Various terms are used to indicate that a State or regional economic integration organization (e.g. the European Union (EU)) has consented to be bound by an international treaty, including "ratification", "accession", "approval" and "acceptance". The legal implications of each of these forms of consent are the same to the extent that the treaty becomes legally binding.

All States that have ratified, acceded to, approved or accepted the Protocol are therefore, legally, Parties to the Protocol.