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DT? '.D.4.:(Y;WENT OP S'LTE A 

Tao LEC-AL LDVISZ2 

September 10, 1965 

L - Mr. Leonard C, Meeker 

• UN? - Mr. Paul Jones 

C/PM - Mr. Ravmonda-thof 

SCI 7 X-. N—b-7 tt 

EUR/SOV Mr. Vladimir Toumanoff 

.GER - Mr. Emmet Ford • 

FE - Miss Louise McNutt 

L/C - Mr. Ceo--ge• W. Spangler 

L/T - Mr. Charl„E:s 

L/F,UR - Mr, 

/DOD/ISA 

- Mr: 

VDOD/ISA - Col. Sanders 

NASA/GC - 

Mr. Wz-:.11:3 - -2 

L/UNA H. Rown Gaither ry , 

SUBJECT: Oute-f, Snece Liability Agreement 

Enclosed are revised copies of. the liability position 

paper and the draft Liability a:::;reement, both incorporating 

changes agreed to at the Interdepartmental meeting held on .• 

Wednesday. 

Note that Resolution 1952 ':.;eciaration of Legal 

Principles), not included in these documents, will appear 

as P. Note also that .Anne A the draft agreement, 

has ba:1:1. •prepared so That the Delegation may readily perceive 

• the differences and addition to the last public United States. 

prop -__ (revised) publ 4 c;hd as a UN. document on October 20, 

155 - ?rior tb the- meetn a el,•-ancrt areeent.(not 

marks i eonfidential) will Sc prepared which can be handed out 

to th:_ __:.bcommittee, 

woud apprecaate hearin your changes, if any, prior 

to c se of business on Tuesday, Sem:ember-14. 

TO: 
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UYTTYD TAT1:;".; ml7ATTON September 10, 1.965 

UljITED VATIONS COMITTEE ON TEE PEACEFUL USES 

7F - OUTEPSTYCE LESAL SUBCONYITTEETIV SESSION 

SEPTEMBER 20, 1965 

LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE LAUNCHING 

OI OBJECTS INTO OUTER SPACE 

INTRODUCTION 

T11Is onner deals with the problems of negotiating an 

apireement on liability from damage resulting from the launching of an object into outer space. The underlying documentation will be found in United Nations Document A/AC.105/21,. 

October 23, 1964, and Add. 1, Report of the Legal: Subcommittee 

on the-Work of the Second Part of its Third Session. 

This position paper may be used in consultations with 

friendly members of the Legal Subcommittee prior to the 

September 20 meeting, subject to appropriate authorization. 

CPJECTIVE: 

The Objective is to secure an international agreement 

on liability acceptable to the United States. 

TRATL(;Y 

The Delegation should work towards the development by 

the Legal. Subcommittee of a convention on liability, the 

substance of which is similar to the text attached at Annex A. 

The 

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Mc i%nne..x . text is compote of the draft proposed Ly 

the United `':tatcs on October 5, 1964, language approved 

for the use of the Delegation during the second half of 

the'Albcommi_ttce's third session, and minor drafting and 

working changes. ghouid the, drafting stage be reached, 

the United ftates draft should remain the center of 

attention throughout the negOtiations, rather than the 

ungarian text. The Belgian- text, to the extent possible, 

should be treated as a helpful contribution. 

GOVLFIANC LUCAL PRINCTPLI7 

The stimulus as well as the governing principles of 

'international law on which a liability agreement will be 

based are to be found in the Declaration of Legal Principles 

roverning the Activities of States in the Exploration and 

Use of Outer Space, adopted unanimously by the General 

Assembly on December 13, 1963, as resolution 1962 . (YVIT:1). 

(This resolution is annexed.). 

prCO7TATIor PRrCrDOPF 

The Legal flubcomtittee has now completed twr: readin 

of draft proposals for the liability convention. The area 

of disagreement remains rather wide on the substantive as 

well an on some procedural provisions. Accordingly, the 

Delegation 

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l.ec a might wish to prevail upon the Subcommittee to. 

direct initial_ diPcussion toward outstanding problems, 

rather than another reading of drafts. Pork on a draft 

text would be substantially facilitated by prior agreement 

on the maser outstanding issues. The major outstanding 

issues are noted below. 

In view of the slight modifications made to the last 

revisod draft, the Delegation is authorized to present the 

anneNed draft to the Libcommittee. The timing and manner 

of that presentation is left to the discretion of the 

Delegation. 

As negotiations are successfully completed on the 

various problems, the Delegation may wish to Suggest that 

either a drafting group be set up or the Secretariat he - 

recuested to formulate the text' of the agreement.* 

nPSTANTIVF PROVISIONS 

T. Scope of liability. Most delegations now agree 

that the launching state should be absolutely lia ble. 

Dinagreement 

The Delegation may also wish to suggest to the .',ecretariat 

that when reporting on the work of the Legal Subcommittee, 

they identify the delegation with the view expressed. • In 

the last report (A/AC.105/21), the various views were noted 

but not identified with any particular delegation. It 

would be far more helpful' if that identification were made. 

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Disagreement has focused on exculpation provisions. The 

United States draft (Article TI, paragraph 2) provides that 

compensation may be wholly or partially extinguished if 

damage results from willful or reckless act or omission on 

the part of the injured party. The Delegation should oppose 

the "unlawful activities" concept contained in the Dungarian 

draft which would provide for Full liability if the oh cot 

was launched for "unlawful purposes". The Delegation might 

Point out that this concept has not been defined , and that 

its inclusion - would unnecessarily raise a number of contentious issues. hilthout an acceptable definition, the 

concept is unacceptable and we do not want to stimulate 

discussion of term "unlawful activities", the effect of 

which could result in restriction of United states activities in outer space. 

TT. Ucasure of Damages. The United .rtates continues 

to pre'.- er a measure of damages which will ensure uni!ormily 

of ult. r'cither the law of the inlured 

belcian text Articles I and V) nor the law of the launching 

1.ate (the Bloc countries), the other proposals advanced, 

would provide for such uniformity due to the variety of laws 

of the various legal systems which could be invoked. The 

relegation 

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lelegation should continue to press for acceptance of a 

measure determined in accordance with "applicable principles 

of international law, justice and equity." Should the 

Defecation find this concept more acceptable by deleting 

the phrase "justice and equity", it may do so. 

The United "'tates Proposal is designed to ensure 

uniformity Tii the determination of damages by reference to 

international law, rules of which have been worked out by 

decisions of arbitral tribunals and by international 

practice. When a case appears where the circumstances are 

unprecedented and "principles of international law" are 

insufficient, "principles of equity andjustice" may he 

looked to. 

In determining the amount of compensation to be said 

for personal injury international law and practice, it 

is custonwry to. take into account the nature and extent uf 

the bodily iniury, pain and physical Suffering, loss of 

earninr:s and of earnins7, canacity, reasonable medical and 

other expenses, and loss of time from gainful employment. 

In death claims, it is proper to take into account the 

amount which the decedent, had he not been killed, would 

Probably have contributed_ to members of his the 

value 

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value of personal services the decedent would have rendered 

to members of his family, such as guidance, training, and 

supervision, and mental suffering, shock, and the like 

which is sustained by members of the decedent's family. 

In calculating damages for the destruction of and damage 

to property the factors taken into account are generally 

the cost of the property, date of acquisition, subsequent - 

improvements and repairs, the fair market value of the 

property or if no fair value exists, the fair value of the 

property, the difference between the value of the property 

before the damage and the value of the property in its 

damaged condition, and the .loss of the use of the property. 

::pecifically, the sources of such law, in addition to 

international legal writers such as Hackworth and Whiteman, 

are the various arbitral tribunals: United states-flanama 

Claims Arbitration; Special Mexican Claims Commission; the • 

Mixed Claims Commission, United States and Germany; American-. 

Turkish Claims Settlement. 

`Mould the Delegation wish to demonstrate the fletail 

in which some of the arbitration commissions have set forth 

factors in estimating damages, it may refer to factors considered hv the Mixed Claims Commission, United:-t.)Ites and -

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Germany (quoted from V Hackworth, "Digest of international 

Law", no. 749-751): 

I t ( ) the are, sex, health, condition and station 

.in life, occupation-, habits of industry and 

sobriety, mental and physical capacity, 

frugality, earning capacity and customary 

earnings of the deceased and the uses made 

of such earnings by him; 

"(b) the probable duration of the life of deceased 

but for the fatal injury, in arriving at which 

standard life-expectancy tables and all other 

pertinent evidence offered will be• considered; 

"(c) the reasonable probability that the earning 

capacity of deceased, had he lived, would 

either have increased or decreased; • 

"(d) the age, sex, health, condition and station 

in life, and probable life expectancy of each 

of the claimants; 

"(e) the extent to which the deceased, had he lived, 

would have applied his income from his earnings or otherwise to his personal expenditures 

from which claimants would have derived no 

benefits; 

"(f) in reducing to their present cash value contributions which would probably have been made from 

time to time to claimants by deceased, a 

interest rate and standard present-value tables 

will he used; 

neither the Physical pain nor the mental anguish 

which the deceased may have suffered will be 

considered as elements of damage; 

"(h) the amount of insurance on the lire of 

(l ec'e sell collected by his estate or 5v t- hr, 

claimants will not be I:ayen into ,Iccount in 

comT)utinp7 the damages which claimants may be 

cT,titled• to recover; 

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"(i) no exemplary, punitive, or vindictive damages 

can he assessed." 

ITT. International Organizations. International 

organizations pose two major questions: (1) hoW to treat 

these organizations in the text, and (2) how liability 

• incurred by such an organization shall be borne by constituent parties in the event of default by the organization. 

The United `Mates text in Article ITT. provides for an 

international organization to accept and comply with the 

provisions of the Convention by a declaration - which shall 

also contain a statement as to the method by which any 

liability of the organization shall be borne by the constituent member states and the manner in which claims shall 

be preSented. 

The Delegation should continue to support Article ITT, 

however, the Delegation may accept the term "intergovernmental organizations" as a. substitute for "international 

organizations" (as suggested by Canada) if considered 

desirable. 

If there is general agreement, the Delegation may 

accent the (Australian) proposal that at least one member 

of•an international organization must be a contracting 

party to the Convention before the organization may be • 

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permitted to deposit a declaration. Therefore, there will 

be at least one contracting party. against whom a presenting 

State may present a claim if the international organization 

defaults. 

IV. Joint and .Several Liability. Under the United 

States text (Article IT, paragraph 3), the presenting State 

may proceed against one State or several ieintiv 

simultaneously). The phrase "for the total amount of 

damages" has been inserted - in this article in order to 

prevent the presenting State from bringing separate actions 

against several states successively for amounts less than 

the total damages. Once a figure is arrived at, the presenting State may attempt to collect in any manner since 

each State involved would be liable for the full amount. 

Successive claims, however, would not be permitted; i.e., 

the presenting State may not establish liability successively, but it may seek to collect successively up to an 

aggregate which shall riot exceed the total amount which 

would be payable if only one respondent state were involved. 

At the last session, little agreement was evidenced 

in this area; in part due to conceptual differences based 

on differing legal systems and an inability to understand 

the. 

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the concepts of joint, joint and several, and successive 

liability which may vary slightly in effect from one legal 

system to another. In an effort to resolve the impasse in 

this area, the Delegation should explain. in detail the 

practical application of the United States ,proposal. 

(Also connected with this problem is the joint liability 

of joint ventures. See V below.) 

Definition of "Launching State". There Was considerable disagreement over the extent of liability which 

participants in a joint undertaking should assume. Hungary's 

concept that all participating states should be liable was 

thought by many to be too broad. The United States, in an 

effort to specify the extent of participation which would 

incur liability, expanded the definition of "Launching 

State" (Article I, paragraph c) to include that State 

....which exercises control over the orbit or trajectory'of 

an object". This applies to the control of the object, not 

to superficial control of deploying antennae, adjusting 

aspect, etc. It would apply to the State which deorhits 

the object. 

In the 
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In the Summary of views, expressed in Working Groups I 

and IT (A/AC.105/21/Add. 2, 21 May 1965, pages 42-44), the 

Secretariat reported the United States Delegation as stating 

that "to 'procure the launching' would mean to defray the 

cost of the actual launching. A State, therefore, which 

merely furnishes a space object for the launching by another 

State, would not be regarded as having procured the launching." The Secretariat then went on to give illustrative 

examples one of whiCh stated that if State A furnished a 

rocket to State S and State B launches from. its territory, 

only-tate S is liable. This is in error and the Delegation 

will wish to set the record straight. 

The United States leans toward the concept of public 

national responsibility. If there is substantial governmental participation (not private participation by its 

nationals), the government - should share resnonsibility. 

Accordingly, if State A furnishes the rociret and State 

launches from its own territory, both States A and P would 

share resbonsibility-- tate A because it "procures" the 

launch, State B because its territory was used. 

VT. Damage 

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VI. Damage suffered by Nationals. The United States 

draft (Article V) provides that a State shall not be liable 

for damage suffered by its own nationals. The Hungarian 

proposal (Article TX, paragraph 3) is similar in effect. 

1:7e do not wish to enter into an arrangement by which a. 

foreign state could press the claim of a United States 

national against the United States government. Such an 

arrangement would•be potentially embarrassing. There are 

adequate arrangements already in effect to give United States 

nationals appropriate recourse against the United States 

Government in these cases. Further, any party to the agreement may,through unilateral legislative action provide that 

the principles of the agreement will apply to claims against 

it by its own nationals. 

VIT. equestration. The U.S.S.R. proposed a provision 

that a claim for compensation should not constitute grounds 

for the sequestration of space vehicles.. The Delegation, 

at its (iscretiOn, may agree to this concept which would 

benefit the mace rowers. The following language, substantially similar to the Soviet proposal, is suggested: 

"Claims for compensation for damage caused by the 

launching of an object into outer space shall not 

constitute grounds for the sequestration of such 

object." 

PROCEDURAL 

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PPOCFTUFAL PROVISIONS 

I. Settlement of Disputes. The United States draft 

Article X provides for compulsory jurisdiction of the 

International Court of Justice. The Moc countries, traditionally opposed to that concept, have refused to accent 

it. Instead, they have proposed settlement of disputes by 

"traditional methods of negotiation". The United IKingdom 

supported our Article X but preferred arbitration procedures 

for disputes of a. technical nature. The United States 

would like a compulsory jurisdiction clause, however, the 

claims commission envisioned under Article VII is considered 

of greater value, and the Delegation may delete Article X 

when it finds it tactically advantageous to do so. 

The Delegation Should strongly oppose the use of a 

method of settlement such as Article XII of the Hungarian 

draft which merely calls upon States t "agree upon an 

international arbitration Procedure or any other method of 

settlement acceptable to both States." This is illusory 

since if one State refuses to agree to a suggested method 

of settlement, the dispute cannot be resolved. 

II. Limitation of Liability. The United. States and - 

Hungarian texts provide for a limit of liability without 

setting 

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setting a figure. Delegations favoring a limit are: U.K., 

Canada, Italy, the U.S.S.R., Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and 

Hungary; Mexico, Lebanon and India reserved judgment, depending on the amount;• France, japan, and Argentina were opposed. 

At the October meeting,- Canada suggested a figure of 100 million, but said "persons" had suggested privately that this 

was too.high and that twenty-five million was enough; Italy 

.thought the maximum should be no higher than 100 million, 

could accept twenty-five million; India thought the former 

figure not high enough; the Bloc countries expressed the. 

view that a study should be made to set a figure; and the 

U.S.S.R. suggested a separate convention might be needed to 

cover large costs of nuclear damages, Japan's primary concern. The Delegation should not take the initiative in 

setting any figure, but should let another country, perhaps 

Italy, take the lead. The Department will wish to clear any 

figure before the Delegation accepts it. The Delegation 

should not volunteer the information, but if asked may say 

that the limitation of liability contained in the PriceAnderson Act, with regard to nuclear installations in the 

United States is $500 million. 

TIT. statute 

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ITT. Statute of Limitations. Article IV, r.ar.agraph• 4, 

provides for a one year statute of limitations•in which 

notice of a claim is to be presented. The time during which 

a claim' may be documented is not specified, however, under 

Article VITT, after the date documentation is completed, the 

presenting State must wait one year before it can request 

E 

a claims commission. 

177 The Delegation should oppose any attempt to have the 

statute start running from the date the respondent State 

is identified. Such.a proposal would extend the statute 

excessively and could create difficult litigation regarding 

the precise date the respondent is identified. (The date 

of identification was an Austrian proposal which was contrary to both United States and Hungarian drafts.) 

TV. Final Clauses. Provision for revision conference, 

withdrawal, and entry into force, should not cause much 

discussion. The Bloc countries will press for the inclusion 

of an "all States" formula for accession. The United States 

has proposed to the Soviets the Test Ban formula for both 

accession and depositary clauses in the Assistance and eturn 

Agreement, makirm it plain that other clauses in that ;ipreement had to be retained per our draft. However, the Delegation should not indicate willingness to adopt the Test ban 

formula for the liability as7reement. 

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ANNEX A 

September 10, 1965 

CONVENTION CONCERNING LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE CAUSED 

BY THE LAUNCHING OF OBJECTS INTO OUTER SPACE 

The Contracting Parties, 

Recognizing that activities in the peaceful exploration 

and use of outer space may on occasion result in damage, 

Recalling General Assembly resolution 1962 (XVIII), 

entitled "Declaration of Legal Principles Governing Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of. Outer Space", 

Seeking to establish a uniform rule of liability and 

a simple and expeditious procedure governing financial compensation for damage, 

Believing that the establishment of such a procedure 

will contribute to the growth of friendly relations and cooperation among nations, 

Agree as follows: 

ARTICLE I 

For the purposes of this Convention 

a. "Damage" means loss of life, personal injury, or 

destruction or loss of, or damage to, property. 

b. The term 

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b. The term "launching" shall include attempted 

launchings. 

c. "Launching State" means a Contracting Party, or 

international organization which has transmitted 

a notification to the Secretary-General under 

Article III, paragraph 1, of this Convention, 

which launches or procures the launching of an 

object into outer space or whose territory or 

facility is used in such launching, or which 

exercises control over the orbit or trajectory of an 

object. 

d. "Presenting Statel' means a State which is a 

Contracting Party, or international organization 

which has transmitted a notification to the 

Secretary-General under Article III, paragraph 1 

of this Convention, which presents a claim for 

compensation to a Respondent State. 

e. "Respondent State" means a launching State, or 

international organization which has transmitted 

a notification to the Secretary-General under 

/Article III, 

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Article III, paragraph I of this Convention, 

from which compensation is sought by a 

Presenting State. 

ARTICLE II 

1. The launching State shall be absolutely liable and 

undertakes to pay compensation to the Presenting State, in 

accordance with the provisions of this Convention, for damage 

on the earth, in air space, or in outer space, which is 

caused by the launching of an object into outer space, 

regardless of whether such damage occurs during launching, 

after the object has gone into orbit, or during the process 

of re-entry, including damage caused by apparatus or equipment used in such launching. 

2. If the damage suffered results either wholly or 

partially from willful or reckless act or omission on the 

part of the Presenting State, or natural or juridical 

persons it represents, the liability of the launching State 

to pay compensation under paragraph 1 of this Article shall, 

to that extent, be wholly or partially extinguished. 

3. If under this Convention more than one launching 

State would shall be liable te-pay-sempensstieli-fer-damage 

ift-relat4en-te-say-efte-ineident-under-this-ealiveRtiem, the 

/ Presenting 

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Presenting State may proceed against any one or all such 

States individually or jointly for the totalamount of damages, 

and once the liability is agreed upon or otherwise 

established, each such State shall be liable to pay the-full 

that amount ei-sidek-eompemsatiam, provided that, in no event 

shall the aggregate of the compensation paid exceed the amount 

which would be payable under this Convention if only one 

Respondent State were liable. 

4. The compensation which a State shall be liable to pay 

for damage under this Convention shall be determined in 

accordance with applicable principles of international law, 

justice, and equity. 

ARTICLE III 

1. If an international organization which conducts 

space activities transmits to the Secretary-General of the 

United Nations a declaration that it accepts and undertakes 

to comply with the provisions of the present Convention, all 

the provisions, except Articles X, XIII, XIV, and XV, shall 

apply to the organization as they apply to a State which is 

a Contracting Party. 

2. The declaration referred to in paragraph 1 of this 

Article shall contain a statement as to the financial share 

meaner in which any liability incurred by the international 

organization shall be borne and the method of payment by 

constituent members once the amount of compensation 
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and the manner in which claims shall be presented to it 

has been agreed upon or otherwise established pursuant to 

Arricle VII. 

3. The Contracting Parties to the present. Convention 

undertake to use their best endeavors to insure that any 

international organization which conducts space activities 

and of which they are constituent members is authorized to 

make and will make the declaration referred to in paragraph 1 

of this Article. 

4. In the event that an international organization fails 

to pay within one year of the date on which compensation 

has been agreed upon or otherwise established pursuant to 

Article VII, each member of the organization which is a 

Contracting Party shall, upon service of notice of such 

default by the Presenting State within three months of such 

default, be liable for such compensation in the manner and 

to the extent set forth in Article II, paragraph 3. 

ARTICLE IV 

1. A Contracting Party which suffers damage envisioned 

in Article II, paragraph 1,es-a-restat-ef-the-letsehiRg-ei 

am-ebjeet-late-enter-spaee, or whose natural or juridical 

persons suffer such damage, may present a claim. for 

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compensation to a Respondent State. 

2. A Contracting Party may also present to a 

Respondent State a claim of any natural person, other than 

a person having the nationality of the Respondent State, 

permaftetitlw residing in its territory. However, a claim 

of any individual claimant may be presented by only one 

Contracting Party. 

3. A claim shall be presented through the diplomatic 

channel. A Contracting Party may request another State to 

present its claim and otherwise represent its interest in 

the event that it does not maintain diplomatic relations 

with the Respondent State. 

4. Notice of a claim must be presented within one 

year of the date on which the accident occurred or, if the 

Presenting State could not reasonably be expected to have 

known of the facts giving rise to the claim, within one year 

of the date on which these facts became known. 

5. When, under Article II, paragraph 3, a presenting 

State elects to proceed against one of several States liable 

under this Convention, that Respondent State may notify 

those States not notified by the Presenting State. 

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ARTICLE V 

A State shall not be liable under this Convention for 

damage suffered by its own nationals. 

ARTICLE VI 

1. The presentation of a claim under this Convention 

shall not require exhaustion of any remedies in the Respondent 

State which might otherwise exist. 

2. If, however, the Presenting State, or any natural 

or juridical person whom it might represent, elects to 

pursue a claim in the administrative agencies or courts 

of the Respondent State or pursue other international remedies 

ie the Presenting State shall not be entitled to pursue-esuch claim under this Convention. 

ARTICLE VII 

1. If a claim is not settled within one year from the 

date documentation is completed, the Presenting State may 

request the establishment of a commission to decide the claim. 

In such event, the Respondent State and the Presenting State 

shall each promptly appoint one person to serve on the 

cmmnission, and a third person, who shall act as chairman, 

/ shall be 

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shall be appointed by the President of the International 

Court of Justice. If the Respondent State fails to appoint 

its member within three months, the individual appointed by 

the President of the International Court of Justice shall 

constitute the sole member of the coumdssion. 

2. No increase in the membership of the commission shall 

take place where there is more than one Presenting State or 

Respondent State jointed in any one proceeding before the 

commission. The Presenting States so joined may collectively 

appoint one person to serve on the commission in the same 

manner and subject to the same conditions as would be the 

case for a single Presenting State. Similarly, where two or 

more Respondent States are so joined, they may collectively 

appoint one person to serve on the commission in the same way. 

3. The commission shall determine its own procedure. 

4. The commission shall conduct its business and arrive 

at its decision by majority vote. 

5. The decision of the commission shall be rendered 

expeditiously and shall be binding upon the parties. 

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6. The expenses incurred in connection with any 

proceeding before the commission shall be divided equally 

between the parties in the proceeding. 

ARTICLE VIII 

Payment of compensation shall be made in a currency 

convertible readily and without loss of value into the 

currency of or used by the Presenting State. 

ARTICLE IX 

The liability of the launching State shall not exceed 

with respect to each launching. 

ARTICLE X 

Any dispute arising from the interpretation or application of this Convention, which is not previously settled 

by other peaceful means of their own choice, may be referred 

by any Contracting Party thereto to the International Court 

of Justice for decision. 

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ARTICLE XI 

1. A Contracting Party may propose amendments to this 

Convention. An amendment shall come into force for each 

Contracting Party accepting the Amendment on acceptance by a 

majority of the Contracting Parties, and thereafter for each 

remaining Contracting Party on acceptance by it. 

7. After this Convention has been in force five years 

a revision conference may be called upon the request of a 

majority of Contracting Parties. 

ARTICLE XII 

A Contracting Party may give notice of withdrawal from 

this Convention five years after its entry into force by 

written notification to the Secretary-General of the United 

Nations. Such withdrawal shall take effect one year from 

the date of receipt of the notification by the SecretaryGeneral. Si:Tell-withdrawal-shall-met-relieve A State shall 

not be relieved of any obligation or liability arising before 

withdrawal becomes effective. 

ARTICLE XIII 

The Convention shall be open for signature by States 

Members of the United Nations or of any of the specialized 

agencies or Parties to the Statute of the International Court 

of Justice, and by any other State invited by the General 

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Assembly of the United. Nations to become a party. Any such 

State which does not sign this Convention may accede to it 

at any time. 

ARTICLE XIV 

This Convention shall be subject to ratification or 

approval by signatory States. Instruments of ratification 

or approval and instruments of accession shall be deposited 

with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. 

ARTICLE XV 

This Convention shall enter into force thirty days 

following the deposit of the fifth instrument of ratification, 

approval or accession. It shall enter into force as to a 

State ratifying, approving, or acceding thereafter upon 

deposit of its instrument of ratification, approval, or 

accession. 

ARTICLE XVI 

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall 

inform all States referred to in Article XIII of signatures, 

deposits of instruments of ratification, approval, or accession, the entry into force of this Convention, proposals 

/for amendments, 
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for amendments, notifications of acceptances of amendments, 

requests for the convening of revision conference, and 

notices of withdrawal. 

ARTICLE XVII 

This Convention, of which the Chinese, English, French, 

Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be 

deposited with the Secretary-General of the. United Nations 

who shall send certified copies to each of the States 

mentioned in Article XIII. 

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