The High Contracting Parties,
‘ Recalling ‘ that every State has the duty, in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations,
to refrain in its international relations from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty,
territorial integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner inconsistent
with the purposes of the United Nations.
‘ Further recalling ‘ the general principle of the protection of the civilian population against the
effects of hostilities,
‘ Basing themselves ‘ on the principle of international law that the right of the parties to an
armed conflict to choose methods or means of warfare is not unlimited, and on the principle that
prohibits the employment in armed conflicts of weapons, projectiles and material and methods
of warfare of a nature to cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering,
‘ Also recalling ‘ that it is prohibited to employ methods or means of warfare which are
intended, or may be expected, to cause widespread, long-term and severe damage to the
natural environment,
‘ Confirming their determination ‘ that in cases not covered by this Convention and its
annexed Protocols or by other international agreements, the civilian population and the
combatants shall at all times remain under the protection and authority of the principles of
international law derived from established custom, from the principles of humanity and from the
dictates of public conscience,
‘ Desiring ‘ to contribute to international d?tente, the ending of the arms race and the building
of confidence among States, and hence to the realization of the aspiration of all peoples to live
in peace,
‘ Recognizing ‘ the importance of pursuing every effort which may contribute to progress
towards general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control,
‘ Reaffirming ‘ the need to continue the codification and progressive development of the rules
of international law applicable in armed conflict,
‘ Wishing ‘ to prohibit or restrict further the use of certain conventional weapons and believing
that the positive results achieved in this area may facilitate the main talks on disarmament with a
view to putting an end to the production, stockpiling and proliferation of such weapons,
‘ Emphasizing ‘ the desirability that all States become parties to this Convention and its
annexed Protocols, especially the militarily significant States,
‘ Bearing in mind ‘ that the General Assembly of the United Nations and the United Nations
Disarmament Commission may decide to examine the question of a possible broadening of the
scope of the prohibitions and restrictions contained in this Convention and its annexed
Protocols,
‘ Further bearing in mind ‘ that the Committee on Disarmament may decide to consider the
question of adopting further measures to prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional
weapons,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
Scope of application
This Convention and its annexed Protocols shall apply in the situations referred to in Article 2
common to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the Protection of War Victims,
including any situation described in paragraph 4 of Article 1 of Additional Protocol I to these
Conventions.
(Link to article 1 as amended on 21st December 2001 )
Article 2
Relations with other international agreements
Nothing in this Convention or its annexed Protocols shall be interpreted as detracting from
other obligations imposed upon the High Contracting Parties by international humanitarian law
applicable in armed conflict.
Article 3
Signature
This Convention shall be open for signature by all States at United Nations Headquarters in
New York for a period of twelve months from 10 April 1981.
Article 4
Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession
1. This Convention is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by the Signatories. Any
State which has not signed this Convention may accede to it.
2. The instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be deposited with
the Depositary.
3. Expressions of consent to be bound by any of the Protocols annexed to this Convention
shall be optional for each State, provided that at the time of the deposit of its instrument of
ratification, acceptance or approval of this Convention or of accession thereto, that State shall
notify the Depositary of its consent to be bound by any two or more of these Protocols.
4. At any time after the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval of this
Convention or of accession thereto, a State may notify the Depositary of its consent to be bound
by any annexed Protocol by which it is not already bound.
5. Any Protocol by which a High Contracting Party is bound shall for that Party form an
integral part of this Convention.
Article 5
Entry into force
1. This Convention shall enter into force six months after the date of deposit of the twentieth
instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
2. For any State which deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or
accession after the date of the deposit of the twentieth instrument of ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession, this Convention shall enter into force six months after the date on which
that State has deposited its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.
3. Each of the Protocols annexed to this Convention shall enter into force six months after the
date by which twenty States have notified their consent to be bound by it in accordance with
paragraph 3 or 4 of Article 4 of this Convention.
4. For any State which notifies its consent to be bound by a Protocol annexed to this
Convention after the date by which twenty States have notified their consent to be bound by it,
the Protocol shall enter into force six months after the date on which that State has notified its
consent so to be bound.
Article 6
Dissemination
The High Contracting Parties undertake, in time of peace as in time of armed conflict, to
disseminate this Convention and those of its annexed Protocols by which they are bound as
widely as possible in their respective countries and, in particular, to include the study thereof in
their programmes of military instruction, so that those instruments may become known to their
armed forces.
Article 7
Treaty relations upon entry into force of this Convention
1. When one of the parties to a conflict is not bound by an annexed Protocol, the parties
bound by this Convention and that annexed Protocol shall remain bound by them in their mutual
relations.
2. Any High Contracting Party shall be bound by this Convention and any Protocol annexed
thereto which is in force for it, in any situation contemplated by Article 1, in relation to any State
which is not a party to this Convention or bound by the relevant annexed Protocol, if the latter
accepts and applies this Convention or the relevant Protocol, and so notifies the Depositary.
3. The Depositary shall immediately inform the High Contracting Parties concerned of any
notification received under paragraph 2 of this Article.
4. This Convention, and the annexed Protocols by which a High Contracting Party is bound,
shall apply with respect to an armed conflict against that High Contracting Party of the type
referred to in Article 1, paragraph 4, of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions of 12
August 1949 for the Protection of War Victims: (a) where the High Contracting Party is also a
party to Additional Protocol I and an authority referred to in Article 96, paragraph 3, of that
Protocol has undertaken to apply the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocol I in
accordance with Article 96, paragraph 3, of the said Protocol, and undertakes to apply this
Convention and the relevant annexed Protocols in relation to that conflict; or (b) where the High
Contracting Party is not a party to Additional Protocol I and an authority of the type referred to in
subparagraph (a) above accepts and applies the obligations of the Geneva Conventions and of
this Convention and the relevant annexed Protocols in relation to that conflict. Such an
acceptance and application shall
have in relation to that conflict the following effects:
(i) the Geneva Conventions and this Convention and its relevant annexed Protocols are
brought into force for the parties to the conflict with immediate effect;
(ii) the said authority assumes the same rights and obligations as those which have been
assumed by a High Contracting Party to the Geneva Conventions, this Convention and its
relevant annexed Protocols; and
(iii) the Geneva Conventions, this Convention and its relevant annexed Protocols are equally
binding upon all parties to the conflict.
The High Contracting Party and the authority may also agree to accept and apply the
obligations of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions on a reciprocal basis.
Article 8
Review and amendments
1. (a) At any time after the entry into force of this Convention any High Contracting Party may
propose amendments to this Convention or any annexed Protocol by which it is bound. Any
proposal for an amendment shall be communicated to the Depositary, who shall notify it to all
the High Contracting Parties and shall seek their views on whether a conference should be
convened to consider the proposal. If a majority, that shall not be less than eighteen of the High
Contracting Parties so agree, he shall promptly convene a conference to which all High
Contracting Parties shall be invited. States not parties to this Convention shall be invited to the
conference as observers. (b) Such a conference may agree upon amendments which shall be
adopted and shall enter into force in the same manner as this Convention and the annexed
Protocols, provided that amendments to this Convention may be adopted only by the High
Contracting Parties and that amendments to a specific annexed Protocol may be adopted only
by the High Contracting Parties which are bound by that Protocol.
2. (a) At any time after the entry into force of this Convention any High Contracting Party may
propose additional protocols relating to other categories of conventional weapons not covered
by the existing annexed Protocols. Any such proposal for an additional protocol shall be
communicated to the Depositary, who shall notify it to all the High Contracting Parties in
accordance with subparagraph 1 (a) of this Article. If a majority, that shall not be less than
eighteen of the High Contracting Parties so agree, the Depositary shall promptly convene a
conference to which all States shall be invited. (b) Such a conference may agree, with the full
participation of all States represented at the conference, upon additional protocols which shall
be adopted in the same manner as this Convention, shall be annexed thereto and shall enter
into force as provided in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 5 of this Convention.
3. (a) If, after a period of ten years following the entry into force of this Convention, no
conference has been convened in accordance with subparagraph 1 (a) or 2 (a) of this Article,
any High Contracting Party may request the Depositary to convene a conference to which all
High Contracting Parties shall be invited to review the scope and operation of this Convention
and the Protocols annexed thereto and to consider any proposal for amendments of this
Convention or of the existing Protocols. States not parties to this Convention shall be invited as
observers to the conference. The conference may agree upon amendments which shall be
adopted and enter into force in accordance with subparagraph 1 (b) above. (b) At such
conference consideration may also be given to any proposal for additional protocols relating to
other categories of conventional weapons not covered by the existing annexed Protocols. All
States represented at the conference may participate fully in such consideration. Any additional
protocols shall be adopted in the same
manner as this Convention, shall be annexed thereto and shall enter into force as provided in
paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 5 of this Convention. (c) Such a conference may consider whether
provision should be made for the convening of a further conference at the request of any High
Contracting Party if, after a similar period to that referred to in subparagraph 3 (a) of this Article,
no conference has been convened in accordance with subparagraph 1 (a) or 2 (a) of this Article.
Article 9
Denunciation
1. Any High Contracting Party may denounce this Convention or any of its annexed Protocols
by so notifying the Depositary.
2. Any such denunciation shall only take effect one year after receipt by the Depositary of the
notification of denunciation. If, however, on the expiry of that year the denouncing High
Contracting Party is engaged in one of the situations referred to in Article 1, the Party shall
continue to be bound by the obligations of this Convention and of the relevant annexed
Protocols until the end of the armed conflict or occupation and, in any case, until the termination
of operations connected with the final release, repatriation or re-establishment of the person
protected by the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, and in the case of any
annexed Protocol containing provisions concerning situations in which peace-keeping,
observation or similar functions are performed by United Nations forces or missions in the area
concerned, until the termination of those functions.
3. Any denunciation of this Convention shall be considered as also applying to all annexed
Protocols by which the denouncing High Contracting Party is bound.
4. Any denunciation shall have effect only in respect of the denouncing High Contracting
Party.
5. Any denunciation shall not affect the obligations already incurred, by reason of an armed
conflict, under this Convention and its annexed Protocols by such denouncing High Contracting
Party in respect of any act committed before this denunciation becomes effective.
Article 10
Depositary
1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be the Depositary of this Convention and
of its annexed Protocols.
2. In addition to his usual functions, the Depositary
shall inform all States of: (a) signatures affixed to this Convention under Article 3; (b) deposits of
instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval of or accession to this Convention deposited
under Article 4; (c) notifications of consent to be bound by annexed Protocols under Article 4; (d)
the dates of entry into force of this Convention and of each of its annexed Protocols under
Article 5; and (e) notifications of denunciation received under article 9, and their effective date.
Article 11
Authentic texts
The original of this Convention with the annexed Protocols, of which the Arabic, Chinese,
English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the
Depositary, who shall transmit certified true copies thereof to all States.
(Here follow signatures)