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International Conventions Of Phytosanitary Protection - Full Text Of The Norm

Original Language Title: CONVENCIONES CONV. INTERNACIONAL DE PROTECCION FITOSANITARIA - Texto completo de la norma

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image inicio sitio infoleg MInisterio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos
Conventions Act No. 25,218 Approve the International Convention for the Protection of Families, adopted in Rome on 17 November 1997

Sanctioned: November 24, 1999.

Promulgated: December 23, 1999.

The Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation assembled in Congress, etc., sanction with force of Law:

ARTICLE 1 Approve the International Convention on the Protection of Women, adopted in Rome TALREPUBLICA ITALIANA el on 17 November 1997, which consists of VEINTITRES (23) articles and UN (1) annex, whose authenticated photocopy is part of this law. ARTICLE 2 Contact the national executive branch.

IN THE SESSION OF THE ARGENTINE CONGRESS, IN GOOD AIRES, TO THE VEINTICUATRO DAYS OF THE MONTH OF NOVENTY AND NEW YEAR.

# 25,218 EL

ALBERTO R. PIERRI. . EDUARDO MENEM. . Esther H. Pereyra Arandía de Pérez Pardo. . Juan C. Oyarzún.

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION OF FITOSANITARIAN PROTECTION

(New Revised Text as adopted by the FAO Conference at its twenty-ninth session - November 1997)

PREAMBULO

The contracting parties,

s acknowledging the need for international cooperation to combat the pests of plant and plant products and to prevent their international dissemination, and especially their introduction into endangered areas;

s recognizing that phytosanitary measures should be technically justified, transparent and should not be applied in such a way as to constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustified discrimination or a disguised restriction, in particular international trade;

; wishing to ensure close coordination of the measures taken to this end;

; wishing to provide a framework for the formulation and implementation of harmonized phytosanitary measures and the development of international standards for this purpose;

de taking into account internationally approved principles governing the protection of plants, human health and animals and the environment; and

s taking note of the agreements concluded as a result of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, in particular the Agreement on the Implementation of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures;

agreed to the following:

ARTICLE I

Purposes and responsibilities

1. In order to act effectively and jointly to prevent the dissemination and introduction of pests of plant and plant products and to promote appropriate measures to combat them, the contracting parties undertake to adopt the legislative, technical and administrative measures specified in this Convention, and other supplementary agreements pursuant to Article XVI.

2. Each contracting party shall assume the responsibility, without prejudice to obligations under other international agreements, to enforce all the requirements of this Convention within its territory.

3. The division of responsibilities for meeting the requirements of this Convention between FAO Member Organizations and their Contracting States shall correspond to their respective competencies.

4. Where the contracting parties deem appropriate, the provisions of this Convention may apply, in addition to plant and plant products, to storage, packaging, means of transport, containers, soil and any other agency, object or material capable of harboring or dissemination plant pests, in particular when international transport is measured.

ARTICLE II

Terms used

1. For the purposes of this Convention, the following terms shall have the following meaning:

"Analysis of the risk of pests" - process of evaluating biological, scientific and economic testimonies to determine whether a pest should be regulated and the intensity of any phytosanitary measures to be taken to combat it;

"Area of low prevalence of pests" - area designated by the competent authorities, which may cover the whole of a country, part of a country or all or parts of several countries, in which a particular pest is in low grade and is subject to effective monitoring, control or eradication measures;

"Area in danger" - area where ecological factors favor the establishment of a pest whose presence within the area will result in significant economic losses;

"Regulated article" - any plant, plant product, storage place, packaging, means of transport, container, soil and any other organism, object or material capable of harboring or disseming pests, which is considered to be subject to phytosanitary measures, especially when international transport is involved;

"Commission" - the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, established under Article XI;

"Establishing" - perpetuation, for the foreseeable future, of a plague within an area after its entry;

"Introduction" - entry of a plague that results in its establishment;

"Pytosanitary measure" - any legislation, regulation or official procedure that is intended to prevent the introduction and/or dissemination of pests;

" Harmonized phytosanitary measures" - phytosanitary measures established by the contracting parties on the basis of international standards;

"International standards" - international standards established in accordance with Article X, paragraphs 1 and 2;

"Regional regulations" - rules established by a regional plant protection organization to guide its members;

"Plaga" - any species, race or plant or animal biotype or harmful pathogen for plant or plant products;

"Quarentenary Plague" - potential economic importance plague for the area in danger when the plague does not exist or, if it exists, is not widespread and is under official control;

"Plaga no quarantine regulated" - a non quarantine pest whose presence in plants for plantation influences the proposed use for these plants with economically unacceptable repercussions and is therefore regulated in the territory of the importing contracting party;

"Corrected pest" - quarantine or non-quarantine pest regulated;

"Plants" - living plants and parts of them, including seeds and germplasm;

" Plant products" - non-manufactured materials of vegetable origin (including grains) and those manufactured products that, by their nature or by their elaboration, can create a risk of introduction and dissemination of pests;

Secretary of the Commission appointed pursuant to Article XII;

"Technically justified" - justified on the basis of conclusions reached through appropriate pest risk analysis or, where appropriate, another comparable review and assessment of available scientific information.

2. The definitions contained in this Article, given their limitation to the application of this Convention, shall not affect the definitions contained in the national laws or regulations of the contracting parties.

ARTICLE III

Relationship with other international agreements

Nothing in this Convention will affect the rights and obligations of contracting parties under relevant international agreements.

ARTICLE IV

General provisions concerning institutional arrangements for national phytosanitary protection

1. Each contracting party shall make the necessary arrangements to establish in the best way that an official national plant protection organization can, with the main responsibilities set out in this Article.

2. The responsibilities of an official national plant protection organization shall include the following:

(a) The issuance of certificates concerning the phytosanitary regulation of the importing country for the shipments of plants, plant products and other regulated articles;

(b) Monitoring of plants in cultivation, both of the cultivated lands (e.g. fields, plantations, nurseries, gardens, greenhouses and laboratories) and the wild flora, of plants and plant products in storage or transport, in particular in order to report the presence, outbreak and dissemination of pests, and to combat them, including reporting referred to in Article VIII, paragraph 1 (a);

(c) Inspection of shipments of plant and plant products that circulate in international traffic and, where appropriate, inspection of other regulated items, particularly in order to prevent the introduction and/or dissemination of pests;

(d) the disinfestation or disinfection of the shipments of plants, plant products and other regulated articles that circulate in international traffic, in order to meet the phytosanitary requirements;

(e) Protection of hazardous areas and the designation, maintenance and monitoring of pest-free areas and areas with low pest prevalence;

(f) Performing pest risk;

(g) To ensure, through appropriate procedures, that the phytosanitary safety of shipments after phytosanitary certification in respect of composition, replacement and reinfestation is maintained prior to export; and

(h) Training and training of staff.

3. Each contracting party shall take the necessary measures, in the best possible manner, to:

(a) The distribution, within the territory of the contracting party, of information on regulated pests and on ways to prevent and control them;

(b) Research in the field of phytosanitary protection;

(c) The enactment of phytosanitary regulation; and

(d) performance of any other role that may be necessary for the implementation of this Convention.

4. Each of the contracting parties shall submit to the Registrar a description of their national organization officially responsible for phytosanitary protection and the amendments thereto. A contracting party shall provide another contracting party requesting a description of its institutional agreements on plant protection.

ARTICLE V

Phytosanitary certification

1. Each contracting party shall adopt provisions for phytosanitary certification, with the aim of ensuring that plants, plant products and other exported regulated goods and their shipments are in conformity with the certification declaration to be made pursuant to paragraph 2 (b) of this Article.

2. Each contracting party shall make arrangements for the issuance of phytosanitary certificates in accordance with the following provisions:

(a) Inspection and other activities related to it leading to the issuance of phytosanitary certificates will be carried out only by the official national plant protection organization or under its authority. The issuance of phytosanitary certificates shall be carried out by public officials, technically qualified and duly authorized by the official national plant protection organization to act on their behalf and under their control, in possession of such knowledge and information that the authorities of the importing contracting parties may accept the phytosanitary certificates with the confidence that they are fruitful documents.

(b) The phytosanitary certificates or their electronic equivalents, when the importing contracting party in question accepts them, shall be drafted in the form indicated in the models attached, in the Annex to this Convention. These certificates will be completed and issued taking into account relevant international standards.

(c) Uncertified corrections or deletions will invalidate the certificate.

3. Each contracting party undertakes not to require that shipments of plant or plant products or other regulated items that are imported into its territories be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates that do not conform to the models listed in the Annex to this Convention. Any requirement for additional statements should be limited to what is technically justified.

ARTICLE VI

Rules of procedure

1. The contracting parties may require phytosanitary measures for quarantine pests and regulated non-quarantine pests, provided such measures are:

(a) not more restrictive than measures applied to the same pests, if they are present in the territory of the importing contracting party; and

(b) limited to what is necessary to protect plant health and/or safeguard the proposed use and is technically justified by the contracting party concerned.

2. The contracting parties shall not require phytosanitary measures for unregulated pests.

ARTICLE VII

Import requirements

1. In order to prevent the introduction and/or dissemination of regulated pests, in their respective territories, the contracting parties shall have sovereign authority to regulate, in accordance with applicable international agreements, the entry of plants, plant products and other regulated articles and, to this end, may:

(a) To impose and adopt phytosanitary measures with regard to the importation of plants, plant products and other regulated articles, including, for example, inspection, prohibition of import and treatment;

(b) To prohibit the entry or detention, or to require the treatment, destruction or withdrawal, of the territory of the contracting party, of plants, plant products and other regulated articles or of their shipments that do not comply with the phytosanitary measures stipulated or adopted pursuant to subparagraph (a);

(c) To prohibit or restrict the transfer of regulated pests into their territories;

(d) To prohibit or restrict, in their territories, the displacement of biological control agents and other phytosanitary agencies deemed to be beneficial.

2. In order to minimize interference in international trade, the contracting parties, in the exercise of their authority under paragraph 1 of this Article, undertake to proceed in accordance with the following conditions:

(a) The contracting parties, when applying their phytosanitary legislation, shall not take any of the measures specified in paragraph 1 of this Article, unless necessary due to phytosanitary considerations and are technically justified.

(b) The contracting parties shall publish and transmit the plant protection requirements, restrictions and prohibitions immediately after their adoption to any contracting parties that they consider to be directly affected by such measures.

(c) The contracting parties shall, if any of them so requests, make available the basis for plant protection requirements, restrictions and prohibitions.

(d) If a contracting party requires that shipments of certain plants or plant products be imported only through certain entry points, such points should be selected so that international trade is not impeded without need. The respective contracting party shall publish a list of such entry points and shall notify the Registrar, any regional plant protection organization to which it belongs, all contracting parties that the contracting party considers to be directly affected, and other contracting parties that request it. These restrictions on entry points shall not be established, unless plants, plant products or other regulated items in question need to be covered by phytosanitary certificates or subject to inspection or treatment.

(e) Any inspection or other phytosanitary procedure required by the phytosanitary protection organization of a contracting party for the shipment of plants, plant products or other regulated items offered for import shall be carried out as soon as possible, with due regard to their perecibility.

(f) The importing contracting parties shall, as soon as possible, report important cases of non-compliance with phytosanitary certification to the exporting contracting party concerned or, where appropriate, to the re-exporting contracting party concerned. The exporting contracting party or, where appropriate, the re-exporting contracting party in question shall investigate and communicate to the importing contracting party in question, if requested, the conclusions of its investigation.

(g) The contracting parties shall establish only phytosanitary measures that are technically justified, consistent with the risk of pests in question and constitute the least restrictive measures available and give rise to a minimum impediment to international movements of persons, commodities and means of transport.

(h) The contracting parties shall ensure, when conditions change and new data are available, the prompt modification or removal of phytosanitary measures if deemed unnecessary.

(i) The Contracting Parties shall establish and update, as best as they may, lists of regulated pests, with their scientific names, and make such lists periodically available to the Registrar, regional phytosanitary protection organizations to which they belong and other contracting parties if so requested.

(j) The contracting parties should, as best as possible, monitor pests and develop and maintain adequate information on the situation of pests to facilitate their classification, as well as to develop appropriate phytosanitary measures. This information shall be made available to the contracting parties requesting it.

3. A contracting party may apply the measures specified in this Article to pests that may not have the capacity to settle in their territories but that, if they could enter, would cause economic damage. The measures taken to control these pests must be technically justified.

4. The Contracting Parties may apply the measures specified in this Article to transit shipments through their territories only when such measures are technically justified and necessary to prevent the introduction and/or dissemination of pests.

5. Nothing in this Article will prevent the importing contracting parties from issuing special provisions, establishing appropriate safeguards, for the import, for the purpose of scientific or educational research, plant and plant products, other regulated articles, and plant pests.

6. Nothing in this Article will prevent any contracting party from taking appropriate emergency measures to detect a pest that poses a possible threat to their territories or notification of such detection. Any such measure shall be evaluated as soon as possible to ensure that its maintenance is justified. The measure taken shall be immediately notified to the contracting parties concerned, the Registrar and any regional plant protection organization to which the contracting party belongs.

ARTICLE VIII

International cooperation

1. The contracting parties shall cooperate with each other to the greatest extent possible for the purposes of this Convention, and shall in particular:

(a) To cooperate in the exchange of information on plant pests, in particular by communicating the presence, outbreak or dissemination of pests that may constitute an immediate or potential hazard, in accordance with the procedures established by the Commission;

(b) To participate, to the extent possible, in any special campaigns to combat pests that may seriously threaten crop production and require international measures to address emergencies; and

(c) To cooperate, to the extent feasible, in providing technical and biological information necessary for the analysis of the risk of pests.

2. Each Contracting Party shall designate a contact point for the exchange of information related to the implementation of this Convention.

ARTICLE IX

Regional plant protection organizations

1. The contracting parties undertake to cooperate with each other to establish regional plant protection organizations in appropriate areas.

2. Regional phytosanitary protection organizations will serve as coordinating agencies in the areas of their jurisdiction, participate in the various activities aimed at achieving the objectives of this Convention and, where appropriate, collect and disseminate information.

3. Regional phytosanitary protection organizations will cooperate with the Secretary in achieving the objectives of the Convention and, where appropriate, cooperate with the Secretary and the Commission in the development of international standards.

4. The Registrar shall convene periodic technical consultations of representatives of regional plant protection organizations for:

(a) To promote the development and use of relevant international standards for phytosanitary measures; and

(b) Encourage interregional cooperation to promote harmonized phytosanitary measures to control pests and prevent their dissemination and/or introduction.

ARTICLE X

Standards

1. The contracting parties agree to cooperate in the development of international standards in accordance with the procedures adopted by the Commission.

2. The adoption of international standards will be carried out by the Commission.

3. Regional standards should be consistent with the principles of this Convention; such rules may be deposited with the Commission for consideration as possible international standards on phytosanitary measures if applied more widely.

4. When undertaking activities related to this Convention, the Contracting Parties shall take into account, as appropriate, international standards.

ARTICLE XI

Commission on Phytosanitary Measures

1. The contracting parties agree to the establishment of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures within the framework of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

2. The functions of the Commission will promote the full realization of the objectives of the Convention, in particular:

(a) To review the state of phytosanitary protection in the world and the need for measures to control the international spread of pests and their introduction into areas in danger;

(b) Establish and revise the institutional mechanisms and procedures necessary for the development and adoption of international standards;

(c) Establish rules and procedures for the settlement of disputes in accordance with Article XIII;

(d) To establish the subsidiary bodies of the Commission that may be necessary for the proper performance of their functions;

(e) Adopt guidelines for the recognition of regional plant protection organizations;

(f) To establish cooperation with other relevant international organizations on matters falling within the scope of this Convention;

(g) To adopt such recommendations as may be necessary for the implementation of the Convention; and

(h) perform other functions that may be necessary for the achievement of its objectives under this Convention.

3. All contracting parties may belong to the Commission.

4. Each contracting party may be represented at the meetings of the Commission by a single delegate, who may be accompanied by an alternate and experts and advisers. Alternates, experts and advisers may take part in the Committee ' s discussions, but may not vote, except for a duly authorized alternate to replace the delegate.

5. The Contracting Parties shall make every effort to reach agreement on all matters by consensus. In the event that all efforts have been exhausted to reach consensus and no agreement has been reached, the decision will ultimately be taken by a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting.

6. A FAO Member Organization that is a Contracting Party and the Member States of that Member Organization that are Contracting Parties shall exercise their rights and fulfil their obligations as members of conformity, mutatis mutandis, with the provisions of the FAO Constitution and General Regulations.

7. The Commission may adopt and amend, if necessary, its own rules of procedure, which should not be inconsistent with this Convention or the FAO Constitution.

8. The Chairman of the Commission shall convene an annual regular meeting of the Commission.

9. The extraordinary meetings of the Commission shall be convened by the Chairman of the Commission at the request of at least one third of its members.

10. The Commission shall elect its Chairman and no more than two Vice-Chairmen, each of whom shall serve for a period of two years.

ARTICLE XII

Secretariat

1. The Secretary of the Commission shall be appointed by the Director-General of FAO

2. The Registrar shall be assisted by secretariat staff as necessary.

3. The Secretary shall undertake the policies and activities of the Commission and perform any other functions assigned to him in this Convention, and shall report thereon to the Commission.

4. The Registrar shall disclose:

(a) International standards, within sixty days of their adoption, to all contracting parties;

(b) lists of entry points communicated by the contracting parties, as stipulated in Article VII, paragraph 2 (d), to all contracting parties;

(c) lists of regulated pests that are prohibited or referred to in Article VII, paragraph 2 (i), to all contracting parties and regional plant protection organizations

(d) Information received from Contracting Parties on requirements, restrictions and prohibitions referred to in Article VII, paragraph 2 (b), and descriptions of national plant protection organizations referred to in Article IV, paragraph 4.

5. The Secretary will provide translations into the official languages of FAO of documentation for the meetings of the Commission and international standards.

6. The Registrar shall cooperate with regional phytosanitary protection organizations to achieve the purposes of the Convention.

ARTICLE XIII

Dispute settlement

1. If any dispute arises with respect to the interpretation or application of this Convention or if one of the Contracting Parties considers that the attitude of another Contracting Party is in conflict with the obligations imposed on it by Articles V and VII of this Convention and, in particular, with regard to the reasons for prohibiting or restricting the imports of plants, vegetable products or other regulated articles from their territories, the Contracting Parties concerned shall consult among themselves as soon as possible in order to resolve the dispute.

2. If the dispute cannot be resolved by means referred to in paragraph 1, the interested party or contracting parties may request the Director-General of FAO to appoint an expert committee to examine the disputed issue, in accordance with the rules and procedures that may be adopted by the Commission.

3. The Committee shall include representatives designated by each contracting party concerned. The Committee will consider the question in dispute, taking into account all documents and other evidence submitted by the contracting parties concerned. The Committee should prepare a report on the technical aspects of the dispute with a view to finding a solution. The preparation of the report and its approval shall be in accordance with the regulations and procedures established by the Commission, and the report shall be transmitted by the Director-General to the contracting parties concerned. The report may also be submitted, upon request, to the competent body of the international organization responsible for resolving trade disputes.

4. The contracting parties agree that the Committee ' s recommendations, although not binding, will constitute the basis for the interested contracting parties to reconsider the issues that gave rise to disagreement.

5. The contracting parties concerned shall share the costs of the experts.

6. The provisions of this Article shall be complementary and non-derogable to the dispute settlement procedures set out in other international trade agreements.

ARTICLE XIV

Replacement of previous agreements

This Convention will terminate and replace, among the contracting parties, the International Convention on the Measures to be taken against Phylloxera vastatrix, signed on 3 November 1881, with the additional Convention signed at Bern on 15 April 1889 to the International Phytosanitary Protection Convention signed at Rome on 16 April 1929.

ARTICLE XV

Territorial implementation

1. Any contracting party may, at the time of ratification or accession or thereafter, send to the Director-General of FAO the declaration that this Convention shall extend to all or some of the territories of which international relations is responsible, and this Convention shall apply to all territories specified in that declaration on the thirtieth day of receipt by the Director-General.

2. Any contracting party that has sent to the Director-General of FAO a declaration in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article may, at any time, send a new declaration that modifies the scope of any previous declaration or ceases the application of the provisions of this Convention to any territory. Such modification or cancellation shall take effect 30 days after the date on which the statement has been received by the Director-General.

3. The Director-General of FAO shall inform all Contracting Parties of any declaration received under this Article.

ARTICLE XVI

Supplementary agreements

1. The contracting parties may, in order to resolve special problems of phytosanitary protection that require particular attention or care, conclude supplementary agreements. Such agreements may apply to specific regions, certain pests, plant and plant products, certain methods of international transport of plant and plant products, or otherwise supplement the provisions of this Convention.

2. Any such supplementary agreement shall enter into force for each interested contracting party after its acceptance in accordance with the relevant supplementary agreements.

3. Supplementary agreements shall promote the achievement of the objectives of this Convention and shall conform to the principles and provisions thereof, as well as to the principles of transparency and non-discrimination and to avoid disguised restrictions, especially in international trade.

ARTICLE XVII

Ratification and accession

1. This Convention shall be open for signature by all States until 1 May 1952 and shall be ratified as soon as possible. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Office of the Director-General of FAO, who shall notify all signatory States of the date on which the deposit has been verified.

2. As soon as this Convention has entered into force, pursuant to Article XXII, it will be open to accession by non-signatory States and FAO Member Organizations. Accession shall be made through the delivery of the instrument of accession to the Director-General of FAO, who shall communicate the instrument to all Contracting Parties.

3. Where a FAO Member Organization is a contracting party to this Convention, it shall, in full compliance with Article II, paragraph 7, of the FAO Constitution, as appropriate, notify at the time of its accession the modifications or clarifications to its declaration of competence under Article II, paragraph 5, of the FAO Constitution, as necessary in the light of its acceptance of this Convention. Any Contracting Party to this Convention may, at any time, request an FAO Member Organization to be a Contracting Party to this Convention to provide information on who, between the Member Organization and its Member States, is responsible for the implementation of any specific matter regulated by this Convention. The Member Organization shall provide this information within a reasonable time.

ARTICLE XVIII

Non-contracting parties

The Contracting Parties shall encourage any State or Organization Member of FAO and shall not be a party to this Convention to accept it, and shall encourage any non-contracting party to implement phytosanitary measures consistent with the provisions of this Convention and any international norm adopted under it.

ARTICLE XIX

Languages

1. The true texts of the Convention will be drafted in all the official languages of FAO.

2. Nothing in this Convention shall be construed as a requirement for contracting parties to provide and publish documents or to provide copies thereof in languages other than those of the contracting party, with the exceptions set out in paragraph 3 below.

3. The following documents will be in at least one of the official languages of FAO:

(a) Information provided in accordance with Article IV.4;

(b) Submission notes with bibliographic data transmitted in accordance with Article VII, paragraph 2 (b);

(c) Information provided in accordance with Article VII, paragraphs 2 (b), (d), (i) and (j);

(d) notes with bibliographical data and a brief summary of relevant documents relating to the information provided in accordance with Article VIII.1(a);

(e) requests for information to contact points, as well as responses to such requests, but excluding documents attached;

(f) Any document made available by the contracting parties for the meetings of the Commission.

ARTICLE XX

Technical assistance

The contracting parties agree to encourage the provision of technical assistance to the contracting parties, especially those that are developing countries, bilaterally or through appropriate international organizations, in order to facilitate the implementation of this Convention.

ARTICLE XXI

Amendments

1. Any proposal made by a Contracting Party to amend this Convention shall be communicated to the Director-General of FAO.

2. Any proposed amendment to this Convention received by the Director-General of FAO of a Contracting Party shall be submitted at a regular or special session of the Commission for approval and, if the amendment involves major technical changes or imposes additional obligations on the Contracting Parties, it shall be considered by a consultative committee of specialists convened by FAO prior to the meeting of the Commission.

3. The Director-General of FAO shall notify the Contracting Parties of any proposed amendment to this Convention, which is not an amendment to the Annex, no later than the date on which the agenda for the session of the Commission is to be considered.

4 Any such amendments to this Convention shall require the approval of the Commission and enter into force within 30 days of acceptance by the two third parties. For the purposes of this Article, an instrument deposited by a FAO Member Organization shall not be considered additional to those deposited by the Member States of that organization.

5. However, amendments involving new obligations for the contracting parties shall enter into force for each of these parties only after they have accepted them and 30 days after such acceptance. Instruments of acceptance of amendments involving new obligations should be deposited with the dispatch of the Director-General of FAO, who in turn should inform all Contracting Parties of the receipt of acceptances and the entry into force of the amendments.

6. Proposals for amendments to the phytosanitary certificate models contained in the Annex to this Convention shall be sent to the Registrar and shall be considered by the Commission for approval. Amendments to the Annex adopted by the Commission shall enter into force on the ninety days of its notification to the contracting parties by the Registrar.

7. Following an amendment to the phytosanitary certificate models set out in the Annex to this Convention, the earlier versions of phytosanitary certificates will also have legal validity for the purposes of this Convention for a period not exceeding twelve months.

ARTICLE XXII

Vigilance

As soon as this Convention has been ratified by three signatory States, it will enter into force among them. For each State or FAO Member Organization to ratify or accede to it thereafter, it shall enter into force from the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification or accession.

ARTICLE XXIII

Complaint

1. Any Contracting Party may at any time denounce this Convention by notification addressed to the Director-General of FAO. The Director-General shall immediately inform all contracting parties.

2. The complaint shall take effect one year after the date on which the Director-General of FAO has received the notification.

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