persons must accompany the pouch shipment (the driver and one other).
b. Unclassified pouches are transported unaccompanied usually by air cargo on commercial airlines on regularly scheduled and traveled routes.
c. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations prohibits the inspection or detention of the diplomatic pouch. Article 27(3) states that “the diplomatic bag shall not be opened or detained.” If host-government officials insist on x-raying, inspecting, or opening a diplomatic pouch, the post’s responsible party (either an employee, contractor, or commercial freight forwarding company under contract) must advise the host-government officials that inspection by any means, including by x-ray, is considered to be an “opening” of the pouch and is prohibited by international law and immediately request the host-government officials to desist.
d. If the pouch is outgoing and host-government officials do not desist, post’s responsible party must retrieve the pouches and return them to the mission until the situation is resolved. If the pouch is incoming and post’s responsible party is unable to obtain possession of the pouches without inspection by host-government officials, the responsible party must immediately contact the pouch control officer (PCO), who may need to contact the regional security officer, deputy chief of mission, or other post officer to resolve the situation and either withdraw/return the pouches or get the pouches released without inspection. Post management should contact the Department regarding such incidents and include the Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser for Diplomatic Law and Litigation (L/DL) and the Office of Foreign Missions (M/OFM) in any such communication.
e. Upon discovery of a situation where it appears that x-ray or inspection may have occurred, the PCO must report the violation, along with suspected compromise of contents, within 24 hours, in the following manner:
(1) Send a PRIORITY telegram captioned for the regional security officer (RSO) and PCO to the originating post;
(2) Send a copy of the telegram to the Department to the Diplomatic Pouch and Mail Division/Unclassified (A/LM/PMP/DPM/UPM); and
(3) Send another copy of the telegram to the RSO at the receiving post.
f. Reports on suspected compromises must provide full details. The PCO must give the seals, tags, invoices, and the pouch itself (when covert penetration is suspected) to the RSO at the post where the suspected compromise was discovered.
14 FAH-4 H-236 THROUGH H-239 UNASSIGNED