Artikel 36

1. This Agreement shall be open for signature, at United Nations Headquarters from 3 April 2006 until one month after the date of its entry into force, by Governments invited to the United Nations Conference for the Negotiation of a Successor Agreement to the International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994.
2. Any Government referred to in paragraph 1 of this article may:
a) At the time of signing this Agreement, declare that by such signature it expresses its consent to be bound by this Agreement (definitive signature); or
b) After signing this Agreement, ratify, accept or approve it by the deposit of an instrument to that effect with the depositary.
3. Upon signature and ratification, acceptance or approval, or accession, or provisional application, the European Community or any intergovernmental organization referred to in article 5, paragraph 1, shall deposit a declaration issued by the appropriate authority of such organization specifying the nature and extent of its competence over matters governed by this Agreement, and shall inform the depositary of any subsequent substantial change in such competence. Where such organization declares exclusive competence over all matters governed by this Agreement, the member States of such organization shall not take the actions under article 36, paragraph 2, article 37 and article 38, or shall take the action under article 41 or withdraw notification of provisional application under article 38.