Article 21 1. Any State Party to the present Protocol may propose any 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 this Protocol with a request that they notify her/him whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of considering and voting on 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 this Protocol in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. 3. When amendments come into force, they shall be binding on those States Parties that have accepted them, other States Parties still being bound by the provisions of this Protocol and any earlier amendments which they have accepted. Article 22 1. Any State Party can denounce this Protocol at any time by written notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Denunciation shall take effect six months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General. 2. Denunciations shall be without prejudice to the continued application of the provisions of this Protocol to any communication [or inquiry] before the effective date of denunciation. Article 23 The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States of: (a) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under this Protocol; (b) The date of entry into force of this Protocol and the date of entry into force of any amendment under article 21 and any denunciations under article 22. Article 24 1. This Protocol, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations. 2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall transmit certified copies of this Protocol to all States referred to in article 25 of the Convention. -95-