Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution

 

Article 13

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Contracting Parties designate the United Nations Environment
Programme as responsible for carrying out the following secretariat
functions:

(i) to convene and prepare the meetings of Contracting Parties
and conferences provided for in Articles 14, 15 and 16;

(ii) to transmit to the Contracting Parties notifications, reports
and other information received in accordance with Articles 3,
9 and 20;

(iii) to consider inquiries by, and information from, the
Contracting Parties, and to consult with them on questions
relating to this Convention and the Protocols and Annexes
thereto;

(iv) to perform the functions assigned to it by the Protocols to
this Convention;

(v) to perform such other functions as may be assigned to it by
the Contracting Parties;

(vi) to ensure the necessary co-ordination with other
international bodies which the Contracting Parties consider
competent, and in particular, to enter into such
administrative arrangements as may be required for the
effective discharge of the secretariat functions.

Article 14

MEETINGS OF THE CONTRACTING PARTIES

1. The Contracting Parties shall hold ordinary meetings once every two
years and extraordinary meetings at any other time deemed necessary, upon
the request of the Organization or at the request of any Contracting
Party, provided that such requests are supported by at least two
Contracting Parties;

2. It shall be the function of the meetings of the Contracting Parties to
keep under review the implementation of this Convention and the Protocols
and, in particular:
(i) to review gradually the inventories carried out by
Contracting Parties and competent International Organizations
on the state of marine pollution and its effects in the
Mediterranean Sea area;

(ii) to consider reports submitted by the Contracting Parties
under Article 20;

(iii) to adopt, review and amend as required the Annexes to this
Convention and to the Protocols in accordance with the
procedure established in Article 17;

(iv) to make recommendations regarding the adoption of any
Additional Protocols or any amendments to this Convention or
the Protocols in accordance with the provisions of Articles
15 and 16;

(v) to establish working groups as required to consider any
matters related to this Convention and the Protocols and
Annexes;

(vi) to consider and undertake any additional action that may be
required for the achievement of the purposes of this
Convention and the Protocols.

Article 15

ADOPTION OF ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS

1. The Contracting Parties, at a diplomatic conference, may adopt
Additional Protocols to his Convention pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article
4.

2. A diplomatic conference for the purpose of adopting Additional
Protocols shall be convened by the Organization at the request of two
thirds of the Contracting Parties.

3. Pending the entry into force of this Convention the Organization may,
after consulting with the signatories to this Convention, convene a
diplomatic conference for the purpose of adopting Additional Protocols.

Article 16

AMENDMENT OF THE CONVENTION OR PROTOCOLS

1. Any Contracting Party to this Convention may propose amendments to the
Convention. Amendments shall be adopted by a diplomatic conference which
shall be convened by the Organization at the request of two thirds of the
Contracting Parties.

2. Any Contracting Party to this Convention may propose amendments to any
Protocol. Such amendments shall be adopted by a diplomatic conference
which shall be convened by the Organization at the request of two thirds
of the Contracting Parties to the Protocol concerned.

3. Amendments to this Convention shall be adopted by a three-fourths
majority vote of the Contracting Parties to the Convention which are
represented at the diplomatic conference and shall be submitted by the
Depositary for acceptance by all Contracting Parties to the Convention.
Amendments to any Protocol shall be adopted by a three-fourths majority
vote of the Contracting Parties to such Protocol which are represented at
the diplomatic conference and shall be submitted by the Depositary for
acceptance by all Contracting Parties to such Protocol.

4. Acceptance of amendments shall be notified to the Depositary in
writing. Amendments adopted in accordance with paragraph 3 of this
Article shall enter into force between Contracting Parties having
accepted such amendments on the 30th day following the receipt by the
Depositary of notification of their acceptance by at least three-fourths
of the Contracting Parties to this Convention or to the Protocol
concerned, as the case may be.

5. After the entry into force of an amendment to this Convention or to a
Protocol, any new Contracting Party to this Convention or such Protocol
shall become a Contracting Party to the instrument as amended.

 

Article 17

ANNEXES AND AMENDMENTS TO ANNEXES

1. Annexes to this Convention or to any Protocol shall form an integral
part of the Convention or such Protocol, as the case may be.

2. Except as may be otherwise provided in any Protocol, the following
procedure shall apply to the adoption and entry into force of any
amendments to Annexes to this Convention or to any Protocol, with the
exception of amendments to the Annex on Arbitration:

(i) any Contracting Party may propose amendments to the Annexes
to this Convention or to any Protocols and the meetings
referred to in Article 14;

(ii) such amendments shall be adopted by a three-fourths majority
vote of the Contracting Parties to the instrument in
question;

(iii) the Depositary shall without delay communicate the amendments
so adopted to all Contracting Parties;

(iv) any Contracting Party that is unable to approve an amendment
to the Annexes to this Convention or to any Protocol shall so
notify in writing the Depositary within a period determined
by the Contracting Parties concerned when adopting the
amendment;

(v) the Depositary shall without delay notify all Contracting
Parties of any notification received pursuant to the
proceeding subparagraph;

(vi) on expiry of the period referred to in subparagraph (iv)
above, the amendment to the Annex shall become effective for
all Contracting Parties to this Convention or to the Protocol
concerned which have not submitted a notification in
accordance with the provisions of that subparagraph.

3. The adoption and entry into force of a new Annex to this Convention or
to any Protocol shall be subject to the same procedure as for the
adoption and entry into force of an amendment to an Annex in accordance
with the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article, provided that, if any
amendment to the Convention or the Protocol concerned is involved, the
new Annex shall not enter into force until such time as the amendment to
the Convention or the Protocol concerned enters into force.

4. Amendments to the Annex on Arbitration shall be considered to be
amendments to this Convention and shall be proposed and adopted in
accordance with the procedures set out in Article 16 above.

 

Author: international

Mentioned in these Entries

Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution, International Organizations.