CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC MARINE  
LIVING RESOURCES 

Canberra, 20 May 1980 


The Contracting Parties, 

Recognising the importance of safeguarding the environment  
and protecting the integrity of the ecosystem of the seas  
surrounding Antarctica; 

Noting the concentration of marine living resources found in  
Antarctic waters and the increased interest in the  
possibilities offered by the utilization of these resources  
as a source of protein; 

Conscious of the urgency of ensuring the conservation of  
Antarctic marine living resources; 

Considering that it is essential to increase knowledge of  
the Antarctic marine ecosystem and its components so as to be  
able to base decisions on harvesting on sound scientific  
information; 

Believing that the conservation of Antarctic marine living  
resources calls for international cooperation with due regard  
for the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty and with the  
active involvement of all States engaged in research or  
harvesting activities in Antarctic waters; 

Recognising the prime responsibilities of the Antarctic  
Treaty Consultative Parties for the protection and  
preservation of the Antarctic environment and, in particular,  
their responsibilities under Article IX, paragraph 1(f) of  
the Antarctic Treaty in respect of the preservation and  
conservation of living resources in Antarctica; 

Recalling the action already taken by the Antarctic Treaty  
Consultative Parties including in particular the Agreed  
Measures for the Conservation of Antarctic Fauna and Flora,  
as well as the provisions of the Convention for the  
Conservation of Antarctic Seals; 

Bearing in mind the concern regarding the conservation of  
Antarctic marine living resources expressed by the  
Consultative Parties at the Ninth Consultative Meeting of the  
Antarctic Treaty and the importance of the provisions of  
Recommendation IX-2 which led to the establishment of the  
present Convention; 

Believing that it is in the interest of all mankind to  
preserve the waters surrounding the Antarctic continent for  
peaceful purposes only and to prevent their becoming the  
scene or object of international discord; 

Recognising, in the light of the foregoing, that it is  
desirable to establish suitable machinery for recommending,  
promoting, deciding upon and coordinating the measures and  
scientific studies needed to ensure the conservation of  
Antarctic marine living organisms; 

Have agreed as follows: 


Article I 

1. This Convention applies to the Antarctic marine living  
resources of the area south of 60 deg south latitude and to  
the Antarctic marine living resources of the area between  
that latitude and the Antarctic Convergence which form part  
of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. 

2. Antarctic marine living resources means the populations of  
fin fish, molluscs, crustaceans and all other species of  
living organisms, including birds, found south of the  
Antarctic Convergence. 

3. The Antarctic marine ecosystem means the complex of  
relationships of Antarctic marine living resources with each  
other and with their physical environment. 

4. The Antarctic Convergence shall be deemed to be a line  
joining the following points along parallels of latitude and  
meridians of longitude: 

50 deg S, 0 deg; 50 deg S, 30 deg E; 45 deg S, 30 deg E; 45  
deg S, 80 deg E; 55 deg S, 80 deg E, 55 deg S, 150 deg E;  
60 deg S, 150 deg E; 60 deg S, 50 deg W; 50 deg S, 50 deg  
W; 50 deg S, 0 deg. 


Article II 

1. The objective of this Convention is the conservation of  
Antarctic marine living resources. 

2. For the purposes of this Convention, the term  
"conservation" includes rational use. 

3. Any harvesting and associated activities in the area to  
which this Convention applies shall be conducted in  
accordance with the provisions of this Convention and with  
the following principles of conservation: 

(a) prevention of decrease in the size of any harvested  
population to levels below those which ensure its stable  
recruitment. For this purpose its size should not be allowed  
to fall below a level close to that which ensures the  
greatest net annual increment; 

(b) maintenance of the ecological relationships between  
harvested, dependent and related populations of Antarctic  
marine living resources and the restoration of depleted  
populations to the levels defined in sub-paragraph (a) above;  
and 

(c) prevention of changes or minimization of the risk of  
changes in the marine ecosystem which are not potentially  
reversible over two or three decades, taking into account the  
state of available knowledge of the direct and indirect  
impact of harvesting, the effect of the introduction of alien  
species, the effects of associated activities on the marine  
ecosystem and of the effects of environmental changes, with  
the aim of making possible the sustained conservation of  
Antarctic marine living resources. 


Article III 

The Contracting Parties, whether or not they are Parties to  
the Antarctic Treaty, agree that they will not engage in any  
activities in the Antarctic Treaty area contrary to the  
principles and purposes of that Treaty and that, in their  
relations with each other, they are bound by the obligations  
contained in Articles I and V of the Antarctic Treaty. 


Article IV 

1. With respect to the Antarctic Treaty area, all Contracting  
Parties, whether or not they are Parties to the Antarctic  
Treaty, are bound by Articles IV and VI of the Antarctic  
Treaty in their relations with each other. 

2. Nothing in this Convention and no acts or activities  
taking place while the present Convention is in force shall: 

(a) constitute a basis for asserting. supporting or denying a  
claim to territorial sovereignty in the Antarctic Treaty area  
or create any rights of sovereignty in the Antarctic Treaty  
area; 

(b) be interpreted as a renunciation or diminution by any  
Contracting Party of, or as prejudicing, any right or claim  
on basis of claim to exercise coastal State jurisdiction  
under international law within the area to which this  
Convention applies; 

(c) be interpreted as prejudicing the position of any  
Contracting Party as regards its recognition or non- 
recognition of any such right, claim or basis of claim; 

(d) affect the provision of Article IV, paragraph 2, of the  
Antarctic Treaty that no new claim, or enlargement of an  
existing claim, to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica  
shall be asserted while the Antarctic Treaty is in force. 


Article V 

1. The Contracting Parties which are not Parties to the  
Antarctic Treaty acknowledge the special obligations and  
responsibilities of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties  
for the protection and preservation of the environment of the  
Antarctic Treaty area. 

2. The Contracting Parties which are not Parties to the  
Antarctic Treaty agree that, in their activities in the  
Antarctic Treaty area, they will observe as and when  
appropriate the Agreed Measures for the Conservation of  
Antarctic Fauna and Flora and such other measures as have  
been recommended by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties  
in fulfilment of their responsibility for the protection of  
the Antarctic environment from all forms of harmful human  
interference. 

3. For the purposes of this Convention, "Antarctic Treaty  
Consultative Parties" means the Contracting Parties to the  
Antarctic Treaty whose Representatives participate in  
meetings under Article IX of the Antarctic Treaty. 


Article VI 

Nothing in this Convention shall derogate from the rights  
and obligations of Contracting Parties under the  
International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and  
the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals. 


Article VII 

1. The Contracting Parties hereby establish and agree to  
maintain the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic  
Marine Living Resources (hereinafter referred to as "the  
Commission"). 

2. Membership in the Commission shall be as follows: 

(a) each Contracting Party which participated in the meeting  
at which this Convention was adopted shall be a Member of the  
Commission; 

(b) each State Party which has acceded to this Convention  
pursuant to Article XXIX shall be entitled to be a Member of  
the Commission during such time as that acceding party is  
engaged in research or harvesting activities in relation to  
the marine living resources to which this Convention applies; 

(c) each regional economic integration organization which has  
acceded to this Convention pursuant to Article XXIX shall be  
entitled to be a Member of the Commission during such time as  
its States members are so entitled; 

(d) a Contracting Party seeking to participate in the work of  
the Commission pursuant to sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) above  
shall notify the Depositary of the basis upon which it seeks  
to become a Member of the Commission and of its willingness  
to accept conservation measures in force. The Depositary  
shall communicate to each Member of the Commission such  
notification and accompanying information. Within two months  
of receipt of such communication from the Depositary, any  
Member of the Commission may request that a special meeting  
of the Commission be held to consider the matter. Upon  
receipt of such request, the Depositary shall call such a  
meeting. If there is no request for a meeting, the  
Contracting Party submitting the notification shall be deemed  
to have satisfied the requirements for Commission Membership. 

3. Each Member of the Commission shall be represented by one  
representative who may be accompanied by alternate  
representatives and advisers. 


Article VIII 

The Commission shall have legal personality and shall enjoy  
in the territory of each of the States Parties such legal  
capacity as may be necessary to perform its function and  
achieve the purposes of this Convention. The privileges and  
immunities to be enjoyed by the Commission and its staff in  
the territory of a State Party shall be determined by  
agreement between the Commission and the State Party  
concerned. 


Article IX 

1 . The function of the Commission shall be to give effect to  
the objective and principles set out in Article II of this  
Convention. To this end, it shall: 

(a) facilitate research into and comprehensive studies of  
Antarctic marine living resources and of the Antarctic marine  
ecosystem; 

(b) compile data on the status of and changes in population  
of Antarctic marine living resources and on factors affecting  
the distribution, abundance and productivity of harvested  
species and dependent or related species or populations; 

(c) ensure the acquisition of catch and effort statistics on  
harvested populations; 

(d) analyse, disseminate and publish the information referred  
to in sub-paragraphs (b) and (c) above and the reports of the  
Scientific Committee: 

(e) identify conservation needs and analyse the effectiveness  
of conservation measures; 

(f) formulate, adopt and revise conservation measures on the  
basis of the best scientific evidence available, subject to  
the provisions of paragraph 5 of this Article; 

(g) implement the system of observation and inspection  
established under Article XXIV of this Convention; 

(h) carry out such other activities as are necessary to  
fulfil the objective of this Convention. 

2. The conservation measures referred to in paragraph 1(f)  
above include the following: 

(a) the designation of the quantity of any species which may  
be harvested in the area to which this Convention applies; 

(b) the designation of regions and sub-regions based on the  
distribution of populations of Antarctic marine living  
resources; 

(c) the designation of the quantity which may be harvested  
from the populations of regions and sub-regions; 

(d) the designation of protected species; 

(e) the designation of the size, age and, as appropriate, sex  
of species which may be harvested; 

(f) the designation of open and closed seasons for  
harvesting; 

(g) the designation of the opening and closing of areas,  
regions or sub-regions for purposes of scientific study or  
conservation, including special areas for protection and  
scientific study; 

(h) regulation of the effort employed and methods of  
harvesting, including fishing gear, with a view, inter alia,  
to avoiding undue concentration of harvesting in any region  
or sub-region; 

(i) the taking of such other conservation measures as the  
Commission considers necessary for the fulfilment of the  
objective of this Convention, including measures concerning  
the effects of 
harvesting and associated activities on components of the  
marine ecosystem other than the harvested populations. 

3. The Commission shall publish and maintain a record of all  
conservation measures in force. 

4. In exercising its functions under paragraph 1 above, the  
Commission shall take full account of the recommendations and  
advice of the Scientific Committee. 

5. The Commission shall take full account of any relevant  
measures or regulations established or recommended by the  
Consultative Meetings pursuant to Article IX of the Antarctic  
Treaty or by existing fisheries commissions responsible for  
species which may enter the area to which this Convention  
applies, in order that there shall be no inconsistency  
between the rights and obligations of a Contracting Party  
under such regulations or measures and conservation measures  
which may be adopted by the Commission. 

6. Conservation measures adopted by the Commission in  
accordance with this Convention shall be implemented by  
Members of the Commission in the following manner: 

(a) the Commission shall notify conservation measures to all  
Members of the Commission; 

(b) conservation measures shall become binding upon all  
Members of the Commission 180 days after such notification,  
except as provided in subparagraphs (c) and (d) below: 

(c) if a Member of the Commission, within ninety days  
following the notification specified in subparagraph (a),  
notifies the Commission that it is unable to accept the  
conservation measure, in whole or in part, the measure shall  
not, to the extent stated, be binding upon that Member of the  
Commission; 

(d) in the event that any Member of the Commission invokes  
the procedure set forth in subparagraph (c) above, the  
Commission shall meet at the request of any Member of the  
Commission to review the conservation measure. At the time of  
such meeting and within thirty days following the meeting,  
any Member of the Commission shall have the right to declare  
that it is no longer able to accept the conservation measure,  
in which case the Member shall no longer be bound by such  
measure. 


Article X 

1. The Commission shall draw the attention of any State which  
is not a Party to this Convention to any activity undertaken  
by its nationals or vessels which, in the opinion of the  
Commission, affects the implementation of the objective of  
this Convention. 

2. The Commission shall draw the attention of all Contracting  
Parties to any activity which, in the opinion of the  
Commission, affects the implementation by a Contracting Party  
of the objective of this Convention or the compliance by that  
Contracting Party with its obligations under this Convention. 


Article XI 

The Commission shall seek to co-operate with Contracting  
Parties which may exercise jurisdiction in marine areas  
adjacent to the area to which this Convention applies in  
respect of the conservation of any stock or stocks of  
associated species which occur both within those areas and  
the area to which this Convention applies, with a view to  
harmonizing the conservation measures adopted in respect of  
such stocks. 


Article XII 

1. Decisions of the Commission on matters of substance shall  
be taken by consensus. The question of whether a matter is  
one of substance shall be treated as a matter of substance. 

2. Decisions on matters other than those referred to in  
paragraph 1 above shall be taken by a simple majority of the  
Members of the Commission present and voting. 

3. In Commission consideration of any item requiring a  
decision, it shall be made clear whether a regional economic  
integration organization will participate in the taking of  
the decision and, if so, whether any of its member States  
will also participate. The number of Contracting Parties so  
participating shall not exceed the number of member States of  
the regional economic integration organization which are  
Members of the Commission. 

4. In the taking of decisions pursuant to this Article, a  
regional economic integration organization shall have only  
one vote. 


Article XIII 

1. The headquarters of the Commission shall be established at  
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 

2. The Commission shall hold a regular annual meeting. Other  
meetings shall also be held at the request of one-third of  
its members and as otherwise provided in this Convention. The  
first meeting of the Commission shall be held within three  
months of the entry into force of this Convention, provided  
that among the Contracting Parties there are at least two  
States conducting harvesting activities within the area to  
which this Convention applies. The first meeting shall, in  
any event, be held within one year of the entry into force of  
this Convention. The Depositary shall consult with the  
signatory States regarding the first Commission meeting,  
taking into account that a broad representation of such  
States is necessary for the effective operation of the  
Commission. 

3. The Depositary shall convene the first meeting of the  
Commission at the headquarters of the Commission. Thereafter,  
meetings of the Commission shall be held at its headquarters,  
unless it decides otherwise. 

4. The Commission shall elect from among its members a  
Chairman and Vice-Chairman, each of whom shall serve for a  
term of two years and shall be eligible for re-election for  
one additional term. The first Chairman shall, however, be  
elected for an initial term of three years. The Chairman and  
Vice-Chairman shall not be representatives of the same  
Contracting Party. 

5. The Commission shall adopt and amend as necessary the  
rules of procedure for the conduct of its meetings, except  
with respect to the matters dealt with in Article XII of this  
Convention. 

6. The Commission may establish such subsidiary bodies as are  
necessary for the performance of its functions. 


Article XIV 

1. The Contracting Parties hereby establish the Scientific  
Committee for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living  
Resources (hereinafter referred to as the "Scientific  
Committee") which shall be a consultative body to the  
Commission. The Scientific Committee shall normally meet at  
the headquarters of the Commission unless the Scientific  
Committee decides otherwise. 

2. Each Member of the Commission shall be a member of the  
Scientific Committee and shall appoint a representative with  
suitable scientific qualifications who may be accompanied by  
other experts and advisers. 

3. The Scientific Committee may seek the advice of other  
scientists and experts as may be required on an ad hoc basis. 


Article XV 

1. The Scientific Committee shall provide a forum for  
consultation and co-operation concerning the collection,  
study and exchange of information with respect to the marine  
living resources to which this Convention applies. It shall  
encourage and promote co-operation in the field of scientific  
research in order to extend knowledge of the marine living  
resources of the Antarctic marine ecosystem. 

2. The Scientific Committee shall conduct such activities as  
the Commission may direct in pursuance of the objective of  
this Convention and shall: 

(a) establish criteria and methods to be used for  
determinations concerning the conservation measures referred  
to in Article IX of this Convention; 

(b) regularly assess the status and trends of the populations  
of Antarctic marine living resources; 

(c) analyse data concerning the direct and indirect effects  
of harvesting on the populations of Antarctic marine living  
resources; 

(d) assess the effects of proposed changes in the methods or  
levels of harvesting and proposed conservation measures; 

(e) transmit assessments, analyses, reports and  
recommendations to the Commission as requested or on its own  
initiative regarding measures and research to implement the  
objective of this Convention; 

(f) formulate proposals for the conduct of international and  
national programs of research into Antarctic marine living  
resources. 

3. In carrying out its functions, the Scientific Committee  
shall have regard to the work of other relevant technical and  
scientific organizations and to the scientific activities  
conducted within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty. 


Article XVI  

1. The first meeting of the Scientific Committee shall be  
held within three months of the first meeting of the  
Commission. The Scientific Committee shall meet thereafter as  
often as may be necessary to fulfil its functions. 

2. The Scientific Committee shall adopt and amend as  
necessary its rules of procedure. The rules and any  
amendments thereto shall be approved by the Commission. The  
rules shall include procedures for the presentation of  
minority reports. 

3. The Scientific Committee may establish, with the approval  
of the Commission, such subsidiary bodies as are necessary  
for the performance of its functions. 


Article XVII 

1. The Commission shall appoint an Executive Secretary to  
serve the Commission and Scientific Committee according to  
such procedures and on such terms and conditions as the  
Commission may determine. His term of office shall be for  
four years and he shall be eligible for reappointment. 

2. The Commission shall authorize such staff establishment  
for the Secretariat as may be necessary and the Executive  
Secretary shall appoint, direct and supervise such staff  
according to such rules and procedures and on such terms and  
conditions as the Commission may determine. 

3. The Executive Secretary and Secretariat shall perform the  
functions entrusted to them by the Commission . 


Article XVIII 

The official languages of the Commission and of the  
Scientific Committee shall be English, French, Russian and  
Spanish. 


Article XIX 

1. At each annual meeting, the Commission shall adopt by  
consensus its budget and the budget of the Scientific  
Committee. 

2. A draft budget for the Commission and the Scientific  
Committee and any subsidiary bodies shall be prepared by the  
Executive Secretary and submitted to the Members of the  
Commission at least sixty days before the annual meeting of  
the Commission. 

3. Each Member of the Commission shall contribute to the  
budget. Until the expiration of five years after the entry  
into force of this Convention, the contribution of each  
Member of the Commission shall be equal.Thereafter the  
contribution shall be determined in accordance with two  
criteria: the amount harvested and an equal sharing among all  
Members of the Commission.The Commission shall determine by  
consensus the proportion in which these two criteria shall  
apply. 

4. The financial activities of the Commission and Scientific  
Committee shall be conducted in accordance with financial  
regulations adopted by the Commission and shall be subject to  
an annual audit by external auditors selected by the  
Commission. 

5. Each Member of the Commission shall meet its own expenses  
arising from attendance at meetings of the Commission and of  
the Scientific Committee. 

6. A Member of the Commission that fails to pay its  
contributions for two consecutive years shall not, during the  
period of its default, have the right to participate in the  
taking of decisions in the Commission. 


Article XX 

1. The Members of the Commission shall, to the greatest  
extent possible, provide annually to the Commission and to  
the Scientific Committee such statistical, biological and  
other data and information as the Commission and Scientific  
Committee may require in the exercise of their functions. 

2. The Members of the Commission shall provide, in the manner  
and at such intervals as may be prescribed, information about  
their harvesting activities, including fishing areas and  
vessels, so as to enable reliable catch and effort statistics  
to be compiled. 

3. The Members of the Commission shall provide to the  
Commission at such intervals as may be prescribed information  
on steps taken to implement the conservation measures adopted  
by the Commission. 

4. The Members of the Commission agree that in any of their  
harvesting activities, advantage shall be taken of  
opportunities to collect data needed to assess the impact of  
harvesting. 


Article XXI 

1. Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate measures  
within its competence to ensure compliance with the  
provisions of this Convention and with conservation measures  
adopted by the Commission to which the Party is bound in  
accordance with Article IX of this Convention. 

2. Each Contracting Party shall transmit to the Commission  
information on measures taken pursuant to paragraph 1 above,  
including the imposition of sanctions for any violation. 


Article XXII 

1. Each Contracting Party undertakes to exert appropriate  
efforts, consistent with the Charter of the United Nations,  
to the end that no one engages in any activity contrary to  
the objective of this Convention. 

2. Each Contracting Party shall notify the Commission of any  
such activity which comes to its attention. 


Article XXIII 

1. The Commission and the Scientific Committee shall co- 
operate with the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties on  
matters falling within the competence of the latter. 

2. The Commission and the Scientific Committee shall co- 
operate, as appropriate, with the Food and Agriculture  
Organization of the United Nations and with other Specialised  
Agencies. 

3. The Commission and the Scientific Committee shall seek to  
develop co-operative working relationships, as appropriate,  
with inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations  
which could contribute to their work, including the  
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the Scientific  
Committee on Oceanic Research and the International Whaling  
Commission. 

4. The Commission may enter into agreements with the  
organizations referred to in this Article and with other  
organizations as may be appropriate.The Commission and the  
Scientific Committee may invite such organizations to send  
observers to their meetings and to meetings of their  
subsidiary bodies. 


Article XXIV 

1. In order to promote the objective and ensure observance of  
the provisions of this Convention, the Contracting Parties  
agree that a system of observation and inspection shall be  
established. 

2. The system of observation and inspection shall be  
elaborated by the Commission on the basis of the following  
principles: 

(a) Contracting Parties shall co-operate with each other to  
ensure the effective implementation of the system of  
observation and inspection, taking account of the existing  
international practice. This system shall include, inter  
alia, procedures for boarding and inspection by observers and  
inspectors designated by the Members of the Commission and  
procedures for flag State prosecution and sanctions on the  
basis of evidence resulting from such boarding and  
inspections. A report of such prosecutions and sanctions  
imposed shall be included in the information referred to in  
Article XXI of this Convention; 

(b) in order to verify compliance with measures adopted under  
this Convention, observation and inspection shall be carried  
out on board vessels engaged in scientific research or  
harvesting of marine living resources in the area to which  
this Convention applies, through observers and inspectors  
designated by the Members of the Commission and operating  
under terms and conditions to be established by the  
Commission; 

(c) designated observers and inspectors shall remain subject  
to the jurisdiction of the Contracting Party of which they  
are nationals. They shall report to the Member of the  
Commission by which they have been designated which in turn  
shall report to the Commission. 

3. Pending the establishment of the system of observation and  
inspection, the Members of the Commission shall seek to  
establish interim arrangements to designate observers and  
inspectors and such designated observers and inspectors shall  
be entitled to carry out inspections in accordance with the  
principles set out in paragraph 2 above. 


Article XXV 

1. If any dispute arises between two or more of the  
Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or  
application of this Convention, those Contracting Parties  
shall consult among themselves with a view to having the  
dispute resolved by negotiation, inquiry, mediation,  
conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement or other  
peaceful means of their own choice. 

2. Any dispute of this character not so resolved shall, with  
the consent in each case of all Parties to the dispute, be  
referred for settlement to the International Court of Justice  
or to arbitration; but failure to reach agreement on  
reference to the International Court or to arbitration shall  
not absolve Parties to the dispute from the responsibility of  
continuing to seek to resolve it by any of the various  
peaceful means referred to in paragraph 1 above. 

3. In cases where the dispute is referred to arbitration, the  
arbitral tribunal shall be constituted as provided in the  
Annex to this Convention. 


Article XXVI 

1. This Convention shall be open for signature at Canberra  
from 1 August to 31 December 1980 by the States participating  
in the Conference on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine  
Living Resources held at Canberra from 7 to 20 May l980. 

2. The States which so sign will be the original signatory  
States of the Convention. 


Article XXVII 

1. This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or  
approval by signatory States. 

2. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall  
be deposited with the Government of Australia, hereby  
designated as the Depositary. 


Article XXVIII 

1. This Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth  
day following the date of deposit of the eighth instrument of  
ratification, acceptance or approval by States referred to in  
paragraph 1 of Article XXVI of this Convention. 

2. With respect to each State or regional economic  
integration organization which subsequent to the date of  
entry into force of this Convention deposits an instrument of  
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, the  
Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day  
following such deposit. 


Article XXIX 

1. This Convention shall be open for accession by any State  
interested in research or harvesting activities in relation  
to the marine living resources to which this Convention  
applies. 

2. This Convention shall be open for accession by regional  
economic integration organizations constituted by sovereign  
States which include among their members one or more States  
Members of the Commission and to which the States members of  
the organization have transferred, in whole or in part,  
competences with regard to the matters covered by this  
Convention. The accession of such regional economic  
integration organizations shall be the subject of  
consultations among Members of the Commission. 


Article XXX 

l. This Convention may be amended at any time. 

2. If one-third of the Members of the Commission request a  
meeting to discuss a proposed amendment the Depositary shall  
call such a meeting. 

3. An amendment shall enter into force when the Depositary  
has received instruments of ratification, acceptance or  
approval thereof from all the Members of the Commission. 

4. Such amendment shall thereafter enter into force as to any  
other Contracting Party when notice of ratification,  
acceptance or approval by it has been received by the  
Depositary. Any such Contracting Party from which no such  
notice has been received within a period of one year from the  
date of entry into force of the amendment in accordance with  
paragraph 3 above shall be deemed to have withdrawn from this  
Convention. 


Article XXXI 

1. Any Contracting Party may withdraw from this Convention on  
30 June of any year, by giving written notice not later than  
1 January of the same year to the Depositary, which, upon  
receipt of such a notice, shall communicate it forthwith to  
the other Contracting Parties. 

2. Any other Contracting Party may, within sixty days of the  
receipt of a copy of such a notice from the Depositary, give  
written notice of withdrawal to the Depositary in which case  
the Convention shall cease to be in force on 30 June of the  
same year with respect to the Contracting Party giving such  
notice. 

3. Withdrawal from this Convention by any Member of the  
Commission shall not affect its financial obligations under  
this Convention. 


Article XXXII 

The Depositary shall notify all Contracting Parties of the  
following: 

(a) signatures of this Convention and the deposit of  
instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or  
accession; 

(b) the date of entry into force of this Convention and of  
any amendment thereto. 


Article XXXIII 

1. This Convention, of which the English, French, Russian and  
Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with  
the Government of Australia which shall transmit duly  
certified copies thereof to all signatory and acceding  
Parties. 

2. This Convention shall be registered by the Depositary  
pursuant to Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations. 

Drawn up at Canberra this twentieth day of May 1980. 

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorized,  
have signed this Convention. 


Annex for an arbitral tribunal 

The arbitral tribunal referred to in paragraph 3 of Article  
XXV shall be composed of three arbitrators who shall be  
appointed as follows: 

The Party commencing proceedings shall communicate the name  
of an arbitrator to the other Party which, in turn, within a  
period of forty days following such notification, shall  
communicate the name of the second arbitrator. The Parties  
shall, within a period of sixty days following the  
appointment of the second arbitrator, appoint the third  
arbitrator, who shall not be a national of either Party and  
shall not be of the same nationality as either of the first  
two arbitrators. The third arbitrator shall preside over the  
tribunal. 

If the second arbitrator has not been appointed within the  
prescribed period, or if the Parties have not reached  
agreement within the prescribed period on the appointment of  
the third arbitrator, that arbitrator shall be appointed, at  
the request of either Party, by the Secretary-General of the  
Permanent Court of Arbitration, from among persons of  
international standing not having the nationality of a State  
which is a Party to this Convention. 

The arbitral tribunal shall decide where its headquarters  
will be located and shall adopt its own rules of procedure. 

The award of the arbitral tribunal shall be made by a  
majority of its members, who may not abstain from voting. 

Any Contracting Party which is not a Party to the dispute  
may intervene in the proceedings with the consent of the  
arbitral tribunal. 

The award of the arbitral tribunal shall be final and  
binding on all Parties to the dispute and on any Party which  
intervenes in the proceedings and shall be complied with  
without delay. The arbitral tribunal shall interpret the  
award at the request of one of the Parties to the dispute or  
of any intervening Party. 

Unless the arbitral tribunal determines otherwise because  
of the particular circumstances of the case, the expenses of  
the tribunal, including the remuneration of its members,  
shall be borne by the Parties to the dispute in equal shares.