1. A Conference of Plenipotentiaries convened in Caracas, Venezuela, in September 1981 by the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), adopted the Agreement for the Establishment of a Regional Centre on Agrarian reform and Rural Development of Latin America and the Caribbean. Article II of this Agreement provides that the seat of the Centre shall be in Ecuador and paragraph 4 of Article XV provides that the Agreement will enter into force upon ratification or accession by five eligible States, as well as by the host State (i.e. Ecuador). As Ecuador had not become a party to the Agreement, some countries in the region requested the Director-General of FAO to take measures for the swift establishment of the Regional Centre.

2. In response to the above-mentioned request, the Director-General of FAO convened the Conference of Plenipotentiaries for the Adoption of a Protocol to Amend the Agreement for the Establishment of a Regional Centre on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development of Latin America an the Caribbean, which was held in Panama City, Republic of Panama, on 16 and 17 July 1985.

3. The following nineteen States were represented: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Saint Christopher and Nevis and Saint Lucia.

4. The United Nations Development Programme was represented by an observer.

5. His Excellency Eric Arturo Delvalle, First Vice-President of the Republic of Panama, addressed the Conference at its inaugural ceremony.

6. The Conference elected Mr. Darinel Augusto Espino Zambrano (Panama) as President and the representatives of Argentina, Guatemala and Saint Christopher and Nevis, as Vice-Presidents.

7. The Conference set up a Credentials Committee composed of Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru and Saint Lucia.

8. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Mr. Edouard Saouma, was represented by Mr. Rafael Moreno, Director of the Human Resources, Institutions and Agrarian Reform Division.

9. The Protocol referred to in the second paragraph of this Final Act was discussed in detail and was adopted by the Conference as reproduced in Annex I to this Final Act. The Protocol was opened for signature on 17 July 1985.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the duly authorized representatives of the States whose names hereunder have signed this Final Act:

For Argentina: Jorge Elustondo

For Brazil: Jose Gomes Da Silva

For Colombia: Julio Londoño Paredes

For Costa Rica: Oscar Fonseca Rojas

For Cuba: Pedro A. Morales Carballo

For Dominican Republic: Carlos Guillén Tattis

For Ecuador: Carlos E. Donoso

For El Salvador: Carlos M. Deras Barillas

For Grenada: Felix G. Alexander

For Guatemala: Fredy Fernando Gamas Rosal

For Haiti: André Jean-Louis

For Honduras: Miguel Angel Bonilla Reyes

For Jamaica: Trevor F. Clarke

For Mexico: Víctor Manuel Barceló Rodriguez

For Nicaragua: Roger Alí Romero Santamaría

For Panama: Darinel A. Espino Zambrano

For Peru: Orlando R. Medina Ramírez

For Saint Christopher and Nevis: Herbert Wycliffe Morton

For Saint Lucia: Cosmos Richardson

PREAMBLE

The parties to the present Protocol

Desiring to secure the rapid entry into force of the Agreement for the Establishment of a Regional Centre on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development of Latin America and the Caribbean (hereinafter referred to as "the Agreement"), adopted at Caracas, Venezuela, on 11 September 1981;

Noting that, in accordance with paragraph 4 of Article XV, the Agreement shall enter into force with respect to all States that have ratified or acceded to it on the date when instruments of ratification or accession have been deposited by the Government of the host State referred to in Article II and by the Governments of at least five of the other States referred to in Article III of the Agreement, and that an amendment to Article II of the Agreement was likely to accelerate the Agreement's entry into force;

Considering that an amendment to paragraph 5 of Article IX of the Agreement is necessary so that the Technical Committee provided for in that Article may function with its full membership at all times;

Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE I

The parties to the present Protocol shall, notwithstanding paragraph 4 of Article XV of the Agreement, treat the Agreement as amended in accordance with Articles II and III of this Protocol, as having entered into force between them on the date of entry into force of this Protocol.

ARTICLE II

Article II of the Agreement is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Seat

The seat of the Centre shall be in the Dominican Republic. However, if on the date on which this Protocol enters into force, the Dominican Republic has not deposited an instrument of ratification or accession in respect of this Protocol, the seat of the Centre shall be determined by the Governing Council by a two-thirds majority of its members."

ARTICLE III

Paragraph 5 of Article IX of the Agreement is hereby amended to read as follows:

"The four national liaison institutions referred to in paragraph 1(a) shall be selected, at each regular session of the Governing Council, for periods of two years. However, at the first regular session of the Governing Council, two of the national liaison institutions shall be selected for periods of three years. At subsequent regular sessions, the Governing Council shall specify the commencement of the two-year period to be served by each of the four national liaison institutions selected at the session concerned."

ARTICLE IV

1. The States referred to in Article III of the Agreement may become parties to this Protocol by:

(a) signature of this protocol followed by the deposit of an instrument of ratification; or

(b) deposit of an instrument of accession.

2. This Protocol may be signed in Panama City on 17 or 18 July 1985 and, thereafter, shall remain open for signature at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome.

3. Instruments of ratification or accession in respect of this Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of FAO.

4. A State that has deposited an instrument of ratification or accession in respect of the Agreement may notify the Director-General of FAO that the said instrument shall also be treated as an instrument of ratification or accession in respect of this Protocol.

5. This Protocol shall enter into force, with respect to all States that have ratified or acceded to it, on the date when instruments of ratification or accession have been deposited by the Governments of at least six of the States referred to in Article III of the Agreement. Any other State of Latin America and the Caribbean shall become a party to this Protocol on the date of the deposit of its instrument of ratification or accession.

6. Ratification of this Protocol, or accession thereto, may not be made subject to any reservation.

ARTICLE V

Article XVIII and paragraphs 1(a), (b), (c)(i) and (ii) and 2 of Article XIX of the Agreement shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of this Protocol.

Done at Panama City on 17 July 1985 in a single copy in the Spanish, French and English languages, each version being equally authoritative.