1976
United Nations — Treaty Series • Nations Unies — Recueil des Traités
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specialized agencies which define the respective responsibilities of the various organs
of the United Nations and of the specialized agencies in regard to the matters dealt
with in the present Covenant.
Article 47. Nothing in the present Covenant shall be interpreted as impairing
the inherent right of all peoples to enjoy and utilize fully and freely their natural
wealth and resources.
PART VI
Article 48. 1. The present Covenant is open for signature by any State
Member of the United Nations or member of any of its specialized agencies, by any
State Party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice, and by any other
State which has been invited by the General Assembly of the United Nations to
become a party to the present Covenant.
2. The present Covenant is subject to ratification. Instruments of ratification
shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
3. The present Covenant shall be open to accession by any State referred to in
paragraph 1 of this article.
4. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with
the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
5. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States which
have signed this Covenant or acceded to it of the deposit of each instrument of ratifi
cation or accession.
Article 49. 1. The present Covenant shall enter into force three months after
the date of the deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the thirtyfifth instrument of ratification or instrument of accession.
2. For each State ratifying the present Covenant or acceding to it after the
deposit of the thirty-fifth instrument of ratification or instrument of accession, the
present Covenant shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit of
its own instrument of ratification or instrument of accession.
Article 50. The provisions of the present Covenant shall extend to all parts of
federal States without any limitations or exceptions.
Article 51. 1. Any State Party to the present Covenant may propose an
amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The
Secretary-General of the United Nations shall thereupon communicate any proposed
amendments to the States Parties to the present Covenant with a request that they
notify him whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of con
sidering and voting upon the proposals. In the event that at least one third of the
States Parties favours such a conference, the Secretary-General shall convene the
conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a
majority of the States Parties present and voting at the conference shall be submitted
to the General Assembly of the United Nations for approval.
2. Amendments shall come into force when they have been approved by the
General Assembly of the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds majority of
the States Parties to the present Covenant in accordance with their respective consti
tutional processes.
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