(a) The present Convention may be amended by either
of the procedures specified in the following paragraphs.
(b) Amendments after consideration within the
Organization:
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(i) Any amendment proposed by a Contracting Government
shall be submitted to the Secretary-General of the Organization, who
shall then circulate it to all Members of the Organization and all
Contracting Governments at least six months prior to its consideration.
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(ii) Any amendment proposed and circulated as
above shall be referred to the Maritime Safety Committee of the Organization
for consideration.
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(iii) Contracting Governments of States, whether
or not Members of the Organization, shall be entitled to participate
in the proceedings of the Maritime Safety Committee for the consideration
and adoption of amendments.
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(iv) Amendments shall be adopted by a two-thirds
majority of the Contracting Governments present and voting in the
Maritime Safety Committee expanded as provided for in subparagraph
(iii) of this paragraph (hereinafter referred to as "the expanded
Maritime Safety Committee") on condition that at least one third of
the Contracting Governments shall be present at the time of voting.
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(v) Amendments adopted in accordance with subparagraph
(iv) of this paragraph shall be communicated by the Secretary-General
of the Organization to all Contracting Governments for acceptance.
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(vi)
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(1) An amendment to an article of the Convention
or to chapter I of the annex shall be deemed to have been accepted
on the date on which it is accepted by two thirds of the Contracting
Governments.
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(2) An amendment to the annex other than chapter
I shall be deemed to have been accepted:
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(aa) at the end of two years from the date on
which it is communicated to Contracting Governments for acceptance;
or
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(bb) at the end of a different period, which shall
not be less than one year, if so determined at the time of its adoption
by a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Governments present and
voting in the expanded Maritime Safety Committee.
However, if within the specified period either more than
one third of Contracting Governments, or Contracting Governments the
combined merchant fleets of which constitute not less than fifty per
cent of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant fleet, notify the
Secretary-General of the Organization that they object to the amendment,
it shall be deemed not to have been accepted.
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(vii)
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(1) An amendment to an article of the Convention
or to chapter I of the annex shall enter into force with respect to
those Contracting Governments which have accepted it, six months after
the date on which it is deemed to have been accepted, and with respect
to each Contracting Government which accepts it after that date, six
months after the date of that Contracting Government's acceptance.
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(2) An amendment to the annex other than chapter
I shall enter into force with respect to all Contracting Governments,
except those which have objected to the amendment under subparagraph
(vi)(2) of this paragraph and which have not withdrawn such objections,
six months after the date on which it is deemed to have been accepted.
However, before the date set for entry into force, any Contracting
Government may give notice to the Secretary-General of the Organization
that it exempts itself from giving effect to that amendment for a
period not longer than one year from the date of its entry into force,
or for such longer period as may be determined by a two-thirds majority
of the Contracting Governments present and voting in the expanded
Maritime Safety Committee at the time of the adoption of the amendment.
(c) Amendment by a Conference:
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(i) Upon the request of a Contracting Government
concurred in by at least one third of the Contracting Governments,
the Organization shall convene a Conference of Contracting Governments
to consider amendments to the present Convention.
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(ii) Every amendment adopted by such a Conference
by a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Governments present and
voting shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the Organization
to all Contracting Governments for acceptance.
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(iii) Unless the Conference decides otherwise,
the amendment shall be deemed to have been accepted and shall enter
into force in accordance with the procedures specified in subparagraphs
(b)(vi) and (b)(vii) respectively of this article, provided that references
in these paragraphs to the expanded Maritime Safety Committee shall
be taken to mean references to the Conference.
(d)
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(i) A Contracting Government which has accepted
an amendment to the annex which has entered into force shall not be
obliged to extend the benefit of the present Convention in respect
of the certificates issued to a ship entitled to fly the flag of a
State the Government of which, pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph
(b)(vi)(2) of this article, has objected to the amendment and has
not withdrawn such an objection, but only to the extent that such
certificates relate to matters covered by the amendment in question.
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(ii) A Contracting Government which has accepted
an amendment to the annex which has entered into force shall extend
the benefit of the present Convention in respect of the certificates
issued to a ship entitled to fly the flag of a State the Government
of which, pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph (b)(vii)(2) of
this article, has notified the Secretary-General of the Organization
that it exempts itself from giving effect to the amendment.
(e) Unless expressly provided otherwise, any amendment
to the present Convention made under this article, which relates to
the structure of a ship, shall apply only to ships the keels of which
are laid or which are at a similar stage of construction, on or after
the date on which the amendment enters into force.
(f) Any declaration of acceptance of, or objection
to, an amendment or any notice given under subparagraph (b)(vii)(2)
of this article shall be submitted in writing to the Secretary-General
of the Organization, who shall inform all Contracting Governments
of any such submission and the date of its receipt.
(g) The Secretary-General of the Organization
shall inform all Contracting Governments of any amendments which enter
into force under this article, together with the date on which each
such amendment enters into force.