538 



(g) the amendment shall enter into force under the following 

 conditions : 



(i) in the case of an amendment to an Article of the Con- 

 vention, to Protocol II, or to Protocol I or to an Annex to the 

 Convention not under the procedure specified in sub-para- 

 graph (f) (iii), the amendment accepted in conformity with 

 the foregoing provisions shall enter into force six months 

 after the date of its acceptance with respect to the Parties 

 which have declared that they have accepted it ; 



(ii) in the case of an amendment to Protocol I, to an 

 Appendix to an Annex or to an Annex to the Convention 

 under the procedure specified in sub-paragraph (f) (iii), the 

 amendment deemed to have been accepted in accordance with 

 the foregoing conditions shall enter into force six months 

 after its acceptance for all the Parties with the exception of 

 those which, before that date, have made a declaration that 

 they do not accept it or a declaration under sub-paragraph 

 (f ) (ii) , that their express approval is necessary. 



(3) Amendment by a Conference : 



(a) Upon the request of a Party, concurred in by at least one- 

 third of the Parties, the Organization shall convene a Conference 

 of Parties to the Convention to consider amendments to the pres- 

 ent Convention. 



(b) Every amendment adopted by such a Conference by a two- 

 thirds majority of those present and voting of the Parties shall 

 be communicated by the Secretary-General of the Organization 

 to all Contracting Parties for their acceptance. 



(c) Unless the Conference decides otherwise, the amendment 

 shall be deemed to have been accepted and to have entered into 

 force in accordance with the procedures specified for that purpose 

 in paragraph (2) (f) and (g) above. 



(4) (a) In the case of an amendment to an Optional Annex, a refer- 

 ence in the present Article to a "Party to the Convention" shall be 

 deemed to mean a reference to a Party bound by that Annex. 



(b) Any Party which has declined to accept an amendment to 

 an Annex shall be treated as a non-Party only for the purpose of 

 application of that amendment. 



(5) The adoption and entry into force of a new Annex shall be sub- 

 ject to the same procedures as for the adoption and entry into force of 

 an amendment to an Article of the Convention. 



(6) Unless expressly provided otherwise, any amendment to the 

 present Convention made under this Article which relates to the struc- 

 ture of a ship shall apply only to ships for which the building con- 

 tract is placed, or in the absence of a building contract, the keel of 

 which is laid, on or after the date on which the amendment comes into 

 force. 



(7) Any amendment to a Protocol or to an Annex shall relate to the 

 substance of that Protocol or Annex and shall be consistent with the 

 Articles of the present Convention. 



(8) The Secretary-General of the Organization shall inform all Par- 

 ties of any amendments which enter into force under the present Ar- 

 ticle, together with the date on which each such amendment enters 

 into force. 



