competence. Article 37 Relation with protocols 1. This Convention may be supplemented by one or more protocols. 2. In order to become a Party to a protocol, a State or a regional economic integration organisation must also be a Party to this Convention. 3. A State Party to this Convention is not bound by a protocol unless it becomes a Party to the protocol in accordance with the provisions thereof. 4. Any protocol to this Convention shall be interpreted together with this Convention, taking into account the purpose of that protocol. Article 38 Entry into force 1. This Convention shall enter into force on the 19th day after the date of deposit of the 40th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. For the purpose of this paragraph, any instrument deposited by a regional economic integration organisation shall not be counted as additional to those deposited by Member States of such organisation. 2. For each State or regional economic integration organisation ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to this Convention after the deposit of the 40th instrument of such action, this Convention shall enter into force on the 30th day after the date of deposit by such State or organisation of the relevant instrument. Article 39 Amendment 1. After the expiry of five years from the entry into force of this Convention, a State Party may propose an amendment and file it with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall thereupon communicate the proposed amendment to the States Parties and to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention for the purpose of considering and deciding on the proposal. The Conference of the Parties shall make every effort to achieve consensus on each amendment. If all efforts at consensus have been exhausted and no agreement has been reached, the amendment shall, as a last resort, require for its adoption a two-thirds majority vote of the States Parties present and voting at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties. 2. Regional economic integration organisations, in matters within their competence, shall exercise their right to vote under this Article with a number of votes equal to the number of their Member States that are Parties to this Convention. Such organisations shall not exercise their right to vote if their Member States exercise theirs and vice versa. 3. An amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval by States Parties. 4. An amendment adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article shall enter into force in respect of a State Party 90 days after the date of the deposit with the Secretary-General of the United Nations of an instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval of such amendment. 5. When an amendment enters into force, it shall be binding on those States Parties which have expressed their consent to be bound by it. Other States Parties shall still be bound by the provisions of this Convention and any earlier amendments that they have ratified, accepted or approved. Article 40 Denunciation 1. A State Party may denounce this Convention by written notification to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Such denunciation shall become effective one year after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary-General. 2. A regional economic integration organisation shall cease to be a Party to this Convention when all of its Member States have denounced it. 3. Denunciation of this Convention in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article shall entail the denunciation of any protocols thereto. Article 41 Depositary and languages 1. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is designated depositary of this Convention. 2. The original of this Convention, of which the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Convention. Convention des Nations unies contre la criminalité transnationale organisée Article premier Objet L'objet de la présente convention est de promouvoir la coopération afin de prévenir et de combattre plus efficacement la criminalité transnationale organisée. Article 2 Terminologie Aux fins de la présente convention: a) l'expression «groupe criminel organisé» désigne un groupe structuré de trois personnes ou plus existant depuis un certain temps et agissant de concert dans le but de commettre une ou plusieurs infractions graves ou infractions établies conformément à la présente convention, pour en tirer, directement ou indirectement, un avantage financier ou un autre avantage