Article 20
1. Annexes to this Protocol shall form an integral part
thereof and, unless otherwise expressly provided, a reference to this
Protocol constitutes at the same time a reference to any annexes
thereto. Any annexes adopted after the entry into force of this
Protocol shall be restricted to lists, forms and any other material
of a descriptive nature that is of a scientific, technical,
procedural or administrative character.
2. Any Party may make proposals for an Annex to this Protocol and
may propose amendments to annexes to this Protocol.
3. Annexes to this Protocol and amendments to annexes to this
Protocol shall be adopted at an ordinary session of the Conference of
the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol.
The text of any proposed Annex or amendment to an Annex shall be
communicated to the Parties by the secretariat at least six months
before the meeting at which it is proposed for adoption. The
secretariat shall also communicate the text of any proposed Annex or
amendment to an Annex to the Parties and signatories to the
Convention and, for information, to the Depositary.
4. The Parties shall make every effort to reach agreement on any
proposed Annex or amendment to an Annex by consensus. If all efforts
at consensus have been exhausted, and no agreement reached, the annex
or amendment to an Annex shall as a last resort be adopted by a
three-fourths majority vote of the Parties present and voting at the
meeting. The adopted Annex or amendment to an Annex shall be
communicated by the secretariat to the Depositary, who shall
circulate it to all Parties for their acceptance.
5. An annex, other than Annex A or B, that has been adopted or
amended in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4 above shall enter into
force for all Parties to this Protocol six months after the date of
the communication by the Depositary to such Parties of the adoption
or amendment of the annex, except for those Parties that have
notified the Depositary in writing within that period of their
non-acceptance of the Annex or amendment to the annex. The Annex or
amendment to an Annex shall enter into force for Parties which
withdraw their notification of non-acceptance on the ninetieth day
after the date on which withdrawal of such notification has been
received by the Depositary.
6. If the adoption of an Annex or an amendment to an annex
involves an amendment to this Protocol, that Annex or amendment to an
annex shall not enter into force until such time as the amendment to
this Protocol enters into force.
7. Amendments to Annexes A and B to this Protocol shall be adopted
and enter into force in accordance with the procedure set out in
Article 19, provided that any amendments to Annex B shall be adopted
only with the written consent of the Party
concerned.