Article 5
With respect to the States Parties to the first Optional Protocol to the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights adopted on 16 December 1966, the competence of the Human
Rights Committee to receive and consider communications from individuals subject to its
jurisdiction shall extend to the provisions of the present Protocol, unless the State Party
concerned has made a statement to the contrary at the moment of ratification or accession.
Article 6
1. The provisions of the present Protocol shall apply as additional provisions to the Covenant.
2. Without prejudice to the possibility of a reservation under article 2 of the present Protocol,
the right guaranteed in article 1, paragraph 1, of the present Protocol shall not be subject to
any derogation under article 4 of the Covenant.
Article 7
1. The present Protocol is open for signature by any State that has signed the Covenant. 2. The
present Protocol is subject to ratification by any State that has ratified the Covenant or
acceded to it. 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 that has ratified the Covenant
or acceded to it.
4. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument of accession with the SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations.
5. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States that have signed the
present Protocol or acceded to it of the deposit of each instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 8
1. 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
accession.
2. For each State ratifying the present Protocol or acceding to it after the deposit of the tenth
instrument of ratification or accession, the present Protocol shall enter into force three months
after the date of the deposit of its own instrument of ratification or accession.
Article 9
The provisions of the present Protocol shall extend to all parts of federal States without any
limitations or exceptions.
Article 10
The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall inform all States referred to in article 48,
paragraph 1, of the Covenant of the following particulars:
(a) Reservations, communications and notifications under article 2 of the present Protocol;
(b) Statements made under articles 4 or 5 of the present Protocol;
(c) Signatures, ratifications and accessions under article 7 of the present Protocol:
(d) The date of the entry into force of the present Protocol under article 8 thereof.
Article 11
1. The present 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 the present
Protocol to all States referred to in article 48 of the Covenant.
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