Mandate of the Pew Whales Commission

Objective:

• To consider ways to address and resolve the issues outlined in the 33 ‘elements/issues’ contained in document IWC/60/24 “Chair’s Summary of the Outcome of Discussions on the Future of the IWC” (Santiago, June, 2008) and related issues and to make recommendations accordingly, for the reform of the IWC and its constituent instrument, the ICRW, to ensure the effective operation of the IWC in the future.

Terms of Reference:

• To consider options prepared by the Secretariat and other submissions on how to address and resolve the 33 issues contained in document IWC/60/24 “Chair’s Summary of the Outcome of Discussions on the Future of the IWC”.
• To consider the conclusions of the Slade Report , released after the Pew Tokyo Symposium, and determine how the proposals and recommendations can be enhanced and further elaborated, taking into account the conclusions of other recent reports and meetings on whale conservation.

Modus Operandi:

• To solicit suggestions and contributions in a workable format in order to achieve the objective, with the involvement of governments, civil society, the scientific community and the private sector, taking into account the Slade report released after the Pew Tokyo Symposium (January 2008) and the proposals and recommendations therein, also taking into account the reports of the Pew New York Symposium (April 2007), the Japanese Government-sponsored Normalization Meeting report (February 2007) and the IWC Heathrow Intersessional meeting report (March 2008), IWC/60/24 (June 2008), the Declarations of the Buenos Aires Group meetings (December 2006 and 2007 ), an Options Paper to be prepared by the Secretariat (to be published and circulated in January 2008), and additional relevant reports that may arise in the meantime.

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Read the Symposia Bulletin

ENB online reporting of the Tokyo Whale Symposium (English | 日本語版)

ENB online reporting of the New York Whale Symposium (English | French).

Future of the IWC Links

Meeting of the Small Working Group on the Future of the IWC and associated documents.