Section 73p. 73

PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW COMPENDIUM VOLUME I

communicate the proposed amendment to the States

Parties with a request that they notify him whether they

favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of

considering and voting upon the proposal. In the event

that

within

four

months

from

the

date

of

such

communication 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 by the Secretary-General to all the States

Parties for acceptance.

2. An amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph

I of this article shall enter into force when two thirds of

the States Parties to this Convention have notified the

Secretary-General of the United Nations that they have

accepted

it

in

accordance

with

their

respective

constitutional processes.

3. When amendments enter into force, they shall be

binding on those States Parties which have accepted

them, other States Parties still being bound by the

provisions

of

this

Convention

and

any

earlier

amendments which they have accepted.

ARTICLE 30

1. Any dispute between two or more States Parties

concerning

the

interpretation

or

application

of

this

Convention which cannot be settled through negotiation

shall, at the request of one of them, be submitted to

arbitration. If within six months from the date of the

request for arbitration the Parties are unable to agree on

the organization of the arbitration, any one of those

Parties may refer the dispute to the International Court of

Justice by request in conformity with the Statute of the

Court.

2. Each State may, at the time of signature or ratification

of this Convention or accession thereto, declare that it

does not consider itself bound by paragraph I of this

article. The other States Parties shall not be bound by

paragraph I of this article with respect to any State Party

having made such a reservation.

3.

Any

State

Party

having

made

a

reservation

in

accordance with paragraph 2 of this article may at any

time withdraw this reservation by notification to the

Secretary-General of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 31

1. A State Party may denounce this Convention by written

notification

to

the

Secretary-General

of

the

United

Nations. Denunciation becomes effective one year after

the

date

of

receipt

of

the

notification

by

the

Secretary-General.

2. Such a denunciation shall not have the effect of

releasing the State Party from its obligations under this

Convention in regard to any act or omission which occurs

prior to the date at which the denunciation becomes

effective, nor shall denunciation prejudice in any way the

continued consideration of any matter which is already

under consideration by the Committee prior to the date

at which the denunciation becomes effective.

3. Following the date at which the denunciation of a State

Party

becomes

effective,

the

Committee

shall

not

commence consideration of any new matter regarding

that State.

ARTICLE 32

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform

all States Members of the United Nations and all States

which have signed this Convention or acceded to it of the

following:

(a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under articles

25 and 26;

(b) The date of entry into force of this Convention under

article 27 and the date of the entry into force of any

amendments under article 29;

(c) Denunciations under article 31.

ARTICLE 33

1. This Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English,

French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic,

shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the

United Nations.

2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall

transmit certified copies of this Convention to all States.

(Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman

or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, [December 10,

1984])

Convention on the Rights of the Child

September 2, 1990

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and

accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20

November 1989 entry into force 2 September 1990, in

accordance with article 49

Preamble

The States Parties to the present Convention,

Considering

that,

in

accordance

with

the principles

proclaimed

in

the

Charter

of

the

United

Nations,

recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and

inalienable rights of all members of the human family is

the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the

world,

Bearing in mind that the peoples of the United Nations

have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental

human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human

person, and have determined to promote social progress

and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Recognizing that the United Nations has, in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights and in the International

Covenants on Human Rights, proclaimed and agreed that

everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set

forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race,

colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,

national or social origin, property, birth or other status,

Recalling that, in the Universal Declaration of Human

Rights, the United Nations has proclaimed that childhood

is entitled to special care and assistance,

Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of

society and the natural environment for the growth and

well-being of all its members and particularly children,

should

be

afforded

the

necessary

protection

and

assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities

within the community,

Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious

development of his or her personality, should grow up in

a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness,

love and understanding,

Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live

an individual life in society, and brought up in the spirit of

the

ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United

Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity,

tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity,

Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care

to the child has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of

the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration of

the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly

on 20 November 1959 and recognized in the Universal

Declaration

of

Human

Rights,

in

the

International

Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in

articles 23 and 24), in the International Covenant on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in particular in

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