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by two thirds of the Parties.

.7 - An amendment to the annex or to an appendix to the annex shall be deemed to have been accepted:

.7.1 - At the end of two years from the date of adoption; or

.7.2 - At the end of a different period, which shall not be less than one year, if so determined at the time of its

adoption by a two-thirds majority of the Parties present and voting in the expanded Maritime Safety Committee.

If, within the specified period, more than one third of the Parties notify the Secretary General that they object

to the amendment, it shall be deemed not to have been accepted.

.8 - An amendment to an article shall enter into force, with respect to those Parties which have accepted it,

six months after the date on which it is deemed to have been accepted, and with respect to each Party which

accepts it after that date, six months after the date of that Party’s acceptance.

.9 - An amendment to the annex and to an appendix to the annex shall enter into force with respect to all

Parties, except those which have objected to the amendment under paragraph 2.7 and which have not withdrawn

such objections, six months after the date on which it is deemed to have been accepted. However, before the

date set for entry into force any Party may give notice to the Secretary-General that it exempts itself from giving

effect to that amendment for a period not longer than one year from the date of its entry into force, or for such

longer period as may be determined by a two-thirds majority of the Parties present and voting in the expanded

Maritime Safety Committee at the time of the adoption of the amendment.

3 – Amendment by a Conference:

.1 - Upon the request of a Party concurred with by at least one third of the Parties, the Organization shall

convene, in association or consultation with the Director-General of the International Labour Office and of the

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations respectively, a Conference of the Parties to consider

amendments to the present Convention.

.2 - Every amendment adopted by such a Conference by a two-thirds majority of the Parties present and

voting shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to all the Parties for acceptance.

.3 - Unless the Conference decides otherwise, the amendment shall be deemed to have been accepted and

shall enter into force in accordance with the procedures specified in paragraphs 2.6 and 2.8 or 2.7 and 2.9

respectively, provided that references in those paragraphs to the expanded Maritime Safety Committee shall be

taken to mean references to the Conference.

4 – Any declaration of acceptance of, or objection to, an amendment or any notice given under paragraph 2.9

shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary-General, who shall inform all Parties of any such submission and

the date of its receipt.

5 – The Secretary-General shall inform all the Parties of any amendments which enter into force, together

with the date on which each such amendment enters into force.

Article 11

Signature, ratification, acceptance, approval and accession

1 – The Convention shall remain open for signature at the Headquarters of the Organization from 1 January

1996 until 30 September 1996 and shall thereafter remain open for accession. States may become Parties to the

Convention by:

.1 - Signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval; or

.2 - Signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval;

or

.3 - Accession.

2 – Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument to that

effect with the Secretary-General.