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Article XVIII (Expenses) 1. Subject to the provisions of Article XXV, the Director-General shall submit to the Conference an annual budget covering the anticipated expenses of the Organization. Upon approval of a budget the total amount approved shall be allocated among the member nations in proportions determined, from time to time, by the Conference. Each member nation undertakes, subject to the requirements of its constitutional procedure, to contribute to the Organization promptly its share of the expenses so determined. 2. Each member nation shall, upon its acceptance of this Constitution, pay as its first contribution its proportion of the annual budget for the current financial year. 3. The financial year of the Organization shall be July 1 to June 30, unless the Conference should otherwise determine. Article XIX (withdrawal) Any member nation may give notice of withdrawal from the Organization at any time after the expiration of four years from the date of its acceptance of this Constitution. Such notice shall take effect one year after the date of its communication to the Director-General of the Organization subject to the member nation's having at that time paid its annual contribution for each year of its membership including the financial year following the date of such notice. Article XX (Amendment op Constitution) 1. Amendments to this Constitution involving new obligations for member nations shall require the approval of the Conference by a vote concurred in by a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Conference and shall take effect on acceptance by two-thirds of the member nations for each member nation accepting the amendment and thereafter for each remaining member nation on acceptance by it. 2. Other amendments shall take effect on adoption by the Conference by a vote concurred in by a two-thirds majority of all the members of the Conference. Article XXI (Entry into Force op Constitution) 1. This Constitution shall be open to acceptance by the nations specified in Annex I. 2. The instruments of acceptance shall be transmitted by each Government to the United Nations Interim Commission on Pood and Agriculture, which shall notify their receipt to the Governments of the nations specified in Annex I. Acceptance may lie notified to the Interim Commission through a diplomatic representative, in which case the instrument of acceptance must be transmitted to the Commission as soon as possible thereafter. 3. Upon the receipt by the Interim Commission of twenty notifications of acceptance the Interim Commission shall arrange for this Constitution to be signed in a single copy by the diplomatic representatives, duly authorized thereto, of the nations who shall have notified their acceptance, and upon being so signed on behalf of not less than twenty of the nations specified in Annex I this Constitution shall come into force immediately. 4-. Acceptances the notification of which is received after the entry into force of this Constitution shall become effective upon receipt by the Interim Commission or the Organization. Article XXII (First Session of the Conperence) The United Nations Interim Commission on Food and Agriculture, shall convene the first session of the Conference to meet at a suitable date after the entry into force of this Constitution. Article XXIII (Languages) Pending the adoption by the Conference of any rules regarding languages, the business of the Conference shall be transacted in English. Article XXIV (Temporary Seat) The temporary seat of the Organization shall be at Washington unless the Conference should otherwise determine. Article XXV (First Financial Year) The following exceptional arrangements shall apply in respect of the financial year in which this Constitution comes into force : (a) The budget shall be the provisional budget set forth in Annex II to this Constitution ; and \b) The amounts to be contributed by the member nations shall be in the proportions set forth in Annex II to this Constitution : Provided that each member nation may deduct therefrom the amount already contributed by.it toward the expenses of the Interim Commission. Article XXVI (Dissolution op the Interim Commission) On the opening of the first session of the Conference, the United Nations Interim Commission on Food and Agriculture shall be deemed to be dissolved and its records and other property shall become the property of the Organization.

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