A Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment of the Intergovernmental Organization for Marketing Information and Cooperation Services for Fishery Products in Africa, which was held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, on 12 and 13 December 1991, adopted the Agreement establishing the Intergovernmental Organization for Marketing Information and Cooperation Services for Fishery Products in Africa (INFOPÊCHE).

Pursuant to paragraph 1 of Article l4, the Agreement was signed in Abidjan on 13 December 1991 on behalf of the five States mentioned below and remained open for signature at the Headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome until 31 December 1992. In accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 14 of the Agreement, the African States referred to in Annex I to the Agreement may become parties to the Agreement either by signature, followed by the deposit of an instrument of ratification or by the deposit of an instrument of accession.

Paragraph 4 of Article l4 provides that the Agreement shall enter into force with respect to all States that have ratified it or acceded to it on the date when instruments of ratification or accession have been deposited by the Governments of at least five States listed in Annex I to the Agreement. In accordance with this provision, the Agreement entered into force on 23 December 1993, date of receipt of the fifth instrument of ratification or accession. The Agreement was registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations on 9 June 1994 under Nº 31029.

Subject to paragraph 3 of Article 6 of the Agreement, at any time after the entry into force of the Agreement, any State not referred to in Annex I may apply to the Director-General of FAO to become a member of INFOPÊCHE. The Governing Council of INFOPÊCHE shall then decide on the application.

Signatories and Parties to the Agreement

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