The Committee shall include in its annual report under article 45 of the Covenant a summary of its activities under the present Protocol. Article 7 Pending the achievement of the objectives of resolution 1514(XV) adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 14 December 1960 concerning the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, the provisions of the present Protocol shall in no way limit the right of petition granted to these peoples by the Charter of the United Nations and other international conventions and instruments under the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Article 8 1. The present Protocol is open for signature by any State which has signed the Covenant. 2. The present Protocol is subject to ratification by any State which has ratified or acceded to the Covenant. Instruments of ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations. 3. The present Protocol shall be open to accession by any State which has ratified or acceded to the Covenant. 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 the present Protocol or acceded to it of the deposit of each instrument of ratification or accession. Article 9 1. Subject to the entry into force of the Covenant, the present Protocol shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit with the Secretary General of the United Nations of the tenth instrument of ratification or instrument of accession. 2. For each State ratifying the present Protocol or acceding to it after the deposit of the tenth instrument of ratification or instrument of accession, the present Protocol shall enter into force three months after the date of the deposit of its own instrument of ratification or instrument of accession. Article 10 The provisions of the present Protocol shall extend to all parts of federal States without any limitations or exceptions. Article 11 1. Any State Party to the present Protocol may propose an amendment and file it with the Secretary General of the United Nations. The Secretary General shall thereupon communicate any proposed amendments to the States Parties to the present Protocol 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 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 Protocol in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. 3. When amendments come into force, they shall be binding on those States Parties which have accepted them, other States Parties still being bound by the provisions of the present Protocol and any earlier amendment which they have accepted. Article 12 1. Any State Party may denounce the present Protocol at any time by written notification addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations. Denunciation shall take effect three months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary General. 2