2002/762/EC: Council Decision of 19 September 2002 authorising the Member States, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (the Bunkers Convention)
Date: 2002-09-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU competence, Intergovernmental Convention (EU), accession to an agreement, civil liability, jurisdiction, marine pollution, oil pollution

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II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 September 2002

authorising the Member States, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the
International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (the Bunkers
Convention)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(4)

(2002/762/EC)

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 61(c), Article 67(1) and Article
300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The International Convention on Civil Liability for
Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (hereinafter referred
to as the Bunkers Convention) was adopted on 23 March
2001 with the aim of ensuring adequate, prompt and
effective compensation of persons who suffer damage
caused by spills of oil, when carried as fuel
in ships'
bunkers. The Bunkers Convention fills a significant gap
in the international regulation of marine pollution liabi-
lity.

Articles 9 and 10 of
the Bunkers Convention affect
Community secondary legislation on jurisdiction and the
recognition and enforcement of judgments, as laid down
in Council Regulation (EC) No 44/2001 of 22 December
2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforce-
ment of judgments in civil and commercial matters (2).

The Community therefore has sole competence in rela-
tion to Articles 9 and 10 of the Bunkers Convention
inasmuch as those Articles affect the rules laid down in
Regulation (EC) No 44/2001. The Member States retain
their competence for matters covered by that Conven-
tion which do not affect Community law.

(1) OJ C 51 E, 26.2.2002, p. 371.
(2) OJ L 12, 16.1.2001, p. 1.

Pursuant
to the Bunkers Convention, only sovereign
States may be party to it; there are no plans, in the short
term, to reopen negotiations for the purpose of taking
into account Community competence for the matter. It
is not therefore possible for the Community to sign,
ratify or accede to the Bunkers Convention at present,
nor is there any prospect that it will be able do so in the
near future.

The Bunkers Convention is particularly important, given
the interests of the Community and its Member States,
because it makes for improved victim protection under
international
in
keeping with the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea.

rules on marine pollution liability,

The substantive rules of the system established by the
Bunkers Convention fall under the national competence
of Member States and only the provisions of jurisdiction
and the recognition and enforcement of the judgments
are matters covered by exclusive Community compe-
tence. Given the subject matters and the aim of the
Bunkers Convention, acceptance of the provisions of that
Convention which come under Community competence
cannot be dissociated from the provisions which come
under the competence of the Member States.

(5)

(6)

(7)

The Council should therefore authorise the Member
States to sign, ratify or accede to the Bunkers Convention
in the interest of the Community, under the conditions
set out in this Decision.

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(8)

(9)

(10)

Member States should make efforts to sign the Bunkers
Convention before 30 September 2002 and should fina-
lise, within a reasonable time, their procedures for ratifi-
cation of, or accession to, that Convention in the interest
of
the Community. Member States should exchange
information on the state of their ratification or accession
their
procedures in order to prepare the deposit of
instruments of
the
ratification of, or accession to,
Convention.

The United Kingdom and Ireland are taking part in the
adoption and application of this Decision.

In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of the Protocol on
the position of Denmark annexed to the Treaty on
European Union and to the Treaty establishing the
European Community, Denmark is not taking part in the
adoption of this Decision, and is not bound by it or
subject to its application,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. Without prejudice to existing Community competence in
the matter, the Council hereby authorises the Member States to
sign, ratify or accede to the Bunkers Convention in the interest
of the Community, subject to the conditions set out in the
following Articles.

The text of the Bunkers Convention is attached to this

2.
Decision.

Article 3

1. Member States shall make efforts to sign the Bunkers
Convention before 30 September 2002.

2. Member States shall take the necessary steps to deposit
the instruments of ratification of, or accession to, the Bunkers
Convention within a reasonable time with the Secretary-General
of the International Maritime Organisation and,
if possible,
before 30 June 2006.

3. Member States shall inform the Council and the Commis-
sion, before 30 June 2004, of the prospective date of finalisa-
tion of their ratification or accession procedures.

4. Member Sates shall seek to exchange information on the
state of their ratification or accession proceedings.

Article 4

When signing, ratifying or acceding to the Bunkers Convention,
Member States shall inform the Secretary-General of the Inter-
national Maritime Organisation in writing that such signing,
ratification or accession has taken place in accordance with this
Decision.

Article 5

Member States shall, at the earliest opportunity, use their best
endeavours to ensure that the Bunkers Convention is amended
to allow the Community to become a contracting party to it.

In this Decision, the term ‘Member State’ shall mean all

3.
Member States with the exception of Denmark.

This Decision is addressed to the Member States in accordance
with the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Article 2

When signing, ratifying or acceding to the Bunkers Convention,
Member States shall make the following declaration:

‘Judgments on matters covered by the Convention shall,
(… (1)), be recognised and
when given by a court of
enforced in (… (2)) according to the relevant
internal
Community rules on the subject.’ (*)

Done at Brussels, 19 September 2002.

For the Council

The President

P. S. MØLLER

(1) All the Member States to which this Decision is applicable except

the Member State making the declaration and Denmark.

(2) Member State making the declaration.
(*) At present, these rules are laid down in Regulation (EC) No 44/

2001.

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ADOPTION OF THE FINAL ACT AND ANY INSTRUMENTS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
RESULTING FROM THE WORK OF THE CONFERENCE

ANNEX

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON CIVIL LIABILITY FOR BUNKER OIL POLLUTION
DAMAGE, 2001

Text approved by the Conference

THE STATES PARTIES TO THIS CONVENTION,

RECALLING Article 194 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, which provides that States shall
take all measures necessary to prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment,

RECALLING ALSO Article 235 of that Convention, which provides that, with the objective of assuring prompt and
adequate compensation in respect of all damage caused by pollution of the marine environment, States shall cooperate
in the further development of relevant rules of international law,

NOTING the success of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992 and the Interna-
tional Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992, in
ensuring that compensation is available to persons who suffer damage caused by pollution resulting from the escape or
discharge of oil carried in bulk at sea by ships,

NOTING ALSO the adoption of the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection
with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996, in order to provide adequate, prompt and effec-
tive compensation for damage caused by incidents in connection with the carriage by sea of hazardous and noxious
substances,

RECOGNISING the importance of establishing strict liability for all forms of oil pollution which is linked to an appro-
priate limitation of the level of that liability,

CONSIDERING that complementary measures are necessary to ensure the payment of adequate, prompt and effective
compensation for damage caused by pollution resulting from the escape or discharge of bunker oil from ships,

DESIRING to adopt uniform international rules and procedures for determining questions of liability and providing
adequate compensation in such cases,

HAVE AGREED as follows:

Article 1

Definitions

For the purposes of this Convention:

1.

‘ship’ means any seagoing vessel and seaborne craft, of any
type whatsoever,

company which in that State is registered as the ship's
operator, ‘registered owner’ shall mean such company,

5.

‘bunker oil’ means any hydrocarbon mineral oil, including
lubricating oil, used or intended to be used for the opera-
tion or propulsion of the ship, and any residues of such
oil,

2.

‘person’ means any individual or partnership or any public
or private body, whether corporate or not,
including a
State or any of its constituent subdivisions,

6.

Liability Convention’ means

‘Civil
International
Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage,
1992, as amended,

the

3.

‘shipowner’ means the owner,
including the registered
owner, bareboat charterer, manager and operator of the
ship,

7.

‘preventive measures’ means any reasonable measures
taken by any person after an incident has occurred to
prevent or minimise pollution damage,

4.

‘registered owner’ means the person or persons registered
as the owner of the ship or, in the absence of registration,
the person or persons owning the ship. However, in the
case of a ship owned by a State and operated by a

8.

‘incident’ means any occurrence or series of occurrences
having the same origin, which causes pollution damage or
threat of causing such
creates a grave and imminent
damage,

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9.

‘pollution damage’ means:

(a) loss or damage caused outside the ship by contamina-
tion resulting from the escape or discharge of bunker
oil from the ship, wherever such escape or discharge
may occur, provided that compensation for impair-
ment of the environment other than loss of profit from
such impairment shall be limited to costs of reasonable
measures of reinstatement actually undertaken or to be
undertaken, and

(b) the costs of preventive measures and further loss or

damage caused by preventive measures,

10.

‘State of the ship's registry’ means, in relation to a regis-
tered ship, the State of registration of the ship and, in rela-
tion to an unregistered ship, the State whose flag the ship
is entitled to fly,

11.

‘gross tonnage’ means gross tonnage calculated in accor-
dance with
regulations
contained in Annex 1 of the International Convention on
Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969,

tonnage measurement

the

12.

‘Organisation’ means the International Maritime Organisa-
tion,

13.

‘Secretary-General’ means the Secretary-General of
Organisation.

the

Article 2

Scope of application

This Convention shall apply exclusively:

(a) to pollution damage caused:

(i) in the territory, including the territorial sea, of a State

Party, and

(ii) in the exclusive economic zone of a State Party, estab-
lished in accordance with international law, or, if a State
Party has not established such a zone, in an area beyond
and adjacent to the territorial sea of that State deter-
mined by that State in accordance with international
law and extending not more than 200 nautical miles
from the baselines from which the breadth of its terri-
torial sea is measured;

(b) to preventive measures, wherever taken, to prevent or mini-

mise such damage.

Article 3

Liability of the shipowner

having the same origin, the liability shall attach to the ship-
owner at the time of the first of such occurrences.

2. Where more than one person is liable in accordance with
paragraph 1, their liability shall be joint and several.

No liability for pollution damage shall attach to the ship-

3.
owner if the shipowner proves that:

(a) the damage resulted from an act of war, hostilities, civil
war, insurrection or a natural phenomenon of an excep-
tional, inevitable and irresistible character; or

(b) the damage was wholly caused by an act or omission done

with the intent to cause damage by a third party; or

(c) the damage was wholly caused by the negligence or other
wrongful act of any Government or other authority respon-
sible for the maintenance of lights or other navigational
aids in the exercise of that function.

If

that

the shipowner proves

the pollution damage
4.
resulted wholly or partially either from an act or omission done
with intent to cause damage by the person who suffered the
damage or from the negligence of that person, the shipowner
may be exonerated wholly or partially from liability to such
person.

5.
No claim for compensation for pollution damage shall be
made against the shipowner otherwise than in accordance with
this Convention.

6.
Nothing in this Convention shall prejudice any right of
recourse of the shipowner which exists independently of this
Convention.

Article 4

Exclusions

1.
This Convention shall not apply to pollution damage as
defined in the Civil Liability Convention, whether or not
compensation is payable in respect of it under that Convention.

Except as provided in paragraph 3, the provisions of this
2.
Convention shall not apply to warships, naval auxiliary or other
ships owned or operated by a State and used, for the time
being, only on Government non-commercial service.

3.
A State Party may decide to apply this Convention to its
warships or other ships described in paragraph 2, in which case
it shall notify the Secretary-General thereof specifying the terms
and conditions of such application.

1.
Except as provided in paragraphs 3 and 4, the shipowner
at the time of an incident shall be liable for pollution damage
caused by any bunker oil on board or originating from the ship,
provided that, if an incident consists of a series of occurrences

4. With respect to ships owned by a State Party and used for
commercial purposes, each State shall be subject to suit in the
jurisdictions set forth in Article 9 and shall waive all defences
based on its status as a sovereign State.

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Article 5

Incidents involving two or more ships

When an incident involving two or more ships occurs and
pollution damage results therefrom, the shipowners of all the
ships concerned, unless exonerated under Article 3, shall be
jointly and severally liable for all such damage which is not
reasonably separable.

Article 6

Limitation of liability

Nothing in this Convention shall affect the right of the ship-
owner and the person or persons providing insurance or other
financial security to limit liability under any applicable national
or international regime, such as the Convention on Limitation
of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976, as amended.

Article 7

Compulsory insurance or financial security

1.
The registered owner of a ship having a gross tonnage
greater than 1 000 registered in a State Party shall be required
to maintain insurance or other financial security, such as the
guarantee of a bank or similar financial institution, to cover the
liability of the registered owner for pollution damage in an
amount equal to the limits of liability under the applicable
national or international limitation regime, but in all cases, not
exceeding an amount calculated in accordance with the
Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims,
1976, as amended.

2.
A certificate attesting that insurance or other financial
security is in force in accordance with the provisions of this
Convention shall be issued to each ship after the appropriate
authority of a State Party has determined that the requirements
of paragraph 1 have been complied with. With respect to a ship
registered in a State Party such certificate shall be issued or
certified by the appropriate authority of the State of the ship's
registry; with respect to a ship not registered in a State Party it
may be issued or certified by the appropriate authority of any
State Party. This certificate shall be in the form of the model set
out in the Annex to this Convention and shall contain the
following particulars:

(a) name of ship, distinctive number or letters and port of

registry;

(b) name and principal place of business of

the registered

owner;

(c) IMO ship identification number;

(d) type and duration of security;

(e) name and principal place of business of insurer or other
person giving security and, where appropriate, place of
business where the insurance or security is established;

(f) period of validity of the certificate which shall not be longer
the insurance or other

than the period of validity of
security.

3.

(a) A State Party may authorise either an institution or an
to issue the certificate

organisation recognised by it

referred to in paragraph 2. Such institution or organisa-
tion shall inform that State of the issue of each certifi-
cate. In all cases, the State Party shall fully guarantee the
completeness and accuracy of the certificate so issued
and shall undertake to ensure the necessary arrange-
ments to satisfy this obligation.

(b) A State Party shall notify the Secretary-General of:

(i) the specific responsibilities and conditions of the
authority delegated to an institution or organisation
recognised by it;

(ii) the withdrawal of such authority; and

(iii) the date from which such authority or withdrawal

of such authority takes effect.

An authority delegated shall not take effect prior to
three months from the date on which notification to
that effect was given to the Secretary-General.

(c) The institution or organisation authorised to issue certi-
ficates in accordance with this paragraph shall, as a
minimum, be authorised to withdraw these certificates if
the conditions under which they have been issued are
not maintained. In all cases the institution or organisa-
tion shall report such withdrawal to the State on whose
behalf the certificate was issued.

The certificate shall be in the official

language or
4.
languages of the issuing State.
If the language used is not
English, French or Spanish, the text shall include a translation
into one of these languages and, where the State so decides, the
official language of the State may be omitted.

5.
The certificate shall be carried on board the ship and a
copy shall be deposited with the authorities who keep the
record of the ship's registry or, if the ship is not registered in a
State Party, with the authorities issuing or certifying the certifi-
cate.

An insurance or other financial security shall not satisfy
6.
the requirements of this Article if it can cease, for reasons other
than the expiry of the period of validity of the insurance or
security specified in the certificate under paragraph 2 of this
Article, before three months have elapsed from the date on
its termination is given to the authorities
which notice of
referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article, unless the certificate
has been surrendered to these authorities or a new certificate
has been issued within the said period. The foregoing provi-
sions shall similarly apply to any modification which results in
the insurance or security no longer satisfying the requirements
of this Article.

7.
The State of the ship's registry shall, subject to the provi-
sions of this Article, determine the conditions of issue and
validity of the certificate.

8.
Nothing in this Convention shall be construed as
preventing a State Party from relying on information obtained
from other States or the Organisation or other international
organisations relating to the financial standing of providers of
insurance or financial security for the purposes of this Conven-
tion. In such cases, the State Party relying on such information
is not relieved of its responsibility as a State issuing the certifi-
cate required by paragraph 2.

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Certificates issued or certified under the authority of a
9.
State Party shall be accepted by other States Parties for the
purposes of this Convention and shall be regarded by other
States Parties as having the same force as certificates issued or
certified by them even if issued or certified in respect of a ship
not registered in a State Party. A State Party may at any time
request consultation with the issuing or certifying State should
it believe that the insurer or guarantor named in the insurance
certificate is not financially capable of meeting the obligations
imposed by this Convention.

Any claim for compensation for pollution damage may
10.
be brought directly against
the insurer or other person
providing financial security for the registered owner's liability
for pollution damage. In such a case the defendant may invoke
the defences (other than bankruptcy or winding up of the ship-
owner) which the shipowner would have been entitled to
invoke, including limitation pursuant to Article 6. Furthermore,
even if the shipowner is not entitled to limitation of liability
according to Article 6, the defendant may limit liability to an
amount equal to the amount of the insurance or other financial
security required to be maintained in accordance with para-
graph 1. Moreover, the defendant may invoke the defence that
the pollution damage resulted from the wilful misconduct of
the shipowner, but the defendant shall not invoke any other
defence which the defendant might have been entitled to invoke
in proceedings brought by the shipowner against the defendant.
The defendant shall in any event have the right to require the
shipowner to be joined in the proceedings.

11.
A State Party shall not permit a ship under its flag to
which this Article applies to operate at any time, unless a certi-
ficate has been issued under paragraphs 2 or 14.

12.
Subject to the provisions of this Article, each State Party
law, that insurance or other
shall ensure, under its national
security, to the extent specified in paragraph 1, is in force in
respect of any ship having a gross tonnage greater than 1 000,
wherever registered, entering or leaving a port in its territory,
or arriving at or leaving an offshore facility in its territorial sea.

13.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 5, a State
Party may notify the Secretary-General that, for the purposes of
paragraph 12, ships are not required to carry on board or to
produce the certificate required by paragraph 2, when entering
or leaving ports or arriving at or leaving from offshore facilities
in its territory, provided that the State Party which issues the
certificate required by paragraph 2 has notified the Secretary-
General that it maintains records in an electronic format, acces-
sible to all States Parties, attesting the existence of the certificate
and enabling States Parties to discharge their obligations under
paragraph 12.

this Article relating thereto shall not be applicable to such ship,
but the ship shall carry a certificate issued by the appropriate
authority of the State of the ship's registry stating that the ship
is owned by that State and that the ship's liability is covered
within the limit prescribed in accordance with paragraph 1.
Such a certificate shall follow as closely as possible the model
prescribed by paragraph 2.

15.
A State may, at the time of ratification, acceptance,
approval of, or accession to this Convention, or at any time
thereafter, declare that this Article does not apply to ships oper-
ating exclusively within the area of that State referred to in
Article 2(a)(i).

Article 8

Time limits

Rights to compensation under this Convention shall be extin-
guished unless an action is brought thereunder within three
years from the date when the damage occurred. However, in no
case shall an action be brought more than six years from the
date of the incident which caused the damage. Where the inci-
dent consists of a series of occurrences, the six-year period shall
run from the date of the first such occurrence.

Article 9

Jurisdiction

1. Where an incident has caused pollution damage in the
territory, including the territorial sea, or in an area referred to
in Article 2(a)(ii) of one or more States Parties, or preventive
measures have been taken to prevent or minimise pollution
damage in such territory, including the territorial sea, or in such
area, actions for compensation against the shipowner, insurer
or other person providing security for the shipowner's liability
may be brought only in the courts of any such States Parties.

Reasonable notice of any action taken under paragraph 1

2.
shall be given to each defendant.

Each State Party shall ensure that its courts have jurisdic-
this

compensation under

3.
tion to entertain actions
Convention.

for

Article 10

Recognition and enforcement

Any judgement given by a court with jurisdiction in
1.
accordance with Article 9 which is enforceable in the State of
origin where it is no longer subject to ordinary forms of review,
shall be recognised in any State Party, except:

If insurance or other financial security is not maintained
14.
in respect of a ship owned by a State Party, the provisions of

(a) where the judgement was obtained by fraud; or

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(b) where the defendant was not given reasonable notice and a

fair opportunity to present his or her case.

In relation to a State Party which has made such a

3.
declaration:

2.
A judgement recognised under paragraph 1 shall be
enforceable in each State Party as soon as the formalities
required in that State have been complied with. The formalities
shall not permit the merits of the case to be reopened.

Article 11

Supersession clause

This Convention shall supersede any Convention in force or
open for signature, ratification or accession at the date on
which this Convention is opened for signature, but only to the
extent
that such Convention would be in conflict with it;
however, nothing in this Article shall affect the obligations of
States Parties to States not party to this Convention arising
under such Convention.

Article 12

Signature, ratification, acceptance, approval and accession

1.
This Convention shall be open for signature at the Head-
quarters of the Organisation from 1 October 2001 until 30
September 2002 and shall thereafter remain open for accession.

States may express their consent to be bound by this

2.
Convention by:

(a) signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance

or approval;

(b) signature subject

to ratification, acceptance or approval

followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or

(c) accession.

3.
Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be
effected by the deposit of an instrument to that effect with the
Secretary-General.

4.
Any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession deposited after the entry into force of an amendment
to this Convention with respect to all existing State Parties, or
after the completion of all measures required for the entry into
force of the amendment with respect to those State Parties shall
be deemed to apply to this Convention as modified by the
amendment.

(a) in the definition of ‘registered owner’ in Article 1(4), refer-
ences to a State shall be construed as references to such a
territorial unit;

(b) references to the State of a ship's registry and, in relation to
a compulsory insurance certificate, to the issuing or certi-
fying State, shall be construed as referring to the territorial
unit respectively in which the ship is registered and which
issues or certifies the certificate;

(c) references

in this Convention to the requirements of
national law shall be construed as references to the require-
ments of the law of the relevant territorial unit; and

(d) references in Articles 9 and 10 to courts, and to judgements
which must be recognised in States Parties,
shall be
construed as references respectively to courts of, and to
judgements which must be recognised in, the relevant terri-
torial unit.

Article 14

Entry into force

This Convention shall enter into force one year following
1.
the date on which eighteen States, including five States each
with ships whose combined gross tonnage is not less than 1
million, have either signed it without reservation as to ratifica-
tion, acceptance or approval or have deposited instruments of
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the Secre-
tary-General.

2.
For any State which ratifies, accepts, approves or accedes
to it after the conditions in paragraph 1 for entry into force
have been met, this Convention shall enter into force three
months after the date of deposit by such State of the appro-
priate instrument.

Article 15

Denunciation

1.
This Convention may be denounced by any State Party at
any time after the date on which this Convention comes into
force for that State.

Article 13

Denunciation shall be effected by the deposit of an instru-

2.
ment with the Secretary-General.

States with more than one system of law

If a State has two or more territorial units in which
1.
different systems of law are applicable in relation to matters
dealt with in this Convention, it may at the time of signature,
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession declare that this
Convention shall extend to all its territorial units or only to one
or more of them and may modify this declaration by submit-
ting another declaration at any time.

2.
Any such declaration shall be notified to the Secretary-
General and shall state expressly the territorial units to which
this Convention applies.

3.
A denunciation shall take effect one year, or such longer
period as may be specified in the instrument of denunciation,
after its deposit with the Secretary-General.

Article 16

Revision or amendment

A conference for the purpose of revising or amending this

1.
Convention may be convened by the Organisation.

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The Organisation shall convene a conference of the States
2.
Parties for revising or amending this Convention at the request
of not less than one-third of the States Parties.

Article 18

Transmission to United Nations

Article 17

Depositary

This Convention shall be deposited with the Secretary-

1.
General.

2.

The Secretary-General shall:

(a) inform all States which have signed or acceded to this

Convention of:

(i) each new signature or deposit of instrument together

with the date thereof;

(ii) the date of entry into force of this Convention;

(iii) the deposit of any instrument of denunciation of this
Convention together with the date of the deposit and
the date on which the denunciation takes effect; and

(iv) other declarations and notifications made under this

Convention.

As soon as this Convention comes into force, the text shall be
transmitted by the Secretary-General to the Secretariat of the
United Nations for registration and publication in accordance
with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Article 19

Languages

This Convention is established in a single original in the Arabic,
Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each
text being equally authentic.

DONE AT LONDON this
thousand and one.

twenty-third day of March,

two

(b) transmit certified true copies of

this Convention to all
Signatory States and to all States which accede to this
Convention.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned being duly authorised by
their respective Governments for that purpose have signed this
Convention.

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Annex to the Annex

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