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Article XXV Joint Action by the Contracting Parties 1. Representatives of the contracting parties shall meet from time to time for the purpose of giving effect to those provisions of this Agreement which involve joint action and, generally, with a view to facilitating the operation and furthering the objectives of this Agreement. Wherever reference is made in this Agreement to the contracting parties acting jointly they are designated as the CONTRACTING PARTIES. 2. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is requested to convene the first meeting of the CONTRACTING PARTIES, which shall take place not later than March 1, 1948. 3. Each contracting party shall be entitled to have one vote at all meetings of the CONTRACTING PARTIES. 4. Except as otherwise provided for in this Agreement, decisions of the CONTRACTING PARTIES shall be taken by a majority of the votes cast. 5. In exceptional circumstances not elsewhere provided for in this Agreement, the CONTRACTING PARTIES may waive an obligation imposed upon a contracting party by this Agreement : Provided that any such decision shall be approved by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast and that such majority shall comprise more than half of the contracting parties. The CONTRACTING PARTIES may also by such a vote — (а) Define certain categories of exceptional circumstances to which other voting requirements shall apply for the waiver of obligations ; and (б) Prescribe such criteria as may be necessary for the application of this paragraph. Article XXVI Acceptance, Entry into Force, and Registration 1. The present Agreement shall bear the date of the signature of the Final Act adopted at the conclusion of the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment and shall be open to acceptance by any Government signatory to the Final Act. 2. This Agreement, done in a single English original and in a single French original, both texts authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall furnish certified copies thereof to all interested governments. 3. Each Government accepting this Agreement shall deposit an instrument of acceptance with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who will inform all interested Governments of the, date of deposit of each instrument of acceptance and of the day on which this Agreement enters into force under paragraph 5 of this Article. 4. Each Government accepting this Agreement does so in respect of its metropolitan territory and of the other territories for which it has international responsibility : Provided that it may at the time of acceptance declare that any