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13 MAI 2009. - Act respecting the accession of Belgium to the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, made at Tampere, Finland, on 18 June 1998 (1) (2)

ALBERT II, King of the Belgians,
To all, present and to come, Hi.
The Chambers adopted and We sanction the following:
Article 1^er. This Act regulates a matter referred to in Article 77 of the Constitution.
Art. 2. The King is authorized to accede to the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunications Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, made at Tampere, Finland, on June 18, 1998, which will be fully effective.
Promulgation of this law, let us order that it be clothed with the seal of the State and published by the Belgian Monitor.
Given in Brussels on 13 May 2009.
ALBERT
By the King:
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
K. DE GUCHT
Minister of Finance,
D. REYNDERS
The Minister of the Interior,
G. DE PADT
Minister of Justice,
S. DE CLERCK
Minister of Defence,
P. DE CREM
Minister of Climate and Energy,
P. MAGNETTE
Minister for Business and Simplification,
VAN QUICKENBORNE
Seal of the state seal:
Minister of Justice,
S. DE CLERCK
____
Notes
(1) Session 2007-2008.
Senate.
Documents. - Bill tabled on 29 February 2008, No. 4-585/1. - Report, No. 4-585/2.
Annales parliamentarians. - Discussion and voting: meeting of 10 April 2008.
Room.
Documents. - Project transmitted by the Senate, No. 52-1063/1. - Text adopted in plenary and subject to Royal Assent, No. 52-1063/2.
Annales parliamentarians. - Discussion and voting: meeting of 15 May 2008.
(2) See Decree of the Flemish Community of 7 May 2010 (Moniteur belge of 24 June 2010 (Ed. 2)), Decree of the French Community of 8 January 2009 (Moniteur belge of 10 March 2009), Decree of the German-speaking Community of 3 December 2009 (Moniteur belge of 17 February 2010 (Ed. 2), Decree of the Walloon Region of 15 January 2009 (Moniteur belge of 6 February 2009), Decree of the Belgian Region

Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunications Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations
States parties to this Convention,
Acknowledging that disasters are of increasing gravity by their magnitude, complexity, frequency and impact and have particularly serious consequences in developing countries,
Recalling that humanitarian relief and assistance organizations require reliable and flexible telecommunications resources to carry out their vital tasks,
Recalling also that telecommunications resources play a key role in facilitating the security of humanitarian relief and assistance personnel,
Recalling further that broadcasting plays a crucial role in the dissemination of specific information for affected populations,
Convinced that the timely and timely implementation of telecommunications resources and the efficient and timely flow of accurate and reliable information are essential to reducing loss of life, suffering and damage caused by disasters to property and the environment,
Concerned about the consequences of disasters on telecommunications facilities and the flow of information,
Aware of the special needs of the least developed countries facing natural disasters in terms of technical assistance for the development of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief,
Reaffirming the highest priority accorded to emergency telecommunications to save human lives in more than fifty international regulatory instruments, including the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union,
Noting the history of international cooperation and coordination for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations, and in particular the fact that the rapid implementation and use of telecommunications resources can help to save human lives,
Noting further the work of the International Conference on Disaster Communications (Geneva, 1990) on the role of telecommunications systems in addressing disasters and their consequences,
Noting further that the sponsors of the Tampere Declaration on Disaster Communications (Tampere, 1991) urged the use of reliable telecommunications systems to mitigate the effects of disasters and disaster relief operations and the drafting of an International Convention on Disaster Communications to facilitate the use of such systems,
Noting further Resolution 44/236 of the United Nations General Assembly proclaiming the period 1990-2000 International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and Resolution 46/182 calling for the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance,
Noting further the leading role played by communication resources in the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World and the Plan of Action adopted by the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction (Yokohama, 1994),
Noting further Resolution 7 of the World Telecommunication Development Conference (Buenos Aires, 1994), endorsed by Resolution 36 of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the International Telecommunication Union (Kyoto, 1994), by which the Conference urged governments to take all feasible measures in practice to facilitate the provision of rapid and the effective use of telecommunications equipment in order to mitigate the effects of relief
Noting further Resolution 644 of the World Radiocommunication Conference (Geneva, 1997) by which the Conference urged Governments to provide their full and comprehensive assistance to the adoption of this Convention and its implementation at the national level,
Noting further Resolution 19 of the World Telecommunications Development Conference (La Valette, 1998), by which the Conference urged governments to continue their consideration of this Convention with a view to considering their full and complete support for its adoption,
Noting further Resolution 51/94 of the United Nations General Assembly encouraging the development of a transparent and timely procedure for the establishment of effective disaster relief coordination modalities and the development of the ReliefWeb network as a global information system for the dissemination of reliable and current information on emergencies and natural disasters,
Referring to the conclusions of the Working Group on Emergency Telecommunications on the critical role of telecommunications in disaster mitigation and relief operations,
With the support of the work of many States, United Nations agencies, governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, humanitarian agencies, suppliers of equipment and telecommunications services, representatives of the press, universities and organizations working in the field of communications or disaster relief, in order to improve and facilitate communications related to disaster relief operations,
Desiring to ensure that reliable telecommunications resources are made readily available to mitigate the effects of disasters and to enable relief operations, and,
Further desirous of facilitating international cooperation to mitigate the effects of disasters,
decide on the following:
Article 1
Definitions
Unless otherwise specified in the context in which they are used, the following terms shall be used for the purposes of this Convention:
1. A "State Party" is a State that has agreed to be bound by this Convention.
2. “State party providing assistance” means a State party to this Convention providing telecommunications assistance.
3. A State Party requesting assistance in the field of telecommunications shall mean a State Party requesting such assistance.
4. "This Convention" means the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunications Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Disaster Relief Operations.
5. The depositary of this Convention shall be understood as designated in Article 16.
6. "disaster" means a serious disruption in the functioning of the society causing a real and widespread threat to human life or health, to property or to the environment, whether the cause is an accident, a natural phenomenon or a human activity and whether it is a sudden event or the result of complex processes taking place over a long period of time.
7. "Mitigation of the effects of disasters" means measures designed to prevent, anticipate or monitor disasters, prepare, cope with and mitigate the consequences of disasters.
8. "health risk" means the sudden outbreak of infectious diseases, such as epidemics or pandemics, or any other event causing a real threat to life or human health and likely to trigger a catastrophe.
9. Natural risk means an event or process, such as earthquake, fire, flooding, wind, landslide, avalanche, cyclone, tsunami, insect invasion, drought or volcanic eruption that are likely to trigger a disaster.
10. "Non-governmental organization" means any organization, including private entities and businesses, other than a State, government organization or intergovernmental organization, working in the area of disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations and/or the provision of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations.
11. An entity other than a State means any entity, other than a State, including non-governmental organizations and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, working in the area of disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations and/or the provision of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief.
12. "remediation operations" means activities designed to reduce human losses, suffering and damage to property and/or the environment caused by a disaster.
13. "Television assistance" means the provision of telecommunications resources or other resources or media to facilitate the use of telecommunications resources.
14. "Television resources" means personnel, equipment, materials, information, training, radio frequency spectrum, network or transmission capacity, or any other telecommunications resource.
15. "Telecommunications" means any transmission, transmission or receipt of signs, signals, writings, images, sounds or information of any kind, by wire, radio, optical fiber or other electromagnetic systems.
Article 2
Coordination
1. The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator is the Operations Coordinator for this Convention and performs the responsibilities of the Operations Coordinator defined in Articles 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
2. The Operations Coordinator requests the cooperation of the relevant United Nations agencies, including the International Telecommunication Union, to assist it in achieving the objectives of this Convention and, in particular, in fulfilling the responsibilities referred to in Articles 8 and 9, and in providing any necessary technical support, in accordance with their purpose.
3. The responsibilities of the Operations Coordinator are limited under this Convention to international coordination activities.
Article 3
General provisions
1. The States Parties shall cooperate with each other and with entities other than States and intergovernmental organizations, in accordance with the provisions of this Convention, to facilitate the use of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief.
2. This use may include, but not exclusively:
(a) the implementation of Earth and satellite telecommunications equipment to anticipate and monitor natural hazards, health risks and disasters and to provide related information;
(b) sharing information on natural hazards, health risks and disasters between States parties and with other States and entities other than States, and the dissemination of such information to the public and, in particular, communities exposed;
(c) the timely provision of telecommunications assistance to mitigate the effects of a disaster; and
(d) the installation and implementation of reliable and flexible telecommunications resources to be used by humanitarian relief and assistance organizations.
3. To facilitate this use, States parties may enter into additional international or bilateral agreements or arrangements.
4. The States parties request that the Coordinator of Operations, in consultation with the International Telecommunication Union, the Depositary, other United Nations agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, implement all efforts, in accordance with the provisions of this Convention, to:
(a) Develop, in agreement with States parties, models of agreements on which international or bilateral agreements can be based to facilitate the provision of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief;
(b) make available to States parties, other States, entities other than States and intergovernmental organizations models of agreement, best practices and other relevant information regarding the provision of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief, by electronic means or other appropriate mechanisms;
(c) develop, operate and maintain procedures and systems for the collection and dissemination of information necessary for the implementation of this Convention; and
(d) inform States of the conditions set forth in this Convention and facilitate and support cooperation among States parties provided for in this Convention.
5. The States Parties shall cooperate with each other in order to strengthen the capacity of governmental organizations, non-state entities and intergovernmental organizations to enable them to develop training mechanisms for the use and operation of equipment, as well as training courses for the development, design and construction of emergency telecommunications facilities to facilitate the prevention and monitoring of disasters and the reduction of their effects.
Article 4
Provision of telecommunications assistance
1. A State Party requesting telecommunications assistance for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations may address any other State Party, either directly or through the Operations Coordinator. In the second case, the coordinator of operations shall forthwith communicate the request to all other States parties concerned; in the first case, the requesting State Party shall inform the operational coordinator as soon as possible.
2. A requesting State Party for telecommunications assistance shall specify the extent and type of assistance required and the measures taken pursuant to Articles 5 and 9 of this Convention and, where feasible, shall provide to the State party to which it is addressed and/or to the coordinator of operations any other information necessary to determine the extent to which the said State Party may respond to its request.
3. Each State Party to which a request for assistance in the field of telecommunications is addressed, either directly or through the Coordinator of Operations, shall immediately determine and notify the requesting State Party whether it is prepared to provide the required assistance, either directly or otherwise, and shall indicate the scope, terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to such assistance and, where appropriate, the associated costs.
4. Each State Party decided to provide telecommunications assistance to inform the operational coordinator as soon as possible.
5. No telecommunications assistance shall be provided by a State Party under this Convention without the consent of the requesting State Party. The latter has the right to refuse all or part of the telecommunications assistance offered by another State Party in accordance with its legislation and general policy.
6. The States Parties shall recognize under this article the right of requesting States parties to request assistance in the field of telecommunications directly to entities other than States or intergovernmental organizations and shall recognize to entities other than States and intergovernmental organizations the right, in accordance with the legal provisions to which they are subjected to provide telecommunications assistance to requesting States parties.
7. An entity other than a State or intergovernmental organization may not be a "applicant State Party" and may not be authorized to request telecommunications assistance under this Convention.
8. Nothing in this Convention shall affect the right of a State Party, pursuant to its national legislation, to direct, manage, coordinate and supervise the telecommunications assistance provided in its territory under this Convention.
Article 5
Privileges, immunities and facilities
1. The requesting State Party shall, within the limits permitted by its national legislation, grant persons other than its nationals and organizations other than those who have their seats or are domiciled in its territory, who act under this Convention and who have been duly notified to the requesting State Party and accepted by it, the privileges, immunities and facilities necessary for the exercise of their functions including, but not exclusively:
(a) Immunity in arrest, detention and jurisdiction, including with respect to the jurisdiction in civil, criminal and administrative matters of the requesting State Party in respect of acts or omissions specifically and directly related to the provision of telecommunications assistance;
(b) the exemption of taxes, taxes or other duties, except those that are usually included in the price of goods and services, in the performance of their assistance functions or for equipment, equipment and other goods brought or purchased in the territory of the requesting State Party in order to provide telecommunications assistance under this Convention; and
(c) immunity from seizure, seizure or requisition of such equipment, equipment and property.
2. The requesting State Party shall provide, to the extent of its capabilities, on-site facilities and services for the proper and effective management of telecommunications assistance; the State party shall, inter alia, ensure that the telecommunications equipment brought into its territory under this Convention shall be approved as soon as possible or exempted from the approval in accordance with its legal and regulatory provisions.
3. The requesting State Party shall guarantee the protection of personnel, equipment and equipment brought into its territory under this Convention.
4. The ownership of the equipment and equipment provided under this Convention shall not be affected by the use made under this Convention. The requesting State Party shall ensure that such equipment, equipment and goods are rendered as soon as possible to the assisting State Party.
5. The requesting State Party may not direct the implementation or use of any telecommunications resource provided under this Convention for purposes that are not directly related to disaster forecasting or monitoring, or to measures to prepare, cope with, mitigate or provide relief during or after disasters.
6. Nothing in this article requires a requesting State Party to grant privileges and immunities to its nationals or permanent residents, or to organizations that have their seat or domicile in its territory.
7. Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities in accordance with the provisions of this article, all persons entering the territory of a State Party in order to provide telecommunications assistance or to otherwise facilitate the use of telecommunications resources under this Convention, and all organizations providing telecommunications assistance or otherwise facilitating the use of telecommunications means under this Convention shall be obliged to respect that State Party. These individuals and organizations also have a duty of non-interference in the internal affairs of the State party in whose territory they entered.
8. Nothing in this article shall prejudge the rights and obligations relating to privileges and immunities granted to persons and organizations directly or indirectly involved in telecommunications assistance, in accordance with other international agreements (including the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations adopted by the General Assembly on 13 February 1946 and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialized Institutions adopted by the General Assembly on 21 November 1947) or
Article 6
Cessation of assistance
1. The requesting State Party or the assisting State Party may, at any time, terminate the telecommunications assistance received or provided under Article 4 by written notification. Upon receipt of this notification, the States parties concerned shall consult with a view to ensuring that the assistance is terminated in an appropriate and timely manner, taking into account the risks to human life associated with the cessation of assistance and its consequences on the ongoing disaster relief operations.
2. States parties providing or receiving telecommunications assistance under this Convention shall remain bound by the provisions of this Convention after the termination of such assistance.
3. Any State Party requesting the cessation of telecommunications assistance shall notify the coordinator of the operations of that request. The coordinator provides the required and necessary assistance to facilitate the cessation of telecommunications assistance.
Article 7
Payment or refund of fees or fees
1. States Parties may submit the provision of telecommunications assistance for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations to an agreement on payment or reimbursement of specified costs or fees, bearing in mind the provisions of paragraph 8 of this article.
2. In the event that such a condition applies, the States Parties shall establish in writing before the provision of telecommunications assistance:
(a) the obligation to pay or refund;
(b) the amount of such payment or refund or the manner in which it is calculated; and
(c) other terms, conditions or restrictions applicable to such payment or refund, including, but not limited to, the currency in which such payment or refund is made.
3. The conditions set out in paragraphs 2 (b) and 2 (c) of this article may be met by reference to published rates, rates or prices.
4. In order to ensure that the negotiation of payment and refund agreements does not unduly delay the provision of telecommunications assistance, the Coordinator of Operations develops, in agreement with the States parties, a model of payment and reimbursement agreement that can form the basis for the negotiation of payment and refund obligations under this Article.
5. No State Party shall make any payment or reimbursement of costs or fees under this Convention without having previously expressed its consent to the conditions established by a State Party providing assistance in accordance with paragraph 2 of this article.
6. Where the provision of telecommunications assistance is duly subject to the payment or reimbursement of costs or fees under this article, such payment or reimbursement shall be made immediately after the submission of the request for payment or refund by the State party providing assistance.
7. Funds paid or refunded by a requesting State Party in the context of the provision of telecommunications assistance are freely transferable outside the jurisdiction of the requesting State Party and shall not be subject to delays or detentions.
8. In order to determine whether the provision of telecommunications assistance should be submitted to an agreement providing for the payment or reimbursement of specified fees or fees, the amount of such costs or fees and the terms, conditions and restrictions associated with their payment or refund, the States Parties shall consider, inter alia:
(a) United Nations humanitarian assistance principles;
(b) the nature of the disaster, natural risk or health risk;
(c) the potential consequences or consequences of the disaster;
(d) the place of origin of the disaster;
(e) the region affected or potentially affected by the disaster;
(f) possible previous disasters and the likelihood of future disasters in the affected region;
(g) the capacity of each State affected by the disaster, natural risk or health risk to prepare for or face such an event; and
(h) the needs of developing countries.
9. This Article also applies to cases where telecommunications assistance is provided by an entity other than a State or by an intergovernmental organization, provided that:
(a) the requesting State Party has agreed that such telecommunications assistance for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations be made available to it and has not terminated it;
(b) that the entity other than a State or intergovernmental organization providing such assistance in the field of telecommunications has informed the requesting State Party of its acceptance of this article and articles 4 and 5; and
(c) that the application of this article is not incompatible with any other agreement concerning the relations between the requesting State Party and the entity other than a State or intergovernmental organization providing such assistance in the field of telecommunications.
Article 8
Inventory of telecommunications assistance information
1. Each State Party shall notify the coordinator of operations of the name of its authority or authorities:
(a) responsible for matters under this Convention and authorized to request, offer, accept and terminate assistance; and
(b) empowered to determine the governmental, intergovernmental and/or non-governmental resources that may be available to facilitate the use of telecommunications resources to mitigate the effects of disasters and to enable disaster relief operations, as well as to provide telecommunications assistance.
2. Each State Party shall endeavour to promptly inform the coordinator of operations of any changes to the information provided in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
3. The Operations Coordinator may agree that an entity other than a State or an intergovernmental organization shall notify the Coordinator of the procedures it applies to authorize the provision of telecommunications assistance and to terminate it in accordance with this Article.
4. A State Party, an entity other than a State or an intergovernmental organization may, at its discretion, include in the record it or it shall file with the coordinator of operations information relating to particular telecommunications resources or plans relating to the use of such resources to meet a request for assistance in the field of telecommunications submitted by a requesting State Party.
5. The coordinator of operations shall keep up to date copies of all lists of authorities and shall promptly disseminate such information to States parties, other States, entities other than States and relevant intergovernmental organizations, unless a State Party, an entity other than a State or an intergovernmental organization has previously specified in writing that the dissemination of the information it or it has provided must be limited.
6. The Coordinator of Operations deals with the documentation submitted by entities other than States or by intergovernmental organizations in the same manner that are applicable to documentation submitted by States parties.
Article 9
Regulatory barriers
1. States Parties reduce or eliminate, where possible and in accordance with their national legislation, regulatory barriers to the use of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief, including the provision of telecommunications assistance.
2. Regulatory barriers may include the following obstacles, but this list is not limited to:
(a) regulatory provisions limiting the import or export of telecommunications equipment;
(b) regulatory provisions limiting the use of telecommunications equipment or radio frequency spectrum;
(c) regulatory provisions limiting the movement of personnel who operate or are essential to their effective use;
(d) regulatory provisions limiting the transit of telecommunications resources towards or from the territory of a State Party or through that territory;
(e) delays due to the administration of such regulatory provisions.
3. The reduction of regulatory barriers may take the form of the following measures, but this list is not limiting:
(a) regulatory review;
(b) exemption from specified telecommunications resources from the application of these regulatory provisions during the use of these resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations;
(c) prior authorization to use telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief, in accordance with these regulations;
(d) recognition of foreign registration of telecommunications equipment and/or operating licences;
(e) rapid review of telecommunications resources for their use in disaster mitigation and disaster relief, in accordance with these regulations; and
(f) temporary lifting of these regulatory provisions for the use of telecommunications resources for disaster mitigation and disaster relief operations.
4. Each State Party shall facilitate, at the request of any other State Party and within the limits permitted by its national legislation, the transit to or from its territory or through its territory of personnel, equipment, equipment and information associated with the use of telecommunications resources for the mitigation of the effects of disasters and disaster relief operations.
5. Each Member State shall notify the Coordinator of Operations and other States Parties directly or through the Coordinator of Operations:
(a) the measures taken under this Convention to reduce or eliminate such regulatory barriers;
(b) the procedures made available under this Convention, to States parties, other States, entities other than States and intergovernmental organizations, with a view to exempting the telecommunications resources specified and used for the mitigation of the effects of disasters and relief operations in the event of a disaster, the application of these regulations, for the purpose of obtaining prior authorization or the accelerated review of these regulations
(c) the terms, conditions and restrictions associated, if any, with the use of these procedures.
6. The Coordinator of Operations regularly and expeditiously provides States parties, other States, entities other than States and intergovernmental organizations with an updated list of these measures, their scope, and the terms, conditions and restrictions associated, if any, with their use.
7. No provision of this Article authorizes the violation or repeal of obligations and responsibilities imposed by the laws of a country, by international law or by multilateral or bilateral agreements, including customs and export controls.
Article 10
Relations with other international agreements
This Convention does not affect the rights and obligations of States parties arising from other international agreements or international law.
Article 11
Settlement of disputes
1. In the event of a dispute between States parties regarding the interpretation or application of this Convention, the States parties to the dispute shall consult in order to resolve the dispute. These consultations begin immediately after the written declaration, handed over by a State Party to another State Party, concerning the existence of a dispute under this Convention. The State party shall make a written declaration concerning the existence of a dispute shall forthwith copy this declaration to the depositary.
2. If a dispute between States parties cannot be settled within six (6) months from the date of delivery of the written declaration to a State Party to the dispute, the States Parties to the dispute may request any other State Party, an entity other than a State or an intergovernmental organization to use its good offices to facilitate the settlement of the dispute.
3. If none of the States parties seeks to ensure the good offices of another State Party, State, entity other than a State or intergovernmental organization, or if the good offices do not facilitate the settlement of the dispute within six (6) months from the request for good offices submitted, then either State Party to the dispute may:
(a) requesting that the dispute be subject to binding arbitration; or
(b) submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice for a decision, provided that both States parties to the dispute have, at the time they have signed or ratified this Convention or at the time they have acceded to it, or at any other time thereafter, accepted the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice for such disputes.
4. In the event that States parties to the dispute request that the dispute be submitted to binding arbitration and submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice for decision, the referral of the International Court of Justice shall have priority.
5. In the event of a dispute between a State party seeking telecommunications assistance and an entity other than a State or an intergovernmental organization, whose seat or domicile is located outside the territory of that State Party, concerning the provision of telecommunications assistance in accordance with Article 4, the State Party in whose territory the entity other than a State or an intergovernmental organization has its seat or domicile may
6. When signing, ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to this Convention, a State may declare that it does not consider itself bound by any of the dispute settlement procedures referred to in paragraph 3 above. The other States parties are not bound by a dispute settlement procedure referred to in paragraph 3 with respect to a State Party to which such declaration applies.
Article 12
Entry into force
1. This Convention is open for signature by all States that are members of the United Nations Organization or the International Telecommunication Union at the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency Telecommunications in Tampere on 18 June 1998 and thereafter at the United Nations Headquarters, New York, from 22 June 1998 to 21 June 2003.
2. A State may express its consent to be bound by this Convention:
(a) by signature (definitive);
(b) by signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval followed by the deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval; or
(c) by deposit of an instrument of accession.
3. The Convention shall enter into force thirty (30) days after thirty (30) States will have deposited their instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or affixed their final signature.
4. For each State that has signed or deposited an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, once satisfied the condition set out in paragraph 3 of this article, this Convention shall enter into force thirty (30) days after the date of the final signature or expression of the consent to be bound.
Article 13
Amendments
1. A State Party may propose amendments to this Convention by submitting such amendments to the depositary, which shall communicate them to the other States parties for approval.
2. States Parties shall inform the depositary whether or not they approve the proposed amendments within one hundred and eighty (180) days of their receipt.
3. Any amendment approved by two thirds of all States parties shall be submitted in a protocol which shall be open for signature by all States parties to the depositary.
4. The protocol shall enter into force in the same manner as this Convention. For each State that has signed the said Protocol or deposited an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, once satisfied the conditions applicable to the entry into force of the Protocol, the said Protocol shall enter into force for that State Party thirty (30) days after the date of the final signature or expression of the consent to be bound.
Article 14
Reservations
1. At the time of final signature, ratification of this Convention or any amendment thereto, or accession to the Convention, a State Party may make reservations.
2. A State Party may at any time withdraw its prior reservation by written notification to the depositary. The withdrawal of a reservation takes effect immediately after notification to the depositary.
Article 15
Denunciation
1. A State Party may denounce this Convention by written notification to the depositary.
2. The denunciation takes effect ninety (90) days after the date of filing of the written notification.
3. At the request of the State party denouncing this Convention, all copies of the lists of authorities as well as of the measures adopted and the procedures available to reduce regulatory obstacles, which it has previously communicated, are withdrawn at the date on which the denunciation takes effect.
Article 16
Depositary
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the depositary of this Convention.
Article 17
Faithful texts
The original of this Convention, whose English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French and Russian versions are equally authentic, is deposited with the depositary. Only texts authentic in English, French and Spanish will be available for signature in Tampere on 18 June 1998. The depositary shall prepare texts in Arabic, Chinese and Russian as soon as possible after that date.
In the belief that the undersigned, duly authorized for this purpose, have signed this Convention.
Done at Tampere, Finland, on 18 June 1998.

Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, made at Tampere, Finland, on 18 June 1998