| Term |
Definition |
| Accession: |
The act whereby a State and/or regional economic integration organization accepts the opportunity to become a Party to the Convention after it entered into force. It has the same legal effect as ratification. |
| Amendment: |
An amendment refers to the formal alteration of treaty provisions affecting all the Parties to the particular agreement. |
| Convention: |
Synonymous with "treaty", term generally used for formal multilateral treaties with a broad number of Parties usually negotiated under the auspices of an International Organisation. |
| Formal confirmation: |
The consent of an International Organisation to be bound by the Convention. |
| Participants: |
All States and/or regional economic integration organizations linked to the Convention as Signatories or Parties. |
| Parties: |
States consenting to be bound by the Basel Convention. |
| Protocol: |
Supplementary instrument to a treaty, which contains supplementary provisions. |
| Ratification, Acceptance, Approval: |
Consent of a State and/or regional economic integration organization to become a Party and be bound by the Convention. |
| Signature: |
The first formal step prior to ratification declaring an intention to become a Party to the Convention. |
| Succession: |
The adherence to the Convention of a new State where the predecessor State, whose territory has become the responsibility of the new State, was a party to the Convention. |