Article 23
1. This Protocol shall be open for signature and subject to
ratification, acceptance or approval by States and regional economic
integration organizations which are Parties to the Convention. It
shall be open for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New
York from
16 March 1998 to 15 March 1999. This Protocol shall be open for
accession from the day after the date on which it is closed for
signature. Instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession shall be deposited with the Depositary.
2. Any regional economic integration organization which becomes a
Party to this Protocol without any of its member States being a Party
shall be bound by all the obligations under this Protocol. In the
case of such organizations, one or more of whose member States is a
Party to this Protocol, the organization and its member States shall
decide on their respective responsibilities for the performance of
their obligations under this Protocol. In such cases, the
organization and the member States shall not be entitled to exercise
rights under this Protocol concurrently.
3. In their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession, regional economic integration organizations shall declare
the extent of their competence with respect to the matters governed
by this Protocol. These organizations shall also inform the
Depositary, who shall in turn inform the Parties, of any substantial
modification in the extent of their competence.