Article VI Amendments

1.

2.

a)

Any amendment proposed by a Party to the present Protocol shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of the Organization, who shall then circulate it to all Members of the Organization and all Contracting Governments to the Convention at least six months prior to its consideration.

b)

Any amendment proposed and circulated as above shall be referred to the Maritime Safety Committee of the Organization for consideration.

c)

States which are Parties to the present Protocol, whether or not Members of the Organization, shall be entitled to participate in the proceedings of the Maritime Safety Committee for the consideration and adoption of amendments.

d)

Amendments shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Parties to the present Protocol present and voting in the Maritime Safety Committee expanded as provided for in subparagraph c) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the expanded Maritime Safety Committee’) on condition that at least one third of the Parties shall be present at the time of voting.

e)

Amendments adopted in accordance with subparagraph d) shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the Organization to all Parties to the present Protocol for acceptance.

f)

(i)

An amendment to an article or Annex A to the present Protocol or an amendment, as between Parties to the present Protocol, to an article of the Convention, shall be deemed to have been accepted on the date on which it is accepted by two thirds of the Parties to the present Protocol.

(ii)

An amendment to Annex B to the present Protocol or an amendment, as between Parties to the present Protocol, to an Annex to the Convention, shall be deemed to have been accepted:

(aa)

at the end of two years from the date on which it is communicated to Parties to the present Protocol for acceptance; or

(bb)

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.

However, if within the specified period either more than one third of the Parties, or Parties the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less than fifty per cent of the gross tonnage of all the merchant fleets of all Parties, notify the Secretary-General of the Organization that they object to the amendment, it shall be deemed not to have been accepted.

g)

(i)

An amendment referred to in subparagraph f) (i) shall enter into force with respect to those Parties to the present Protocol 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.

(ii)

An amendment referred to in subparagraph f)(ii) shall enter into force with respect to all Parties to the present Protocol, except those which have objected to the amendment under that subparagraph 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, and Party may give notice to the Secretary-General of the Organization 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.

a)

Upon the request of a Party to the present Protocol concurred in by at least one third of the Parties, the Organization shall convene a Conference of Parties to consider amendments to the present Protocol and the Convention.

b)

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 of the Organization to all Parties for acceptance.

c)

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 subparagraphs 2f) and 2g) respectively, provided that references in these paragraphs to the expanded Maritime Safety Committee shall be taken to mean references to the Conference.

4

a)

A Party to the present Protocol which has accepted an amendment referred to in subparagraph 2f)(ii) which has entered into force shall not be obliged to extend the benefit of the present Protocol in respect of the certificates issued to a ship entitled to fly the flag of a State Party which, pursuant to the provisions of that subparagraph, has objected to the amendment and has not withdrawn such an objection, in so far as such certificates relate to matters covered by the amendment in question.

b)

A Party to the present Protocol which has accepted an amendment referred to in subparagraph 2f)(ii) which has entered into force shall extend the benefit of the present Protocol in respect of the certificates issued to a ship entitled to fly the flag of a State Party which, pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph 2g)(ii), has notified the Secretary-General of the Organization that it exempts itself from giving effect to the amendment.

5.

6.

7.