Protocol to the International Convention on the  
Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation  
for Oil Pollution Damage 

(London, 19 November 1976) 


The Parties to the Present Protocol, having considered  
the International Convention on the Establishment of an  
International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution  
Damage, done at Brussels on 17 December 1971; 

Have agreed as follows: 


Article I 

For the purpose of the present Protocol: 

1. "Convention" means the International Convention on  
the Establishment of an International Fund for  
Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, 1971. 

2. "Liability Convention" has the same meaning as in the  
Convention. 

3. "Organization" has the same meaning as in the  
Convention. 

4. "Secretary-General" means the Secretary-General of  
the Organization. 


Article II 

Article 1, paragraph 4 of the Convention is replaced by  
the following text: 

"Unit of Account" or "Monetary Unit" means the unit of  
account or monetary unit as the case may be, referred to  
in Article V of the Liability Convention, as amended by  
the Protocol thereto adopted  
on 19 November 1976. 


Article III 

The amounts referred to in the Convention shall wherever  
they appear be amended as follows: 

(a) Article 4: 
(i) "450 million francs" is replaced by "30 million  
units of account or 450 million monetary units"; 
(ii) "900 million francs" is replaced by 60 million  
units of account or 900 million monetary units". 

(b) In Article 5: 
(i) "1,500 francs" is replaced by "100 units of account  
or 1,500 monetary units"; 
(ii) "125 million francs" is replaced by "8,333,000  
units of account or 125 million monetary units"; 
(iii) "2,000 francs" is replaced by "133 units of  
account or 2,000 monetary units"; 
(iv) "210 million francs" is replaced by "14 million  
units of account or 210 million monetary units". 

(c) In Article 11, "75 million francs" is replaced by "5  
million units of account or 75 million monetary units". 

(d) In Article 12, "15 million francs" is replaced by "1  
million units of account or 15 million monetary units". 


Article IV 

1. The present Protocol shall be open for signature by  
any State which has signed the Convention or acceded  
thereto and by any State invited to attend the  
Conference to Revise the Unit of Account Provisions in  
the International Convention on the Establishment of  
an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution  
Damage, 1971, held in London from 17 to 19 November  
1976. The Protocol shall be open for signature from 1  
February 1977 to 31 December 1977 at the Headquarters of  
the Organization. 

2. Subject to paragraph 4 of this Article, the present  
Protocol shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or  
approval by the States which have signed it. 

3. Subject to paragraph 4 of this Article, this Protocol  
shall be open for accession by States which did not sign  
it. 

4. The present Protocol may be ratified, accepted,  
approved or acceded to by States Parties to the  
Convention. 


Article V 

1. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall  
be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument to  
that effect with the Secretary-General. 

2. Any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval  
or accession deposited after the entry into force of an  
amendment to the present Protocol with respect to all  
existing Parties or after the completion of all measures  
required for the entry into force of the amendment with  
respect to all existing Parties shall be deemed to apply  
to the Protocol as modified by the amendment. 


Article VI 

1. The present Protocol shall enter into force for the  
States which have ratified, accepted, approved or  
acceded to it on the ninetieth day following the date on  
which the following requirements are fulfilled: 

(a) at least eight States have deposited instruments of  
ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the  
Secretary-General, and (b) the Secretary-General has  
received information in accordance with Article 39 of  
the Convention that those persons in such States who  
would be liable to contribute pursuant to Article 10 of  
the Convention have received during the preceding  
calendar year a total quantity of at least 750 million  
tons of contributing oil. 

2. However, the present Protocol shall not enter into  
force before the Convention has entered into force. 

3. For each State which subsequently ratifies, accepts,  
approves or accedes to it, the present Protocol shall  
enter into force on the ninetieth day after deposit by  
such State of the appropriate instrument. 


Article VII 

1. The present Protocol may be denounced by any Party at  
any time after the date on which the Protocol enters  
into force for that Party. 

2. Denunciation shall be effected by the deposit of an  
instrument with the Secretary-General. 

3. Denunciation shall take effect one year, or such  
longer period as may be specified in the instrument of  
denunciation, after its deposit with the Secretary- 
General. 


Article VIII 

1. A conference for the purpose of revising or amending  
the present Protocol may be convened by the  
Organization. 

2. The Organization shall convene a Conference of  
Parties to the present Protocol for the purpose of  
revising or amending it at the request of not less than  
one-third of the Parties. 


Article IX 

1. The present Protocol shall be deposited with the  
Secretary-General. 

2. The Secretary-General shall: 

(a) inform all States which have signed the present  
Protocol or acceded thereto of: 
(i) each new signature or deposit of an instrument  
together with the date thereof; 
(ii) the date of entry into force of the present  
Protocol; 
(iii) the deposit of any instrument of denunciation of  
the present Protocol together with the date on which the  
denunciation takes effect; 
(iv) any amendments to the present Protocol; 

(b) transmit certified true copies of the present  
Protocol to all States which have signed the present  
Protocol or acceded thereto. 


Article X 

As soon as this Protocol enters into force, a certified  
true copy thereof shall be transmitted by the Secretary- 
General to the Secretariat of the United Nations for  
registration and publication in accordance with Article  
102 of the Charter of the United Nations. 


Article XI 

The present Protocol is established in a single original  
in the English and French languages, both texts being  
equally authentic. Official translations in the Russian  
and Spanish languages shall be prepared by the  
Secretariat of the Organization and deposited with the  
signed original. 


Done at London this nineteenth day of November one  
thousand nine hundred and seventy-six. 

In Witness whereof the undersigned being duly authorized  
for that purpose have signed the present Protocol.