Convention
on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel
Mines and on their Destruction, 18 September 1997
Preamble
The States Parties,
Determined to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel
mines, that kill or maim hundreds of people every week, mostly innocent and defenceless
civilians and especially children, obstruct economic development and reconstruction,
inhibit the repatriation of refugees and internally displaced persons, and have
other severe consequences for years after emplacement,
Believing it necessary to do their utmost to contribute in an efficient and coordinated
manner to face the challenge of removing anti-personnel mines placed throughout
the world, and to assure their destruction,
Wishing to do their utmost in providing assistance for the care and rehabilitation,
including the social and economic reintegration of mine victims,
Recognizing that a total ban of anti-personnel mines would also be an important
confidence-building measure,
Welcoming the adoption of the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the
Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, as amended on 3 May 1996, annexed
to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional
Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate
Effects, and calling for the early ratification of this Protocol by all States
which have not yet done so,
Welcoming also United Nations General Assembly Resolution 51/45 S of 10 December
1996 urging all States to pursue vigorously an effective, legally-binding international
agreement to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel
landmines,
Welcoming furthermore the measures taken over the past years, both unilaterally
and multilaterally, aiming at prohibiting, restricting or suspending the use,
stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines,
Stressing the role of public conscience in furthering the principles of humanity
as evidenced by the call for a total ban of anti-personnel mines and recognizing
the efforts to that end undertaken by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and numerous other non-governmental
organizations around the world,
Recalling the Ottawa Declaration of 5 October 1996 and the Brussels Declaration
of 27 June 1997 urging the international community to negotiate an international
and legally binding agreement prohibiting the use, stockpiling, production and
transfer of anti-personnel mines,
Emphasizing the desirability of attracting the adherence of all States to this
Convention, and determined to work strenuously towards the promotion of its universalization
in all relevant fora including, inter alia, the United Nations, the Conference
on Disarmament, regional organizations, and groupings, and review conferences
of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional
Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate
Effects,
Basing themselves on the principle of international humanitarian law that the
right of the parties to an armed conflict to choose methods or means of warfare
is not unlimited, on the principle that prohibits the employment in armed conflicts
of weapons, projectiles and materials and methods of warfare of a nature to cause
superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering and on the principle that a distinction
must be made between civilians and combatants,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
General obligations
1. Each State Party undertakes never under any circumstances:
a) To use anti-personnel mines;
b) To develop, produce, otherwise acquire, stockpile, retain or transfer to anyone,
directly or indirectly, anti-personnel mines;
c) To assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity
prohibited to a State Party under this Convention.
2. Each State Party undertakes to destroy or ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel
mines in accordance with the provisions of this Convention.
Article 2
Definitions
1. "Anti-personnel mine" means a mine designed to be exploded by the presence,
proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or kill one
or more persons. Mines designed to be detonated by the presence, proximity or
contact of a vehicle as opposed to a person, that are equipped with anti-handling
devices, are not considered anti-personnel mines as a result of being so equipped.
2. "Mine" means a munition designed to be placed under, on or near the ground
or other surface area and to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact
of a person or a vehicle.
3. "Anti-handling device" means a device intended to protect a mine and which
is part of, linked to, attached to or placed under the mine and which activates
when an attempt is made to tamper with or otherwise intentionally disturb the
mine.
4. "Transfer" involves, in addition to the physical movement of anti-personnel
mines into or from national territory, the transfer of title to and control over
the mines, but does not involve the transfer of territory containing emplaced
anti-personnel mines.
5. "Mined area" means an area which is dangerous due to the presence or suspected
presence of mines.
Article 3
Exceptions
1. Notwithstanding the general obligations under Article 1, the retention or transfer
of a number of anti-personnel mines for the development of and training in mine
detection, mine clearance, or mine destruction techniques is permitted. The amount
of such mines shall not exceed the minimum number absolutely necessary for the
above-mentioned purposes.
2. The transfer of anti-personnel mines for the purpose of destruction is permitted.
Article 4
Destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines
Except as provided for in Article 3, each State Party undertakes to destroy or
ensure the destruction of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines it owns or possesses,
or that are under its jurisdiction or control, as soon as possible but not later
than four years after the entry into force of this Convention for that State Party.
Article 5
Destruction of anti-personnel mines in mined areas
1. Each State Party undertakes to destroy or ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel
mines in mined areas under its jurisdiction or control, as soon as possible but
not later than ten years after the entry into force of this Convention for that
State Party.
2. Each State Party shall make every effort to identify all areas under its jurisdiction
or control in which anti-personnel mines are known or suspected to be emplaced
and shall ensure as soon as possible that all anti-personnel mines in mined areas
under its jurisdiction or control are perimeter-marked, monitored and protected
by fencing or other means, to ensure the effective exclusion of civilians, until
all anti-personnel mines contained therein have been destroyed. The marking shall
at least be to the standards set out in the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions
on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices, as amended on 3 May 1996,
annexed to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain
Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have
Indiscriminate Effects.
3. If a State Party believes that it will be unable to destroy or ensure the destruction
of all anti-personnel mines referred to in paragraph 1 within that time period,
it may submit a request to a Meeting of the States Parties or a Review Conference
for an extension of the deadline for completing the destruction of such anti-personnel
mines, for a period of up to ten years.
4. Each request shall contain:
a) The duration of the proposed extension;
b) A detailed explanation of the reasons for the proposed extension, including:
(i) The preparation and status of work conducted under national demining programs;
(ii) The financial and technical means available to the State Party for the destruction
of all the anti-personnel mines; and
(iii) Circumstances which impede the ability of the State Party to destroy all
the anti-personnel mines in mined areas;
c) The humanitarian, social, economic, and environmental implications of the extension;
and
d) Any other information relevant to the request for the proposed extension.
5. The Meeting of the States Parties or the Review Conference shall, taking into
consideration the factors contained in paragraph 4, assess the request and decide
by a majority of votes of States Parties present and voting whether to grant the
request for an extension period.
6. Such an extension may be renewed upon the submission of a new request in accordance
with paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of this Article. In requesting a further extension
period a State Party shall submit relevant additional information on what has
been undertaken in the previous extension period pursuant to this Article.
Article 6
International cooperation and assistance
1. In fulfilling its obligations under this Convention each State Party has the
right to seek and receive assistance, where feasible, from other States Parties
to the extent possible.
2. Each State Party undertakes to facilitate and shall have the right to participate
in the fullest possible exchange of equipment, material and scientific and technological
information concerning the implementation of this Convention. The States Parties
shall not impose undue restrictions on the provision of mine clearance equipment
and related technological information for humanitarian purposes.
3. Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the care
and rehabilitation, and social and economic reintegration, of mine victims and
for mine awareness programs. Such assistance may be provided, inter alia, through
the United Nations system, international, regional or national organizations or
institutions, the International Committee of the Red Cross, national Red Cross
and Red Crescent societies and their International Federation, non-governmental
organizations, or on a bilateral basis.
4. Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for mine clearance
and related activities. Such assistance may be provided, inter alia, through the
United Nations system, international or regional organizations or institutions,
non-governmental organizations or institutions, or on a bilateral basis, or by
contributing to the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine
Clearance, or other regional funds that deal with demining.
5. Each State Party in a position to do so shall provide assistance for the destruction
of stockpiled anti-personnel mines.
6. Each State Party undertakes to provide information to the database on mine
clearance established within the United Nations system, especially information
concerning various means and technologies of mine clearance, and lists of experts,
expert agencies or national points of contact on mine clearance.
7. States Parties may request the United Nations, regional organizations, other
States Parties or other competent intergovernmental or non-governmental fora to
assist its authorities in the elaboration of a national demining program to determine,
inter alia:
a) The extent and scope of the anti-personnel mine problem;
b) The financial, technological and human resources that are required for the
implementation of the program;
c) The estimated number of years necessary to destroy all anti-personnel mines
in mined areas under the jurisdiction or control of the concerned State Party;
d) Mine awareness activities to reduce the incidence of mine-related injuries
or deaths;
e) Assistance to mine victims;
f) The relationship between the Government of the concerned State Party and the
relevant governmental, inter-governmental or non-governmental entities that will
work in the implementation of the program.
8. Each State Party giving and receiving assistance under the provisions of this
Article shall cooperate with a view to ensuring the full and prompt implementation
of agreed assistance programs.
Article 7
Transparency measures
1. Each State Party shall report to the Secretary-General of the United Nations
as soon as practicable, and in any event not later than 180 days after the entry
into force of this Convention for that State Party on:
a) The national implementation measures referred to in Article 9;
b) The total of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines owned or possessed by it,
or under its jurisdiction or control, to include a breakdown of the type, quantity
and, if possible, lot numbers of each type of anti-personnel mine stockpiled;
c) To the extent possible, the location of all mined areas that contain, or are
suspected to contain, anti-personnel mines under its jurisdiction or control,
to include as much detail as possible regarding the type and quantity of each
type of anti-personnel mine in each mined area and when they were emplaced;
d) The types, quantities and, if possible, lot numbers of all anti-personnel mines
retained or transferred for the development of and training in mine detection,
mine clearance or mine destruction techniques, or transferred for the purpose
of destruction, as well as the institutions authorized by a State Party to retain
or transfer anti-personnel mines, in accordance with Article 3;
e) The status of programs for the conversion or de-commissioning of anti-personnel
mine production facilities;
f) The status of programs for the destruction of anti-personnel mines in accordance
with Articles 4 and 5, including details of the methods which will be used in
destruction, the location of all destruction sites and the applicable safety and
environmental standards to be observed;
g) The types and quantities of all anti-personnel mines destroyed after the entry
into force of this Convention for that State Party, to include a breakdown of
the quantity of each type of anti-personnel mine destroyed, in accordance with
Articles 4 and 5, respectively, along with, if possible, the lot numbers of each
type of anti-personnel mine in the case of destruction in accordance with Article
4;
h) The technical characteristics of each type of anti-personnel mine produced,
to the extent known, and those currently owned or possessed by a State Party,
giving, where reasonably possible, such categories of information as may facilitate
identification and clearance of anti-personnel mines; at a minimum, this information
shall include the dimensions, fusing, explosive content, metallic content, colour
photographs and other information which may facilitate mine clearance; and
i) The measures taken to provide an immediate and effective warning to the population
in relation to all areas identified under paragraph 2 of Article 5.
2. The information provided in accordance with this Article shall be updated by
the States Parties annually, covering the last calendar year, and reported to
the Secretary-General of the United Nations not later than 30 April of each year.
3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit all such reports
received to the States Parties.
Article 8
Facilitation and clarification of compliance
1. The States Parties agree to consult and cooperate with each other regarding
the implementation of the provisions of this Convention, and to work together
in a spirit of cooperation to facilitate compliance by States Parties with their
obligations under this Convention. 2. If one or more States Parties wish to clarify
and seek to resolve questions relating to compliance with the provisions of this
Convention by another State Party, it may submit, through the Secretary-General
of the United Nations, a Request for Clarification of that matter to that State
Party. Such a request shall be accompanied by all appropriate information. Each
State Party shall refrain from unfounded Requests for Clarification, care being
taken to avoid abuse. A State Party that receives a Request for Clarification
shall provide, through the Secretary-General of the United Nations, within 28
days to the requesting State Party all information which would assist in clarifying
this matter.
3. If the requesting State Party does not receive a response through the Secretary-General
of the United Nations within that time period, or deems the response to the Request
for Clarification to be unsatisfactory, it may submit the matter through the Secretary-General
of the United Nations to the next Meeting of the States Parties. The Secretary-General
of the United Nations shall transmit the submission, accompanied by all appropriate
information pertaining to the Request for Clarification, to all States Parties.
All such information shall be presented to the requested State Party which shall
have the right to respond.
4. Pending the convening of any meeting of the States Parties, any of the States
Parties concerned may request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to exercise
his or her good offices to facilitate the clarification requested.
5. The requesting State Party may propose through the Secretary-General of the
United Nations the convening of a Special Meeting of the States Parties to consider
the matter. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall thereupon communicate
this proposal and all information submitted by the States Parties concerned, to
all States Parties with a request that they indicate whether they favour a Special
Meeting of the States Parties, for the purpose of considering the matter. In the
event that within 14 days from the date of such communication, at least one-third
of the States Parties favours such a Special Meeting, the Secretary-General of
the United Nations shall convene this Special Meeting of the States Parties within
a further 14 days. A quorum for this Meeting shall consist of a majority of States
Parties.
6. The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States Parties,
as the case may be, shall first determine whether to consider the matter further,
taking into account all information submitted by the States Parties concerned.
The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States Parties
shall make every effort to reach a decision by consensus. If despite all efforts
to that end no agreement has been reached, it shall take this decision by a majority
of States Parties present and voting.
7. All States Parties shall cooperate fully with the Meeting of the States Parties
or the Special Meeting of the States Parties in the fulfilment of its review of
the matter, including any fact-finding missions that are authorized in accordance
with paragraph 8.
8. If further clarification is required, the Meeting of the States Parties or
the Special Meeting of the States Parties shall authorize a fact-finding mission
and decide on its mandate by a majority of States Parties present and voting.
At any time the requested State Party may invite a fact-finding mission to its
territory. Such a mission shall take place without a decision by a Meeting of
the States Parties or a Special Meeting of the States Parties to authorize such
a mission. The mission, consisting of up to 9 experts, designated and approved
in accordance with paragraphs 9 and 10, may collect additional information on
the spot or in other places directly related to the alleged compliance issue under
the jurisdiction or control of the requested State Party.
9. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall prepare and update a list
of the names, nationalities and other relevant data of qualified experts provided
by States Parties and communicate it to all States Parties. Any expert included
on this list shall be regarded as designated for all fact-finding missions unless
a State Party declares its non-acceptance in writing. In the event of non-acceptance,
the expert shall not participate in fact-finding missions on the territory or
any other place under the jurisdiction or control of the objecting State Party,
if the non-acceptance was declared prior to the appointment of the expert to such
missions.
10. Upon receiving a request from the Meeting of the States Parties or a Special
Meeting of the States Parties, the Secretary-General of the United Nations shall,
after consultations with the requested State Party, appoint the members of the
mission, including its leader. Nationals of States Parties requesting the fact-finding
mission or directly affected by it shall not be appointed to the mission. The
members of the fact-finding mission shall enjoy privileges and immunities under
Article VI of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations,
adopted on 13 February 1946.
11. Upon at least 72 hours notice, the members of the fact-finding mission shall
arrive in the territory of the requested State Party at the earliest opportunity.
The requested State Party shall take the necessary administrative measures to
receive, transport and accommodate the mission, and shall be responsible for ensuring
the security of the mission to the maximum extent possible while they are on territory
under its control.
12. Without prejudice to the sovereignty of the requested State Party, the fact-finding
mission may bring into the territory of the requested State Party the necessary
equipment which shall be used exclusively for gathering information on the alleged
compliance issue. Prior to its arrival, the mission will advise the requested
State Party of the equipment that it intends to utilize in the course of its fact-finding
mission.
13. The requested State Party shall make all efforts to ensure that the fact-finding
mission is given the opportunity to speak with all relevant persons who may be
able to provide information related to the alleged compliance issue.
14. The requested State Party shall grant access for the fact-finding mission
to all areas and installations under its control where facts relevant to the compliance
issue could be expected to be collected. This shall be subject to any arrangements
that the requested State Party considers necessary for:
a) The protection of sensitive equipment, information and areas;
b) The protection of any constitutional obligations the requested State Party
may have with regard to proprietary rights, searches and seizures, or other constitutional
rights; or
c) The physical protection and safety of the members of the fact-finding mission.
In the event that the requested State Party makes such arrangements, it shall
make every reasonable effort to demonstrate through alternative means its compliance
with this Convention.
15. The fact-finding mission may remain in the territory of the State Party concerned
for no more than 14 days, and at any particular site no more than 7 days, unless
otherwise agreed.
16. All information provided in confidence and not related to the subject matter
of the fact-finding mission shall be treated on a confidential basis.
17. The fact-finding mission shall report, through the Secretary-General of the
United Nations, to the Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of
the States Parties the results of its findings.
18. The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States Parties
shall consider all relevant information, including the report submitted by the
fact-finding mission, and may request the requested State Party to take measures
to address the compliance issue within a specified period of time. The requested
State Party shall report on all measures taken in response to this request.
19. The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States Parties
may suggest to the States Parties concerned ways and means to further clarify
or resolve the matter under consideration, including the initiation of appropriate
procedures in conformity with international law. In circumstances where the issue
at hand is determined to be due to circumstances beyond the control of the requested
State Party, the Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States
Parties may recommend appropriate measures, including the use of cooperative measures
referred to in Article 6.
20. The Meeting of the States Parties or the Special Meeting of the States Parties
shall make every effort to reach its decisions referred to in paragraphs 18 and
19 by consensus, otherwise by a two-thirds majority of States Parties present
and voting.
Article 9
National implementation measures
Each State Party shall take all appropriate legal, administrative and other measures,
including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent and suppress any activity
prohibited to a State Party under this Convention undertaken by persons or on
territory under its jurisdiction or control.
Article 10
Settlement of disputes
1. The States Parties shall consult and cooperate with each other to settle any
dispute that may arise with regard to the application or the interpretation of
this Convention. Each State Party may bring any such dispute before the Meeting
of the States Parties.
2. The Meeting of the States Parties may contribute to the settlement of the dispute
by whatever means it deems appropriate, including offering its good offices, calling
upon the States parties to a dispute to start the settlement procedure of their
choice and recommending a time-limit for any agreed procedure.
3. This Article is without prejudice to the provisions of this Convention on facilitation
and clarification of compliance.
Article 11
Meetings of the States Parties
1. The States Parties shall meet regularly in order to consider any matter with
regard to the application or implementation of this Convention, including:
a) The operation and status of this Convention;
b) Matters arising from the reports submitted under the provisions of this Convention;
c) International cooperation and assistance in accordance with Article 6;
d) The development of technologies to clear anti-personnel mines;
e) Submissions of States Parties under Article 8; and
f) Decisions relating to submissions of States Parties as provided for in Article
5.
2. The First Meeting of the States Parties shall be convened by the Secretary-General
of the United Nations within one year after the entry into force of this Convention.
The subsequent meetings shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations annually until the first Review Conference.
3. Under the conditions set out in Article 8, the Secretary-General of the United
Nations shall convene a Special Meeting of the States Parties.
4. States not parties to this Convention, as well as the United Nations, other
relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations,
the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations
may be invited to attend these meetings as observers in accordance with the agreed
Rules of Procedure.
Article 12
Review Conferences
1. A Review Conference shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations five years after the entry into force of this Convention. Further Review
Conferences shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations if
so requested by one or more States Parties, provided that the interval between
Review Conferences shall in no case be less than five years. All States Parties
to this Convention shall be invited to each Review Conference.
2. The purpose of the Review Conference shall be:
a) To review the operation and status of this Convention;
b) To consider the need for and the interval between further Meetings of the States
Parties referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 11;
c) To take decisions on submissions of States Parties as provided for in Article
5; and
d) To adopt, if necessary, in its final report conclusions related to the implementation
of this Convention.
3. States not parties to this Convention, as well as the United Nations, other
relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations,
the
International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations
may be invited to attend each Review Conference as observers in accordance with
the agreed Rules of Procedure.
Article 13
Amendments
1. At any time after the entry into force of this Convention any State Party may
propose amendments to this Convention. Any proposal for an amendment shall be
communicated to the Depositary, who shall circulate it to all States Parties and
shall seek their views on whether an Amendment Conference should be convened to
consider the proposal. If a majority of the States Parties notify the Depositary
no later than 30 days after its circulation that they support further consideration
of the proposal, the Depositary shall convene an Amendment Conference to which
all States Parties shall be invited.
2. States not parties to this Convention, as well as the United Nations, other
relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations,
the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations
may be invited to attend each Amendment Conference as observers in accordance
with the agreed Rules of Procedure.
3. The Amendment Conference shall be held immediately following a Meeting of the
States Parties or a Review Conference unless a majority of the States Parties
request that it be held earlier.
4. Any amendment to this Convention shall be adopted by a majority of two-thirds
of the States Parties present and voting at the Amendment Conference. The Depositary
shall communicate any amendment so adopted to the States Parties.
5. An amendment to this Convention shall enter into force for all States Parties
to this Convention which have accepted it, upon the deposit with the Depositary
of instruments of acceptance by a majority of States Parties. Thereafter it shall
enter into force for any remaining State Party on the date of deposit of its instrument
of acceptance.
Article 14
Costs
1. The costs of the Meetings of the States Parties, the Special Meetings of the
States Parties, the Review Conferences and the Amendment Conferences shall be
borne by the States Parties and States not parties to this Convention participating
therein, in accordance with the United Nations scale of assessment adjusted appropriately.
2. The costs incurred by the Secretary-General of the United Nations under Articles
7 and 8 and the costs of any fact-finding mission shall be borne by the States
Parties in accordance with the United Nations scale of assessment adjusted appropriately.
Article 15
Signature
This Convention, done at Oslo, Norway, on 18 September 1997, shall be open for
signature at Ottawa, Canada, by all States from 3 December 1997 until 4 December
1997, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 December 1997
until its entry into force.
Article 16
Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession
1. This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval of the Signatories.
2. It shall be open for accession by any State which has not signed the Convention.
3. The instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be
deposited with the Depositary.
Article 17
Entry into force
1. This Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the sixth month
after the month in which the 40th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval
or accession has been deposited.
2. For any State which deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval
or accession after the date of the deposit of the 40th instrument of ratification,
acceptance, approval or accession, this Convention shall enter into force on the
first day of the sixth month after the date on which that State has deposited
its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
Article 18
Provisional application
Any State may at the time of its ratification, acceptance, approval or accession,
declare that it will apply provisionally paragraph 1 of Article 1 of this Convention
pending its entry into force.
Article 19
Reservations
The Articles of this Convention shall not be subject to reservations.
Article 20
Duration and withdrawal
1. This Convention shall be of unlimited duration.
2. Each State Party shall, in exercising its national sovereignty, have the right
to withdraw from this Convention. It shall give notice of such withdrawal to all
other States Parties, to the Depositary and to the United Nations Security Council.
Such instrument of withdrawal shall include a full explanation of the reasons
motivating this withdrawal.
3. Such withdrawal shall only take effect six months after the receipt of the
instrument of withdrawal by the Depositary. If, however, on the expiry of that
six- month period, the withdrawing State Party is engaged in an armed conflict,
the withdrawal shall not take effect before the end of the armed conflict.
4. The withdrawal of a State Party from this Convention shall not in any way affect
the duty of States to continue fulfilling the obligations assumed under any relevant
rules of international law.
Article 21
Depositary
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is hereby designated as the Depositary
of this Convention.
Article 22
Authentic texts
The original of this Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French,
Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General
of the United Nations.