A/RES/51/80 Page 4 Secretary-General on the financial situation of the Committee and the report of the Committee; III Status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 14. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the status of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination;6 15. Expresses its satisfaction at the number of States that have ratified the Convention or acceded thereto; 16. Reaffirms once again its conviction that ratification of or accession to the Convention on a universal basis and implementation of its provisions are necessary for the realization of the objectives of the Third Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination and for action beyond the Decade; 17. Requests those States that have not yet become parties to the Convention to ratify it or accede thereto; 18. Encourages States to limit the extent of any reservation they lodge to the Convention and to formulate any reservation as precisely and as narrowly as possible while ensuring that no reservation is incompatible with the object and purpose of the Convention or otherwise contrary to international law; 19. Requests the States parties to the Convention that have not yet done so to consider the possibility of making the declaration provided for in article 14 of the Convention; 20. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-third session a report concerning the status of the Convention, in accordance with resolution 2106 A (XX) of 21 December 1965. 82nd plenary meeting 12 December 1996 6 A/51/435. /...