Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer

Article 7

Secretariat

1. The functions of the secretariat shall be:

(a) To arrange for and service meetings provided for in articles 6, 8, 9
and 10;
(b) To prepare and transmit reports based upon information received in
accordance with articles 4 and 5, as well as upon information derived
from meetings of subsidiary bodies established under article 6;
(c) To perform the functions assigned to it by any protocols;
(d) To prepare reports on its activities carried out in implementation of
its functions under this Convention and present them to the
Conference of the Parties;
(e) To ensure the necessary co-ordination with other relevant
international bodies, and in particular to enter into such
administrative and contractual arrangements as may be required for
the effective discharge of its functions;
(f) To perform such other functions as may be determined by the
Conference of the Parties.

2. The secretariat functions will be carried out on an interim basis by the
United Nations Environment Programme until the completion of the first
ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties held pursuant to article
6. At its first ordinary meeting, the Conference of the Parties shall
designate the secretariat from amongst those existing competent
international organizations which has signified their willingness to carry
out the secretariat functions under this Convention.

Article 8

Adoption of Protocols

1. The Conference of the Parties may at a meeting adopt protocols pursuant
to article 2.

2. The text of any proposed protocol shall be communicated to the Parties
by the secretariat at least six months before such a meeting.

Article 9

Amendment of the Convention or Protocols

1. Any Party may propose amendments to this Convention or to any protocol.
Such amendments shall take due account, inter alia, of relevant scientific
and technical considerations.

2. Amendments to this Convention shall be adopted at a meeting of the
Conference of the Parties. Amendments to any protocol shall be adopted at a
meeting of the Parties to the protocol in question. The text of any
proposed amendment to this Convention or to any protocol, except as may
otherwise be provided in such protocol, shall be communicated to the
Parties by the secretariat at least six months before the meeting at which
it is proposed for adoption. The secretariat shall also communicate
proposed amendments to the signatories to this Convention for information.

3. The Parties shall make every effort to reach agreement on any proposed
amendment to this Convention by consensus. If all efforts at consensus have
been exhausted, and no agreement reached, the amendment shall as a last
resort be adopted by a three-fourth majority vote of the Parties present
and voting at the meeting, and shall be submitted by the Depositary to all
Parties for ratification, approval or acceptance.

4. The procedure mentioned in paragraph 3 above shall apply to amendments
to any protocol, except that a two-thirds majority of the parties to that
protocol present and voting at the meeting shall suffice for their
adoption.

5. Ratification, approval or acceptance of amendments shall be notified to
the Depositary in writing. Amendments adopted in accordance with paragraphs
3 or 4 above shall enter into force between parties having accepted them on
the ninetieth day after the receipt by the Depositary of notification of
their ratification, approval or acceptance by at least three-fourths of the
Parties to this Convention or by at least two-thirds of the parties to the
protocol concerned, except as may otherwise be provided in such protocol.
Thereafter the amendments shall enter into force for any other Party on the
ninetieth day after that Party deposits its instrument of ratification,
approval or acceptance of the amendments.

6. For the purposes of this article, “Parties present and voting”means
Parties present and casting an affirmative or negative vote.

Article 10

Adoption and Amendment of Annexes

1. The annexes to this Convention or to any protocol shall form an integral
part of this Convention or of such protocol, as the case may be, and,
unless expressly provided otherwise, a reference to this Convention or its
protocols constitutes at the same time a reference to any annexes thereto.
Such annexes shall be restricted to scientific, technical and
administrative matters.

2. Except as may be otherwise provided in any protocol with respect to its
annexes, the following procedure shall apply to the proposal, adoption and
entry into force of additional annexes to this Convention or of annexes to
a protocol;

(a) Annexes to this Convention shall be proposed and adopted according to
the procedure laid down in article 9, paragraphs 2 and 3, while
annexes to any protocol shall be proposed and adopted according to
the procedure laid down in article 9, paragraphs 2 and 4;
(b) Any party that is unable to approve an additional annex to this
Convention or an annex to any protocol to which it is party shall so
notify the Depositary, in writing, within six months from the date of
the communication of the adoption by the Depositary. The Depositary
shall without delay notify all Parties of any such notification
received. A Party may at any time substitute an acceptance for a
previous declaration of objection and the annexes shall thereupon
enter into force for that Party;
(c) On the expiry of six months from the date of the circulation of the
communication by the Depositary, the annex shall become effective for
all Parties to this Convention or to any protocol concerned which
have not submitted a notification in accordance with the provision of
subparagraph (b) above.

3. The proposal, adoption and entry into force of amendments to annexes to
this Convention or to any protocol shall be subject to the same procedure
as for the proposal, adoption and entry into force of annexes to the
Convention or annexes to a protocol. Annexes and amendments thereto shall
take due account, inter alia, of relevant scientific and technical
considerations.

4. If an additional annex or an amendment to an annex involves an amendment
to this Convention or to any protocol, the additional annex or amended
annex shall not enter into force until such time as the amendment to this
Convention or to the protocol concerned enters into force.

Author: international