3. This Convention is open to accession by all Member States of the United Nations. Accession shall be effected
by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the Secretary-General.
Article 39
1. This Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of deposit with the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations of the twentieth instrument of ratification or accession.
2. For each State ratifying or acceding to this Convention after the deposit of the twentieth instrument of
ratification or accession, this Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date of the deposit
of that State’s instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 40
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall notify all States Members of the United Nations and all States
which have signed or acceded to this Convention of the following:
(a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under article 38;
(b) The date of entry into force of this Convention under article 39.
Article 41
The provisions of this Convention shall apply to all parts of federal States without any limitations or exceptions.
Article 42
1. Any dispute between two or more States Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this
Convention which cannot be settled through negotiation or by the procedures expressly provided for in this
Convention 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. A 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 1 of this article. The other States Parties shall not be bound by
paragraph 1 of this article with respect to any State Party having made such a declaration.
3. Any State Party having made a declaration in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 of this article
may at any time withdraw this declaration by notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Article 43
This Convention is without prejudice to the provisions of international humanitarian law, including the
obligations of the High Contracting Parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the two
Additional Protocols thereto of 8 June 1977, or to the opportunity available to any State Party to authorize the
International Committee of the Red Cross to visit places of detention in situations not covered by international
humanitarian law.
Article 44
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