Artikel 16

1. This Convention shall be open for signature by any State at the Headquarters of the Organization from 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 and shall thereafter remain open for accession by any State.
2. States may become Parties to this Convention by:
.1. signature not subject to ratification, acceptance, or approval; or
.2. signature subject to ratification, acceptance, or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or
.3. accession.
3. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument to that effect with the Secretary-General.
4. If a State comprises two or more territorial units in which different systems of law are applicable in relation to matters dealt with in this Convention, it may at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession declare that this Convention shall extend to all its territorial units or only to one or more of them and may modify this declaration by submitting another declaration at any time.
5. A declaration under paragraph 4 shall be notified to the Secretary-General in writing and shall state expressly the territorial unit or units to which this Convention applies.
6. A State at the time it expresses its consent to be bound by this Convention shall declare whether it requires explicit or tacit approval of the Ship Recycling Plan before a ship may be recycled in its authorized Ship Recycling Facility(ies). This declaration may be revised thereafter by notification to the Secretary-General. Such revision shall specify the effective date of the revision.