deemed not to have been accepted and shall be of no effect. 6. If no objection to the recommended amendment in accordance with paragraph 3 or 4 of this Article has been stated, the amendment shall be deemed to have been accepted as from the date specified below: (a) if no Contracting Party has sent a communication in accordance with paragraph 3 (b) of this Article, on the expiry of the period of six months referred to in paragraph 3; (b) if any Contracting Party has sent a communication in accordance with paragraph 3 (b) of this Article, on the earlier of the following two dates: (i) the date by which all the Contracting Parties which sent such communications have notified the Secretary-General of the Council of their acceptance of the recommended amendment, provided that, if all the acceptances were notified before the expiry of the period of six months referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article, that date shall be taken to be the date of expiry of the said six-month period; (ii) the date of expiry of the nine-month period referred to in paragraph 4 of this Article. 7. Any amendment deemed to be accepted shall enter into force either six months after the date on which it was deemed to be accepted or, if a different period is specified in the recommended amendment, on the expiry of that period after the date on which the amendment was deemed to be accepted. 8. The Secretary-General of the Council shall, as soon as possible, notify the Contracting Parties to this convention and other signatory States of any objection to the recommended amendment made in accordance with paragraph 3 (a), and of any communication received in accordance with paragraph 3 (b), of this Article. He shall subsequently inform the Contracting Parties and other signatory States whether the Contracting Party or parties which have sent such a communication raise an objection to the recommended amendment or accept it. Article 16 1. Independently of the amendment procedure laid down in Article 15 of this convention any Annex, excluding its definitions, may be modified by a decision of the Council. Every Contracting Party to this convention shall be invited by the Secretary-General of the Council to participate in the discussion of any proposal for the amendment of an Annex. The text of any amendment so decided upon shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the Council to the Contracting Parties to this convention, the other signatory States and those Member States of the Council that are not contracting parties to this convention. 2. Amendments decided upon under paragraph 1 of this Article shall enter into force six months after their communication by the Secretary-General of the Council. Each Contracting Party bound by an Annex forming the subject of such amendments shall be deemed to have accepted those amendments unless it enters a reservation under the procedure of Article 5 of this convention. Article 17 1. Any State ratifying or acceding to this convention shall be deemed to have accepted any amendments thereto which have entered into force at the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification or accession. 2. Any State which accepts an Annex shall be deemed, unless it enters reservations under Article 5 of this convention, to have accepted any amendments to that Annex which have entered into force at the date on which it notifies its acceptance to the Secretary-General of the Council. Article 18 The Secretary-General of the Council shall notify the Contracting Parties to this convention, the other signatory States, those Member States of the Council that are not Contracting Parties to this convention, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations of: (a) signatures, ratifications and accessions under Article 11 of this convention; (b) the date of entry into force of this convention and of each of the Annexes in accordance with Article 12; (c) notifications received in accordance with Articles 9 and 13; (d) notifications and communications received in accordance with Articles 5, 16 and 17; (e) denunciations under Article 14; (f) any amendment deemed to have been accepted in accordance with Article 15 and the date of its entry into force; (g) any amendment to the Annexes adopted by the Council in accordance with Article 16 and the date of its entry into force. Article 19 In accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations, this convention shall be registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations at the request of the Secretary-General of the Council.