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Art.15 |
ARTICLE 15 Conference of the Parties |
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Art.15.1 |
1. A Conference of the Parties, made up of Ministers having the environment as their mandate, is hereby established. The first meeting of the Conference of the parties shall be convened by the Secretary General of the OAU not later than one year after the entry into force of this Convention. Thereafter, ordinary meetings of the Conference of the Parties shall be held at regular intervals to be determined by the Conference at its first meeting. |
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Art.15.2 |
2. The Conference of the Parties to this Convention shall adopt rules of procedure for itself and for any subsidiary body it may establish, as well as financial rules to determine in particular the financial rules to determine in particular the financial participation of the Parties to this Convention. |
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Art.15.3 |
3. The Parties to this Convention at their first meeting shall consider any additional measures needed to assist them in fulfilling their responsibilities with respect to the protection and the preservation of the marine and inland waters environments in the context of this Convention. |
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Art.15.4 |
4. The Conference of the Parties shall keep under continued review and evaluation the effective implementation of this Convention, and in addition, shall: |
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Art.15.4.a |
(a) promote the harmonization of appropriate policies, strategies and measures for minimizing harm to human health and the environment by hazardous wastes; |
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Art.15.4.b |
(b) consider and adopt amendments to this Convention and its annexes, taking into consideration, inter alia, available scientific, technical, economic and environmental information; |
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Art.15.4.c |
(c) consider and undertake any additional action that may be required for the achievement of the purpose of this Convention in the light of experience gained in its operation and in the operation of the agreements and arrangements envisaged in Article 11 of this Convention; |
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Art.15.4.d |
(d) consider and adopt protocols as required; |
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Art.15.4.e |
(e) establish such subsidiary bodies as are deemed necessary for the implementation of this Convention; and |
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Art.15.4.f |
(f) make decisions for the peaceful settlement of disputes arising from the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, if need be, according to international law. |
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Art.15.5 |
5. Organizations may be represented as observers at meetings of the Conference of the Parties. Any body or agency, whether national or international, governmental or non-governmental, qualified in fields relating to hazardous wastes which has informed the Secretariat, may be represented as an observer at a meeting of the Conference of the Parties. The admission and participation of observers shall be subject to the rules of procedure adopted by the Conference of the Parties. |
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Art.17 |
ARTICLE 17 Amendment of the Convention and of Protocols |
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Art.17.1 |
1. Any Party may propose amendments to this Convention and any Party to a Protocol may propose amendments to that Protocol. Such amendments shall take due account, inter alia, of relevant scientific, technical, environmental and social considerations. |
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Art.17.2 |
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 their information. |
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Art.17.3 |
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 two-thirds majority vote of the Parties present and voting at the meeting. It shall then be submitted by the depository to all Parties for ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance. |
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Art.17.3x |
Amendment of Protocols to this Convention |
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Art.17.4 |
4. The procedure specified 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. |
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Art.17.4x |
General Provisions |
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Art.17.5 |
5. Instruments of ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance of amendments shall be deposited with the Depository. Amendments adopted in accordance with paragraph 3 or 4 above shall enter into force between Parties having accepted them, on the ninetieth day after the receipt by the Depository of the instrument of ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance by at least two-thirds of the Parties who accepted the amendments to the Protocol concerned, except as may otherwise be provided in such Protocol. The amendments shall enter into force for any other Party on the ninetieth day after that Party deposits its instrument of ratification, approval, formal confirmation or acceptance of the amendments. |
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Art.17.6 |
6. For the purpose of this Article, "Parties present and voting" means Parties present and casting an affirmative or negative vote. |
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Art.18 |
ARTICLE 18 Adoption and Amendment of Annexes |
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Art.18.1 |
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. |
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Art.18.2 |
2. Except as may be otherwise provided in any Protocol with respect to its annexes, the following procedures shall apply to the proposal, adoption and entry into force of additional annexes to this Convention or of annexes to a protocol: |
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Art.18.2.a |
(a) annexes to this Convention and its Protocols shall be proposed and adopted according to the procedure laid down in Article 17, paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this Convention; |
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Art.18.2.b |
(b) any Party that is unable to accept an additional annex to this convention or an annex to any Protocol to which it is Party shall so notify the Depository, in writing, within six months from the date of the communication of the adoption by the Depository. The Depository shall without delay notify all Parties of any such notification received. A Part may at any time substitute an acceptance for a previous declaration of objection and the annexes shall thereupon enter into force for that Party; |
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Art.18.2.c |
(c) upon the expiration of six months from the date of the circulation of the communication by the Depository, the annex shall become effective for all Parties to this Convention or to any Protocol concerned with the provision of sub-paragraph (b) above. |
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Art.18.3 |
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, or relevant scientific and technical considerations. |
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Art.18.4 |
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 enters into force. |
