SECTION 51

1. Any State Party to the present Covenant may propose an amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall thereupon communicate any proposed amendments to the States Parties to the present Covenant with a request that they notify him whether they favour a conference of States Parties for the purpose of con sidering and voting upon the proposals. In the event that at least one third of the States Parties favours such a conference, the Secretary-General shall convene the conference under the auspices of the United Nations. Any amendment adopted by a majority of the States Parties present and voting at the conference shall be submitted to the General Assembly of the United Nations for approval. 2. Amendments shall come into force when they have been approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations and accepted by a two-thirds majority of the States Parties to the present Covenant in accordance with their respective consti tutional processes. Vol.999,1-14668 186 United Nations — Treaty Series • Nations Unies — Recueil des Traités 1976 3. When amendments corne into force, they shall be binding on those States Parties which have accepted them, other States Parties still being bound by the provi sions of the present Covenant and any earlier amendment which they have accepted.