SECTION 22

Any one of the Contracting States shall have the right to call for a new conference with a view to considering possible amendments. A state which would exercise this right should give one year advance notice of its intention to the other states through the Belgian Government which would make arrangements for convening the conference. PROTOCOL OF SIGNATURE: In proceeding to the signature of the International Convention for the unification of Certain rules relating to maritime liens and mortgages, the undersigned plenipotentiaries have adopted the present Protocol, which will have the same force and the same value as if the provisions were inserted in the text of the Convention to which it relates: I. It is understood that the legislation of each state remains free (1) to establish among the claims mentioned in No.1 of Article 2, a definite order of priority with a view to safeguarding the interests of the Treasury; (2) to confer on the authorities administering harbours, docks, lighthouses, and navigable ways, who have caused a wreck or other obstruction to navigation to be removed, or who are creditors in respect of harbour dues, or for damage caused by the fault of a vessel, the right, in case of non-payment, to detain the vessel, wreck, or other property, to sell the same, and to indemnify themselves out of the proceed in priority to other claimants, and (3) to determine the rank of the claimants for damages done to works otherwise than as stated in Article 5 and in Article 6. II. There is no impairment of the provisions in the national laws of the Contracting States conferring a lien upon public insurance associations in respect of claims arising out of the insurance of the personnel of vessels.