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Article YIII Special Rules Drawn up by Agreement When in accordance with the present Convention special rules are drawn up by agreement between all or some of the Contracting Governments, such rules shall be communicated to the Organization for circulation to all Contracting Governments. Article IX Amendments {a) (i) The present Convention may be amended by unanimous agreement between the Contracting Governments. (ii) tJpon the request of any Contracting Government a proposed amendment shall be communicated by the Organization to all Contracting Governments for consideration and acceptance under this paragraph. (b) (i) An amendment to the present Convention may be proposed to the Organization at any time by any Contracting Government, and such proposal if adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Assembly of the Organization (hereinafter called the Assembly), upon recommendation adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Organization (hereinafter called the Maritime Safety Committee), shall be communicated by the Organization to all Contracting Governments for their acceptance. (ii) Any such recommendation by the Maritime Safety Committee shall be communicated by the Organization to all Contracting Governments for their consideration at least six months before it is considered by the Assembly. (c) (i) A conference of Governments to consider amendments to the present Convention proposed by any Contracting Government shall at any time be convened by the Organization upon the request of one-third of the Contracting Governments. (ii) Every amendment adopted by such conference by a twothirds majority of the Contracting Governments shall be communicated by the Organization to all Contracting Governments for their acceptance. (d) Any amendment communicated to Contracting Governments for their acceptance under paragraph (b) or (c) of this Article shall come into force for all Contracting Governments, except those which before it comes into force make a declaration that they do not accept the amendment, twelve months after the date on which the amendment is accepted by two-thirds of. the Contracting Governments including two-thirds of the Governments represented on the Maritime Safety Committee. (e) The Assembly, by a two-thirds majority vote, including twothirds of the Governments represented on the Maritime Safety Committee, and subject to the concurrence of two-thirds of the Contracting Governments to the present Convention, or a conference convened under paragraph (c) of this Article by a two-thirds majority vote, may determine at the time of its adoption that the amendment is of such an important nature that any Contracting Government which makes a declaration under paragraph (d) of this Article and which

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