Convention on the Prohibition of the use,
stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines and on their
destruction.
Preamble
The States Parties,
Determined to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused
by anti-personnel mines, that kill or maim hundreds of people every week,
mostly innocent and defenceless civilians and especially children, obstruct
economic development and reconstruction, inhibit the repatriation of refugees
and internally displaced persons, and have other severe consequences for
years after emplacement,
Believing it necessary to do their utmost to contribute in an
efficient and coordinated manner to face the challenge of removing anti-personnel
mines placed throughout the world, and to assure their destruction,
Wishing to do their utmost in providing assistance for the care
and rehabilitation, including the social and economic reintegration of
mine victims,
Recognizing that a total ban of anti-personnel mines would also
be an important confidence-building measure,
Welcoming the adoption of the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions
on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, as amended on 3 May
1996, annexed to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the
Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively
Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, and calling for the early
ratification of this Protocol by all States which have not yet done so,
Welcoming also United Nations General Assembly Resolution 51/45
S of 10
December 1996 urging all States to pursue vigorously an effective,
legally-binding international agreement to ban the use, stockpiling, production
and transfer of anti-personnel landmines,
Welcoming furthermore the measures taken over the past years,
both unilaterally and multilaterally, aiming at prohibiting, restricting
or suspending the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel
mines,
Stressing the role of public conscience in furthering the principles
of humanity as evidenced by the call for a total ban of anti-personnel
mines and recognizing the efforts to that end undertaken by the International
Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the International Campaign to Ban
Landmines and numerous other non-governmental organizations around the
world,
Recalling the Ottawa Declaration of 5 October 1996 and the Brussels
Declaration of 27 June 1997 urging the international community to negotiate
an international and legally binding agreement prohibiting the use, stockpiling,
production and transfer of anti-personnel mines,
Emphasizing the desirability of attracting the adherence of all
States to this Convention, and determined to work strenuously towards the
promotion of its universalization in all relevant fora including, inter
alia, the United Nations, the Conference on Disarmament, regional organizations,
and groupings, and review conferences of the Convention on Prohibitions
or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be
Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,
Basing themselves on the principle of international humanitarian
law that the right of the parties to an armed conflict to choose methods
or means of warfare is not unlimited, on the principle that prohibits the
employment in armed conflicts of weapons, projectiles and materials and
methods of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary
suffering and on the principle that a distinction must be made between
civilians and combatants,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
General obligations
-
Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances:
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To use anti-personnel mines;
-
To develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to
anyone, directly or indirectly, anti-personnel mines;
-
To assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity
prohibited to a State Party under this Convention.
-
Each State Party undertakes to destroy or ensure the destruction of all
anti-personnel mines in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.
Article 2
Definitions
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"Anti-personnel mine" means a mine designed to be exploded by the presence,
proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or
kill one or more persons. Mines designed to be detonated by the presence,
proximity or contact of a vehicle as opposed to a person, that are equipped
with anti-handling devices, are not considered anti-personnel mines as
a result of being so equipped.
-
"Mine" means a munition designed to be placed under, on or near the ground
or other surface area and to be exploded by the presence, proximity or
contact of a person or a vehicle.
-
"Anti-handling device" means a device intended to protect a mine and which
is part of, linked to, attached to or placed under the mine and which activates
when an attempt is made to tamper with or otherwise intentionally disturb
the mine.
-
"Transfer" involves, in addition to the physical movement of anti-personnel
mines into or from national territory, the transfer of title to and control
over the mines, but does not involve the transfer of territory containing
emplaced anti-personnel mines.
-
"Mined area" means an area which is dangerous due to the presence or suspected
presence of mines.
Article 3
Exceptions
-
Notwithstanding the general obligations under Article 1, the retention
or transfer of a number of anti-personnel mines for the development of
and training in mine detection, mine clearance, or mine destruction techniques
is permitted. The amount of such mines shall not exceed the minimum number
absolutely necessary for the above-mentioned purposes.
-
The transfer of anti-personnel mines for the purpose of destruction is
permitted.
Article 4
Destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines
Except as provided for in Article 3, each State Party undertakes to
destroy or ensure the destruction of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines
it owns or possesses, or that are under its jurisdiction or control, as
soon as possible but not later than four years after the entry into force
of this Convention for that State Party.
Article 5
Destruction of anti-personnel mines in mined areas
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Each State Party undertakes to destroy or ensure the destruction of all
anti-personnel mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control,
as soon as possible but not later than ten years after the entry into force
of this Convention for that State Party.
-
Each State Party shall make every effort to identify all areas under its
jurisdiction or control in which anti-personnel mines are known or suspected
to be emplaced and shall ensure as soon as possible that all anti-personnel
mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control are perimeter-marked,
monitored and protected by fencing or other means, to ensure the effective
exclusion of civilians, until all anti-personnel mines contained therein
have been destroyed. The marking shall at least be to the standards set
out in the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines,
Booby-Traps and Other Devices, as amended on 3 May 1996, annexed to the
Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional
Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate
Effects.
-
If a State Party believes that it will be unable to destroy or ensure the
destruction of all anti-personnel mines referred to in paragraph 1 within
that time period, it may submit a request to a Meeting of the States Parties
or a Review Conference for an extension of the deadline for completing
the destruction of such anti-personnel mines, for a period of up to ten
years.
-
Each request shall contain:
-
The duration of the proposed extension;
-
A detailed explanation of the reasons for the proposed extension, including:
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The preparation and status of work conducted under national demining programs;
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The financial and technical means available to the State Party for the
destruction of all the anti-personnel mines; and
-
Circumstances which impede the ability of the State Party to destroy all
the anti-personnel mines in mined areas;
-
The humanitarian, social, economic, and environmental implications of the
extension; and
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Any other information relevant to the request for the proposed extension.
-
The Meeting of the States Parties or the Review Conference shall, taking
into consideration the factors contained in paragraph 4, assess the request
and decide by a majority of votes of States Parties present and voting
whether to grant the request for an extension period.
-
Such an extension may be renewed upon the submission of a new request in
accordance with paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of this Article. In requesting a
further extension period a State Party shall submit relevant additional
information on what has been undertaken in the previous extension period
pursuant to this Article.
Article 6
International cooperation and assistance
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In fulfilling its obligations under this Convention each State Party has
the right to seek and receive assistance, where feasible, from other States
Parties to the extent possible.
-
Each State Party undertakes to facilitate and shall have the right to participate
in the fullest possible exchange of equipment, material and scientific
and technological information concerning the implementation of this Convention.
The States Parties shall not impose undue restrictions on the provision
of mine clearance equipment and related technological information for humanitarian
purposes.
-
Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the
care and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of mine
victims and for mine awareness programs. Such assistance may be provided,
inter alia, through the United Nations system, international, regional
or national organizations or institutions, the International Committee
of the Red Cross, national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and their
International Federation, non-governmental organizations, or on a bilateral
basis.
-
Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for mine
clearance and related activities. Such assistance may be provided, inter
alia, through the United Nations system, international or regional organizations
or institutions, non-governmental organizations or institutions, or on
a bilateral basis, or by contributing to the United Nations Voluntary Trust
Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance, or other regional funds that deal
with demining.
-
Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the
destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines.
-
Each State Party undertakes to provide information to the database on mine
clearance established within the United Nations system, especially information
concerning various means and technologies of mine clearance, and lists
of experts, expert agencies or national points of contact on mine clearance.
-
States Parties may request the United Nations, regional organizations,
other States Parties or other competent intergovernmental or non-governmental
fora to assist its authorities in the elaboration of a national demining
program to determine, inter alia:
-
The extent and scope of the anti-personnel mine problem;
-
The financial, technological and human resources that are required for
the implementation of the program;
-
The estimated number of years necessary to destroy all anti-personnel mines
in mined areas under the jurisdiction or control of the concerned State
Party;
-
Mine awareness activities to reduce the incidence of mine-related injuries
or deaths;
-
Assistance to mine victims;
-
The relationship between the Government of the concerned State Party and
the relevant governmental, inter-governmental or non-governmental entities
that will work in the implementation of the program.
-
Each State Party giving and receiving assistance under the provisions of
this Article shall cooperate with a view to ensuring the full and prompt
implementation of agreed assistance programs.
Transparency measures
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Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations
as soon as practicable, and in any event not later than 180 days after
the entry into force of this Convention for that State Party on:
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The national implementation measures referred to in Article 9;
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The total of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines owned or possessed by
it, or under its jurisdiction or control, to include a breakdown of the
type, quantity and, if possible, lot numbers of each type of anti-personnel
mine stockpiled;
-
To the extent possible, the location of all mined areas that contain, or
are suspected to contain, anti-personnel mines under its jurisdiction or
control, to include as much detail as possible regarding the type and quantity
of each type of anti-personnel mine in each mined area and when they were
emplaced;
-
The types, quantities and, if possible, lot numbers of all anti-personnel
mines retained or transferred for the development of and training in mine
detection, mine clearance or mine destruction techniques, or transferred
for the purpose of destruction, as well as the institutions authorized
by a State Party to retain or transfer anti-personnel mines, in accordance
with Article 3;
-
The status of programs for the conversion or de-commissioning of anti-personnel
mine production facilities;
-
The status of programs for the destruction of anti-personnel mines in accordance
with Articles 4 and 5, including details of the methods which will be used
in destruction, the location of all destruction sites and the applicable
safety and environmental standards to be observed;
-
The types and quantities of all anti-personnel mines destroyed after the
entry into force of this Convention for that State Party, to include a
breakdown of the quantity of each type of anti-personnel mine destroyed,
in accordance with Articles 4 and 5, respectively, along with, if possible,
the lot numbers of each type of anti-personnel mine in the case of destruction
in accordance with Article 4;
-
The technical characteristics of each type of anti-personnel mine produced,
to the extent known, and those currently owned or possessed by a State
Party, giving, where reasonably possible, such categories of information
as may facilitate identification and clearance of anti-personnel mines;
at a minimum, this information shall include the dimensions, fusing, explosive
content, metallic content, colour photographs and other information which
may facilitate mine clearance; and
-
The measures taken to provide an immediate and effective warning to the
population in relation to all areas identified under paragraph 2 of Article
5.
-
The information provided in accordance with this Article shall be updated
by the States Parties annually, covering the last calendar year, and reported
to the Secretary-General of the United Nations not later than 30 April
of each year.
-
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit all such reports
received to the States Parties.
Article 8
Facilitation and clarification of compliance
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The States Parties agree to consult and cooperate with each other regarding
the implementation of the provisions of this Convention, and to work together
in a spirit of cooperation to facilitate compliance by States rties with
their obligations under this Convention.
-
If one or more States Parties wish to clarify and seek to resolve questions
relating to compliance with the provisions of this Convention by another
State Party, it may submit, through the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, a Request for Clarification of that matter to that State Party.
Such a request shall be accompanied by all appropriate information. Each
State Party shall refrain from unfounded Requests for Clarification, care
being taken to avoid abuse. A State Party that receives a Request for Clarification
shall provide, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, within
28 days to the requesting State Party all information which would assist
in clarifying this matter.
-
If the requesting State Party does not receive a response through the Secretary-General
of the United Nations within that time period, or deems the response to
the Request for Clarification to be unsatisfactory, it may submit the matter
through the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the next Meeting
of the States Parties. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall
transmit the submission, accompanied by all appropriate information pertaining
to the Request for Clarification, to all States Parties. All such information
shall be presented to the requested State Party which shall have the right
to respond.
-
Pending the convening of any meeting of the States Parties, any of the
States Parties concerned may request the Secretary-General of the United
Nations to exercise his or her good offices to facilitate the clarification
requested.
-
The requesting State Party may propose through the Secretary-General of
the United Nations the convening of a Special Meeting of the States Parties
to consider the matter. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall
thereupon communicate this proposal and all information submitted by the
States Parties concerned, to all States Parties with a request that they
indicate whether they favour a Special Meeting of the States Parties, for
the purpose of considering the matter. In the event that within 14 days
from the date of such communication, at least one-third of the States Parties
favours such a Special Meeting, the Secretary-General of the United Nations
shall convene this Special Meeting of the States Parties within a further
14 days. A quorum for this Meeting shall consist of a majority of States
Parties.
-
The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States
Parties, as the case may be, shall first determine whether to consider
the matter further, taking into account all information submitted by the
States Parties concerned. The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special
Meeting of the States Parties shall make every effort to reach a decision
by consensus. If despite all efforts to that end no agreement has been
reached, it shall take this decision by a majority of States Parties present
and voting.
-
All States Parties shall cooperate fully with the Meeting of the States
Parties or the Special Meeting of the States Parties in the fulfilment
of its review of the matter, including any fact-finding missions that are
authorized in accordance with paragraph 8.
-
If further clarification is required, the Meeting of the States Parties
or the Special Meeting of the States Parties shall authorize a fact-finding
mission and decide on its mandate by a majority of States Parties present
and voting. At any time the requested State Party may invite a fact-finding
mission to its territory. Such a mission shall take place without a decision
by a Meeting of the States Parties or a Special Meeting of the States Parties
to authorize such a mission. The mission, consisting of up to 9 experts,
designated and approved in accordance with paragraphs 9 and 10, may collect
additional information on the spot or in other places directly related
to the alleged compliance issue under the jurisdiction or control of the
requested State Party.
-
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall prepare and update a
list of the names, nationalities and other relevant data of qualified experts
provided by States Parties and communicate it to all States Parties. Any
expert included on this list shall be regarded as designated for all fact-finding
missions unless a State Party declares its non-acceptance in writing. In
the event of non-acceptance, the expert shall not participate in fact-finding
missions on the territory or any other place under the jurisdiction or
control of the objecting State Party, if the non-acceptance was declared
prior to the appointment of the expert to such missions.
-
Upon receiving a request from the Meeting of the States Parties or a Special
Meeting of the States Parties, the Secretary-General of the United Nations
shall, after consultations with the requested State Party, appoint the
members of the mission, including its leader. Nationals of States Parties
requesting the fact-finding mission or directly affected by it shall not
be appointed to the mission. The members of the fact-finding mission shall
enjoy privileges and immunities under Article VI of the Convention on the
Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, adopted on 13 February
1946.
-
Upon at least 72 hours notice, the members of the fact-finding mission
shall arrive in the territory of the requested State Party at the earliest
opportunity. The requested State Party shall take the necessary administrative
measures to receive, transport and accommodate the mission, and shall be
responsible for ensuring the security of the mission to the maximum extent
possible while they are on territory under its control.
-
Without prejudice to the sovereignty of the requested State Party, the
fact-finding mission may bring into the territory of the requested State
Party the necessary equipment which shall be used exclusively for gathering
information on the alleged compliance issue. Prior to its arrival, the
mission will advise the requested State Party of the equipment that it
intends to utilize in the course of its fact-finding mission.
-
The requested State Party shall make all efforts to ensure that the fact-finding
mission is given the opportunity to speak with all relevant persons who
may be able to provide information related to the alleged compliance issue.
-
The requested State Party shall grant access for the fact-finding mission
to all areas and installations under its control where facts relevant to
the compliance issue could be expected to be collected. This shall be subject
to any arrangements that the requested State Party considers necessary
for:
-
The protection of sensitive equipment, information and areas;
-
The protection of any constitutional obligations the requested State Party
may have with regard to proprietary rights, searches and seizures, or other
constitutional rights; or
-
The physical protection and safety of the members of the fact-finding mission.
In the event that the requested State Party makes such arrangements,
it shall make every reasonable effort to demonstrate through alternative
means its compliance with this Convention.
-
The fact-finding mission may remain in the territory of the State Party
concerned for no more than 14 days, and at any particular site no more
than 7 days, unless otherwise agreed.
-
All information provided in confidence and not related to the subject matter
of the fact-finding mission shall be treated on a confidential basis.
-
The fact-finding mission shall report, through the Secretary-General of
the United Nations, to the Meeting of the States Parties or the Special
Meeting of the States Parties the results of its findings.
-
The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States
Parties shall consider all relevant information, including the report submitted
by the fact-finding mission, and may request the requested State Party
to take measures to address the compliance issue within a specified period
of time. The requested State Party shall report on all measures taken in
response to this request.
-
The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States
Parties may suggest to the States Parties concerned ways and means to further
clarify or resolve the matter under consideration, including the initiation
of appropriate procedures in conformity with international law. In circumstances
where the issue at hand is determined to be due to circumstances beyond
the control of the requested State Party, the Meeting of the States Parties
or the Special Meeting of the States Parties may recommend appropriate
measures, including the use of cooperative measures referred to in Article
6.
-
The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States
Parties shall make every effort to reach its decisions referred to in paragraphs
18 and 19 by consensus, otherwise by a two-thirds majority of States Parties
present and voting.
Article 9
National implementation measures
Each State Party shall take all appropriate legal, administrative
and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent
and suppress any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention
undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control.
Article 10
Settlement of disputes
-
The States Parties shall consult and cooperate with each other to settle
any dispute that may arise with regard to the application or the interpretation
of this Convention. Each State Party may bring any such dispute before
the Meeting of the States Parties.
-
The Meeting of the States Parties may contribute to the settlement of the
dispute by whatever means it deems appropriate, including offering its
good offices, calling upon the States parties to a dispute to start the
settlement procedure of their choice and recommending a time-limit for
any agreed procedure.
-
This Article is without prejudice to the provisions of this Convention
on facilitation and clarification of compliance.
Article 11
Meetings of the States Parties
-
The States Parties shall meet regularly in order to consider any matter
with regard to the application or implementation of this Convention, including:
-
The operation and status of this Convention;
-
Matters arising from the reports submitted under the provisions of this
Convention;
-
International cooperation and assistance in accordance with Article 6;
-
The development of technologies to clear anti-personnel mines;
-
Submissions of States Parties under Article 8; and
-
Decisions relating to submissions of States Parties as provided for in
Article 5.
-
The First Meeting of the States Parties shall be convened by the Secretary-General
of the United Nations within one year after the entry into force of this
Convention. The subsequent meetings shall be convened by the Secretary-General
of the United Nations annually until the first Review Conference.
-
Under the conditions set out in Article 8, the Secretary-General of the
United Nations shall convene a Special Meeting of the States Parties.
-
States not parties to this Convention, as well as the United Nations, other
relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations,
the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental
organizations may be invited to attend these meetings as observers in accordance
with the agreed Rules of Procedure.
Article 12
Review Conferences
-
A Review Conference shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations five years after the entry into force of this Convention. Further
Review Conferences shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations if so requested by one or more States Parties, provided that the
interval between Review Conferences shall in no case be less than five
years. All States Parties to this Convention shall be invited to each Review
Conference.
-
The purpose of the Review Conference shall be:
-
To review the operation and status of this Convention;
-
To consider the need for and the interval between further Meetings of the
States Parties referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 11;
-
To take decisions on submissions of States Parties as provided for in Article
5; and
-
To adopt, if necessary, in its final report conclusions related to the
implementation of this Convention.
-
States not parties to this Convention, as well as the United Nations, other
relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations,
the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental
organizations may be invited to attend each Review Conference as observers
in accordance with the agreed Rules of Procedure.
Amendments
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At any time after the entry into force of this Convention any State Party
may propose amendments to this Convention. Any proposal for an amendment
shall be communicated to the Depositary, who shall circulate it to all
States Parties and shall seek their views on whether an Amendment Conference
should be convened to consider the proposal. If a majority of the States
Parties notify the Depositary no later than 30 days after its circulation
that they support further consideration of the proposal, the Depositary
shall convene an Amendment Conference to which all States Parties shall
be invited.
-
States not parties to this Convention, as well as the United Nations, other
relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations,
the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental
organizations may be invited to attend each Amendment Conference as observers
in accordance with the agreed Rules of Procedure.
-
The Amendment Conference shall be held immediately following a Meeting
of the States Parties or a Review Conference unless a majority of the States
Parties request that it be held earlier.
-
Any amendment to this Convention shall be adopted by a majority of two-thirds
of the States Parties present and voting at the Amendment Conference. The
Depositary shall communicate any amendment so adopted to the States Parties.
-
An amendment to this Convention shall enter into force for all States Parties
to this Convention which have accepted it, upon the deposit with the Depositary
of instruments of acceptance by a majority of States Parties. Thereafter
it shall enter into force for any remaining State Party on the date of
deposit of its instrument of acceptance.
Costs
-
The costs of the Meetings of the States Parties, the Special Meetings of
the States Parties, the Review Conferences and the Amendment Conferences
shall be borne by the States Parties and States not parties to this Convention
participating therein, in accordance with the United Nations scale of assessment
adjusted appropriately.
-
The costs incurred by the Secretary-General of the United Nations under
Articles 7 and 8 and the costs of any fact-finding mission shall be borne
by the States Parties in accordance with the United Nations scale of assessment
adjusted appropriately.
Article 15
Signature
This Convention, done at Oslo, Norway, on 18 September 1997, shall
be open for signature at Ottawa, Canada, by all States from 3 December
1997 until 4 December 1997, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New
York from 5 December 1997 until its entry into force.
Article 16
Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession
-
This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval of the
Signatories.
-
It shall be open for accession by any State which has not signed the Convention.
-
The instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall
be deposited with the Depositary.
Article 17
Entry into force
-
1. This Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the sixth
month after the month in which the 40th instrument of ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession has been deposited.
-
2. For any State which deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession after the date of the deposit of the 40th instrument
of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, this Convention shall
enter into force on the first day of the sixth month after the date on
which that State has deposited its instrument of ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession.
Article 18
Provisional application
Any State may at the time of its ratification, acceptance, approval
or accession, declare that it will apply provisionally paragraph 1 of Article
1 of this Convention pending its entry into force.
Article 19
Reservations
The Articles of this Convention shall not be subject to reservations.
Article 20
Duration and withdrawal
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This Convention shall be of unlimited duration.
-
Each State Party shall, in exercising its national sovereignty, have the
right to withdraw from this Convention. It shall give notice of such withdrawal
to all other States Parties, to the Depositary and to the United Nations
Security Council. Such instrument of withdrawal shall include a full explanation
of the reasons motivating this withdrawal.
-
Such withdrawal shall only take effect six months after the receipt of
the instrument of withdrawal by the Depositary. If, however, on the expiry
of that six- month period, the withdrawing State Party is engaged in an
armed conflict, the withdrawal shall not take effect before the end of
the armed conflict.
-
The withdrawal of a State Party from this Convention shall not in any way
affect the duty of States to continue fulfilling the obligations assumed
under any relevant rules of international law.
Article 21
Depositary
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is hereby designated as
the Depositary of this Convention.
Article 22
Authentic texts
The original of this Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English,
French,
Russian and
Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited
with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.