At its Thirteenth Session (1965), the FAO Conference authorized the Director-General of the Organization to call a Conference of Plenipotentiaries to prepare and adopt a convention for the purpose of establishing a commission for the conservation of tuna and tuna-like fishes in the Atlantic Ocean. The Conference of Plenipotentiaries (Rio de Janeiro, 2-14 May 1966) prepared and opened for signature the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, setting up a Commission which operates independently of FAO.

In accordance with paragraph 3, Article XIV, the Convention entered into force on 21 March 1969, date of receipt of the seventh instrument of ratification, approval or adherence. The Convention was registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations on 20 May 1969 under No. 9587.

Signatories and Parties to the Convention

The following are the signatories and the participants that deposited their instruments on the corresponding date indicated:

On 9 and 10 July 1984, a Conference of Plenipotentiaries of States Parties to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas met in Paris, France, and adopted a Protocol amending the Convention.

Pursuant to its Article II, the Paris Protocol was open for signature at the Headquarters of FAO in Rome until 10 September 1984.

In accordance with its Article III, the Protocol entered into force on the thirtieth day following the deposit with the Director-General of FAO of the last instrument of approval, ratification or acceptance by all the Contracting Parties to the Convention, i.e. on 19 January1997.

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 Parties to the Protocol

The following are the participants that deposited their instruments on the corresponding date indicated:

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On 4 and 5 June 1992, a Conference of Plenipotentiaries of States Parties to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas met in Madrid, Spain and adopted a Protocol to amend paragraph 2 of Article X of the Convention. Pursuant to Article 2 thereof, the Protocol was signed in Madrid on 5 June 1992 and thereafter at the Headquarters of FAO in Rome.

In accordance with Articles 2 and 3, the Contracting Parties to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas may become parties to the Madrid Protocol either by signature followed by an instrument of ratification or approval or by the deposit of an instrument of acceptance.

As provided for in Article 3, the Protocol of Madrid shall enter into force for all Contracting Parties to the Convention on the 90th day following the deposit with the Director-General of FAO of the last instrument of ratification, approval or acceptance by three-quarters of the Contracting Parties on condition that the three-quarters include all the Parties classified as developed market economy countries by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development as at 5 June 1992. Any Contracting Party to the Convention not included in this category of countries may, within six months following notification of adoption of the Protocol by the Director-General of FAO, request the suspension of the entry into force of the said Protocol. As the last instrument required was deposited on 10 December 2004, the Protocol entered into force on 10 March 2005.

Signatories and Parties to the Protocol

In accordance with Article II of the Protocol, the latter was signed in Madrid on 5 June 1992 and thereafter at Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The following are the signatories and the participants that deposited their instruments on the corresponding date indicated:

Participant	Signature	Ratification	Approval	Acceptance
Albania				31 March 2008
Angola				7 Mar 2006
Brazil	5 Jun 1992	15 Jan 1997
Canada	22 Sep 1993	22 Sep 1993
Cape Verde				27 Mar 2006
Côte d'Ivoire	5 Jun 1992
Equatorial Guinea				10 Dec 2004
France20	5 Jun 1992		6 Mar 2000
Gabon				26 Oct 2000
Ghana	5 Jun 1992	23 Nov 2001
Guatemala				12 Nov 2004
Guinea				13 Apr 1995
Italy21				6 Aug 1997
Japan				27 May 1998
Korea, Republic of:				11 June 1993
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya				14 Jan 1998
Morocco	5 Jun 1992	9 Dec 1996
Portugal22	5 Jun 1992	30 Nov 1995
Russian Federation				14 Sep 1994
South Africa				30 Sep 1993
Spain23	5 Jun 1992	14 Feb 1994
United States of America	22 Oct 1992	24 Aug 1994
Uruguay				24 Jul 1997
Venezuela				5 May 1998

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