Banning Anti-Personnel Mines - The Ottawa Treaty Explained (International Committee of the Red Cross , 1998, 24 p.): 2. The Ottawa treaty: 2.5 Ensuring compliance with the treaty: 2.5.6 Strengthening and updating the treaty

Banning Anti-Personnel Mines - The Ottawa Treaty Explained (International Committee of the Red Cross , 1998, 24 p.)

2. The Ottawa treaty

2.5 Ensuring compliance with the treaty

		(introduction...)
		2.5.1 Reporting on implementation
		2.5.2 Settling disputes
		2.5.3 Resolving doubts about compliance
		2.5.4 National efforts to prevent violations
		2.5.5 Reviewing implementation of the treaty
		2.5.6 Strengthening and updating the treaty

2.5.6 Strengthening and updating the treaty

Although the Ottawa treaty is a very strong legal instrument, certain refinements may in future need to be made. To ensure that the treaty can be adapted to address a changing world situation and evolving technologies, there is a specific provision for its amendment at any time after it enters into force (see Art. 13). Proposals for amendments may be submitted by any State Party. They must be sent to the UN Secretary-General, who will circulate them to all the States Parties. These countries must, within 30 days, indicate if they support discussing the proposals further. If a majority of countries respond favourably, the Secretary-General will convene an Amendment Conference to which all States Parties will be invited.

At the amendment conference, the proposed amendments will be discussed and voted upon, and then adopted if approved by at least two-thirds of the States Parties present and voting. However, support for the proposals at the conference is not enough for them to become binding on the States Parties. Following the conference, countries must inform the UN Secretary-General that they agree to be bound by the amendments, which only come into effect once a majority of State Parties have made this notification and then only for those States (see Art. 13, para. 5). Once in force, the amendments do not apply to any country that has not ratified them. Nonetheless, these States will remain bound by the original text.