1. States Parties shall endeavour to settle disputes concerning the interpretation or application of
this Protocol through negotiation.
2. Any dispute between two or more States Parties concerning the interpretation or application of
this Protocol that cannot be settled through negotiation within a reasonable time shall, at the
request of one of those States Parties, be submitted to arbitration. If, six months after the date of
the request for arbitration, those States Parties are unable to agree on the organization of the
arbitration, any one of those States Parties may refer the dispute to the International Court of
Justice by request in accordance with the Statute of the Court.
3. Each State Party may, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance or approval of or
accession to this Protocol, declare that it does not consider itself bound by paragraph 2 of this
article. The other States Parties shall not be bound by paragraph 2 of this article with respect to
any State Party that has made such a reservation.
4. Any State Party that has made a reservation in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article may
at any time withdraw that reservation by notification to the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.