1. A Party may, by written communication addressed to the secretariat, propose amendments to this Agreement. The secretariat shall circulate such a communication to all Parties. If, within six months from the date of the circulation of the communication, not less than one half of the Parties reply favourably to the request, the proposed amendment shall be considered at the following meeting of the Conference of the Parties.

2. An amendment to this Agreement adopted in accordance with

article 47

shall be communicated by the depositary to all Parties for ratification, approval or acceptance.

3. Amendments to this Agreement shall enter into force for the Parties ratifying, approving or accepting them on the thirtieth day following the deposit of instruments of ratification, approval or acceptance by two thirds of the number of Parties to this Agreement as at the time of adoption of the amendment. Thereafter, for each Party depositing its instrument of ratification, approval or acceptance of an amendment after the deposit of the required number of such instruments, the amendment shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the deposit of its instrument of ratification, approval or acceptance.

4. An amendment may provide, at the time of its adoption, that a smaller or larger number of ratifications, approvals or acceptances shall be required for its entry into force than required under this article.

5. For the purposes of paragraphs 3 and 4 above, any instrument deposited by a regional economic integration organization shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by the member States of that organization.

6. A State or regional economic integration organization that becomes a Party to this Agreement after the entry into force of amendments in accordance with

paragraph 3

above shall, failing an expression of a different intention by that State or regional economic integration organization: