Section 156p. 156

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME I

court or tribunal in accordance with this article, unless

the parties otherwise agree.

6. Declarations and notices of withdrawal of declarations

under

this

article

shall

be

deposited

with

the

Secretary-General

of

the

United

Nations,

who

shall

transmit copies thereof to the States Parties.

Article

299.

Right

of

the

parties

to

agree upon a

procedure

1. A dispute excluded under article 297 or excepted by a

declaration made under article 298 from the dispute

settlement procedures provided for in section 2 may be

submitted to such procedures only by agreement of the

parties to the dispute.

2. Nothing in this section impairs the right of the parties

to the dispute to agree to some other procedure for the

settlement of such dispute or to reach an amicable

settlement.

PART XVI. GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 300. Good faith and abuse of rights

States Parties shall fulfil in good faith the obligations

assumed under this Convention and shall exercise the

rights,

jurisdiction

and

freedoms

recognized

in

this

Convention in a manner which would not constitute an

abuse of right.

Article 301. Peaceful uses of the seas

In exercising their rights and performing their duties

under this Convention, States Parties shall refrain from

any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or

political independence of any State, or in any other

manner inconsistent with the principles of international

law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.

Article 302. Disclosure of information

Without prejudice to the right of a State Party to resort to

the procedures for the settlement of disputes provided

for in this Convention, nothing in this Convention shall be

deemed to require a State Party, in the fulfilment of its

obligations under this Convention, to supply information

the

disclosure of which is contrary to the essential

interests of its security.

Article 303. Archaeological and historical objects found

at sea

1.

States

have

the

duty

to

protect

objects

of

an

archaeological and historical nature found at sea and

shall cooperate for this purpose.

2. In order to control traffic in such objects, the coastal

State may, in applying article 33, presume that their

removal from the seabed in the zone referred to in that

article

without

its

approval

would

result

in

an

infringement within its territory or territorial sea of the

laws and regulations referred to in that article.

3. Nothing in this article affects the rights of identifiable

owners, the law of salvage or other rules of admiralty, or

laws and practices with respect to cultural exchanges.

4. This article is without prejudice to other international

agreements and rules of international law regarding the

protection of objects of an archaeological and historical

nature.

Article 304. Responsibility and liability for damage

The provisions of this Convention regarding responsibility

and liability for damage are without prejudice to the

application of existing rules and the development of

further rules regarding responsibility and liability under

international law.

PART XVII. FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 305. Signature

1. This Convention shall be open for signature by:

(a) all States;

(b) Namibia, represented by the United Nations Council

for Namibia;

(c) all self-governing associated States which have chosen

that status in an act of self-determination supervised and

approved by the United Nations in accordance with

General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and which have

competence

over

the

matters

governed

by

this

Convention, including the competence to enter into

treaties in respect of those matters;

(d)

all

self-governing

associated

States

which,

in

accordance

with

their

respective

instruments

of

association, have competence over the matters governed

by this Convention, including the competence to enter

into treaties in respect of those matters;

(e) all territories which enjoy full internal self-government,

recognized as such by the United Nations, but have not

attained full independence in accordance with General

Assembly

resolution

1514

(XV)

and

which

have

competence

over

the

matters

governed

by

this

Convention, including the competence to enter into

treaties in respect of those matters;

(f) international organizations, in accordance with Annex

IX.

2. This Convention shall remain open for signature until 9

December 1984 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

Jamaica and also, from 1 July 1983 until 9 December 1984,

at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Article 306. Ratification and formal confirmation

This Convention is subject to ratification by States and

the other entities referred to in article 305, paragraph l(b),

(c), (d) and (e), and to formal confirmation, in accordance

with Annex IX, by the entities referred to in article 305,

paragraph l(f). The instruments of ratification and of

formal

confirmation

shall

be

deposited

with

the

Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Article 307. Accession

This Convention shall remain open for accession by States

and the other entities referred to in article 305. Accession

by the entities referred to in article 305, paragraph l(f),

shall be in accordance with Annex IX. The instruments of

accession shall be deposited with the Secretary-General

of the United Nations.

Article 308. Entry into force

1. This Convention shall enter into force 12 months after

the

date

of

deposit

of

the

sixtieth

instrument

of

ratification or accession.

2. For each State ratifying or acceding to this Convention

after the deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification

or accession, the Convention shall enter into force on the

thirtieth day following the deposit of its instrument of

ratification or accession, subject to paragraph 1.

3. The Assembly of the Authority shall meet on the date of

entry into force of this Convention and shall elect the

Council

of

the

Authority.

The

first Council shall be

constituted in a manner consistent with the purpose of

article 161 if the provisions of that article cannot be strictly

applied.

4. The rules, regulations and procedures drafted by the

Preparatory

Commission

shall

apply

provisionally

pending

their

formal

adoption

by

the

Authority

in

accordance with Part XI.

5. The Authority and its organs shall act in accordance

with resolution II of the Third United Nations Conference

on the Law of the Sea relating to preparatory investment

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