CONVENTION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE  
EXPLORATION OF THE SEA 

Copenhagen, 12 September 1964  


PREAMBLE 

The Governments of the States Parties to this Convention, 

Having participated in the work of the International Council for  
the Exploration of the Sea, which was established at Copenhagen in  
1902 as a result of conferences held in Stockholm in 1899 and in  
Christiania in 1901 and entrusted with the task of carrying out a  
programme of international investigation of the sea, 

Desiring to provide a new constitution for the aforesaid Council  
with a view to facilitating the implementation of its programme, 

 Have agreed as follows: 


Article 1 

It shall be the duty of the International Council for the  
Exploration of the Sea, hereinafter referred to as the "Council", 

a) to promote and encourage research and investigations for the  
study of the sea particularly those related to the living  
resources thereof; 

b) to draw up programmes required for this purpose and to  
organize, in agreement with the Contracting Parties, such research  
and investigation as may appear necessary; 

c) to publish or otherwise disseminate the results of research and  
investigations carried out under its auspices or to encourage the  
publication thereof. 


Article 2 

The Council shall be concerned with the Atlantic Ocean and its  
adjacent seas and primarily concerned with the South Atlantic. 


Article 3 

1. The Council shall be maintained in accordance with the  
provisions of this Convention. 

2. The seat of the Council shall remain at Copenhagen. 


Article 4 

The Council shall seek to establish and maintain working  
arrangements with other international organizations which have  
related objectives and co-operate, as far as possible, with them,  
in particular in the supply of scientific information requested. 


Article 5 

The Contracting Parties undertake to furnish to the Council  
information which will contribute to the purposes of this  
Convention and can reasonably be made available and, wherever  
possible, to assist in carrying out the programmes of research co- 
ordinated by the Council. 


Article 6 

1. Each Contracting Party shall be represented at the Council by  
not more than two delegates. 

2. A delegate who is not present at a meeting of the Council may  
be replaced by a substitute who shall have all the powers of the  
delegate for that meeting. 

3. Each Contracting Party may appoint such experts and advisers as  
it may determine to assist in the work of the Council. 


Article 7 

1. The Council shall meet in ordinary session once a year. This  
session shall be held in Copenhagen, unless the Council decides  
otherwise. 

2. Extraordinary sessions of the Council may be called by the  
Bureau at such place and time as it may determine and shall be so  
called on the request of at least one-third of the Contracting  
Parties. 


Article 8 

1. Each Contracting Party shall have one vote in the Council. 

2. Decisions of the Council shall, except where otherwise in this  
Convention specially provided, be taken by a simple majority of  
the votes cast for or against. If there is an even division of  
votes on any matter which is subject to a simple majority decision  
the proposal shall be regarded as rejected. 


Article 9 

1. Subject to the provisions of this Convention the Council shall  
draw up its own Rules of Procedure which shall be adopted by a  
two-thirds majority of the Contracting Parties. 

2. English and French shall be the working languages of the  
Council. 


Article 10 

1. The Council shall elect from among the delegates its President,  
a first Vice-President and a further 5 Vice-Presidents. This last  
number may be augmented by a decision taken by the Council by a  
two-thirds majority. 

2. The President and the Vice-Presidents shall assume office on  
the first day of November next following their election, for a  
term of three years. They are eligible for re-election according  
to the Rules of Procedure. 

3. On assuming office the President shall cease forthwith to be a  
delegate. 


Article 11 

1. The President and Vice-Presidents shall together constitute the  
Bureau of the Council. 

2. The Bureau shall be the Executive Committee of the Council and  
shall carry out the decisions of the Council, draw up its agenda  
and convene its meetings. It shall also prepare the budget. It  
shall invest the reserve funds and carry out the tasks entrusted  
to it by the Council. It shall account to the Council for its  
activities. 


Article 12 

There shall be a Consultative Committee, a Finance Committee and  
such other committees as the Council may deem necessary for the  
discharge of its functions with the duties respectively assigned  
to them in the Rules of Procedure. 


Article 13 

1. The Council shall appoint a General Secretary on such terms and  
to perform such duties as it may determine. 

2. Subject to any general directions of the Council the Bureau  
shall appoint such other staff as may be required for the purposes  
of the Council on such terms and to perform such duties as it may  
determine. 


Article 14 

1. Each Contracting Party shall pay the expenses of the delegates,  
experts and advisers appointed by it, except in so far as the  
Council may otherwise determine. 

2. The Council shall approve an annual budget of the proposed  
expenditure of the Council. 

3 . In the first and second financial years after this Convention  
enters into force in accordance with Article 16 of this Convention  
the Contracting Parties shall contribute to the expenses of the  
Council such sum as they respectively contributed, or undertook to  
contribute, in respect of the year preceding the entry into force  
of this Convention. 

4. In respect of the third and subsequent financial years the  
Contracting Parties shall contribute sums calculated in accordance  
with a scheme to be prepared by the Council and accepted by all  
the Contracting Parties. This scheme may be modified by the  
Council with the agreement of all Contracting Parties. 

5. A Government acceding to this Convention shall contribute to  
the expenses of the Council such sum as may be agreed between that  
Government and the Council in respect of each financial year until  
the scheme under paragraph 4 provides for contributions from that  
Government. 

6. A Contracting Party which has not paid its contribution for two  
consecutive years shall not enjoy any rights under this Convention  
until it has fulfilled its financial obligations. 


Article 15 

1. The Council shall enjoy, in the territories of the Contracting  
Parties, such legal capacity as may be agreed between the Council  
and the Government of the Contracting Party concerned. 

2. The Council, delegates and experts the General Secretary and  
other officials shall enjoy in the territories of the Contracting  
Parties such privileges and immunities, necessary for the  
fulfilment of their functions, as may be agreed between the  
Council and the Government of the Contracting Party concerned. 


Article 16 

1. This Convention shall be open until 31 December 1961, for  
signature on behalf of the Governments of all states which  
participate in the work of the Council. 

2. This Convention is subject to ratification or approval by the  
signatory Governments in accordance with their respective  
constitutional procedures. The instruments of ratification or  
approval shall be deposited with the Government of Denmark, who  
will act as the depositary Government. 

3. This Convention shall enter into force on the 22 July next  
following the deposit of the instruments of ratification or  
approval by all signatory Governments. If, however, on the 1  
January 1968, all the signatory Governments have not ratified this  
Convention, but not less than three quarters of the signatory  
Governments have deposited instruments of ratification or  
approval, these latter Governments may agree among themselves by  
special protocol on the date on which this Convention shall enter  
into force and on other related matters; and in that case this  
Convention shall enter into force, with respect to any other  
signatory Government that ratifies or approves thereafter, on the  
date of deposit of its instrument of ratification or approval. 

4. After the entry into force of this Convention in accordance  
with paragraph 3 of this Article, the Government of any State may  
apply to accede to this Convention by addressing a written  
application to the Government of Denmark. It shall be permitted to  
deposit an instrument of accession with that Government after the  
approval of the Governments of three quarters of the states which  
have already deposited their instruments of ratification, approval  
or accession, has been notified to the Government of Denmark. For  
any acceding Government this Convention shall enter into force on  
the date of deposit of its instrument of accession. 


Article 17 

At any time after two years from the date on which this  
Convention has come into force any Contracting Party may denounce  
the Convention by means of a notice in writing addressed to the  
Government of Denmark. Any such notice shall take effect twelve  
months after the date of its receipt. 


Article 18 

When the present Convention comes into force it shall be  
registered by the depositary Government with the Secretariat of  
the United Nations Organization in accordance with Article 102 of  
its Charter. 


FINAL CLAUSE 

In Witness Whereof the undersigned being duly authorized have  
signed the present Convention: 

Done at Copenhagen this twelfth day of September 1964, in the  
English and French languages, both texts being equally authentic,  
in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the  
Government of Denmark who shall forward certified true copies to  
all signatory and acceding Governments. 



Protocol  
to the Convention for the International Council for the  
Exploration of the Sea 

Copenhagen, 13 August 1970 


The Governments of the States Parties to the Convention for the  
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, signed at  
Copenhagen on the twelfth day of September 1964 (hereinafter  
referred to as "the Convention"), 

Desiring to amend certain provisions of the Convention, 

Have agreed as follows: 


Article I  

Paragraph (2) of Article 14 of the Convention shall be amended to  
read as follows: 

"(2) the Council shall by a majority vote of all the Contracting  
Parties approve an annual budget of the Council". 


Article II 

1. This Protocol shall be open for signature on behalf of the  
Governments of all States Parties to the Convention with or  
without reservation as to ratification or approval. 

2. Instruments of ratification or approval shall be deposited with  
the Government of Denmark. 

3. This Protocol shall enter into force on the date on which the  
Governments of all States Parties to the Convention have become  
Parties to this Protocol. 

4. The Government of Denmark shall inform the Governments of the  
States Parties to the Convention of each signature ratification or  
approval of this Protocol and of the date of the entry into force  
of the Protocol. 

In Witness Whereof the undersigned being duly authorized have  
signed this Protocol. 

Done at Copenhagen this thirteenth day of August 1970, in the  
English and French languages, both texts being equally authentic,  
in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the  
Government of Denmark who shall forward certified true copies to  
the Governments of all States Parties to the Convention.