The New York Whale Symposium - 12th and 13th April

Agenda of the Symposium

Purpose:To analyze options for the conservation of whales, specifically exploring policies for resolving the current impasse over commercial and scientific whaling at the International Whaling Commission

Thursday 12th April

09:00-09:45	Arrival at UN, receive visitors passess at Visitor's Entrance.
10:00-10:30	Introductions and Keynote Presentation. Welcoming address by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Welcoming address by Juanita Castaño, Director UNEP New York Office. Opening address by Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Chair of the Symposium. Explanation and adoption of Chatham House rule.
10:30-12:30	State of the world’s whale stocks: Implications for policy-makers. Dr. Michael Tillman (Research Associate, Center for Marine Biodiversity): a perspective from within the IWC. Dr. Daniel Pauly (Professor and Director, the Fisheries Centre): a perspective from outside the IWC. Philippa Brakes (Senior Biologist, WDCS): an NGO perspective.
13:00-14:30	Luncheon served in the Delegates Dining Room (rooms 5-8).
14:45-18:00	Developments in Oceans Law from 1946 – 2006: Is the ICRW outdated? Dr. Conall O’Connell (Deputy Secretary of the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage): a perspective from within the IWC. Judge Neroni Slade (Former Judge at the International Criminal Court): a perspective from outside the IWC. Duncan Currie (International Environmental Lawyer): an NGO perspective.
18:30-20:15	Evening reception Dr. Roger Payne and actress Lisa Harrow will perform their acclaimed show Sea Change – Reversing the Tide.

Friday 13th April

09:30-12:30	Whaling Diplomacy: Why has it been so difficult to find an acceptable solution? Rollie Schmitten (US Whaling Commissioner 1995-2005): a perspective from within the IWC. Professor Atsushi Ishii (Associate Professor, Center for Northeast Asian Studies, Tohoku University): a perspective from outside the IWC. Kitty Block Esq. (Senior Legal Adviser, The Humane Society): an NGO perspective.
12:30-13:45	Lunch Break
13:45-17:15	The Way(s) Forward. Jose Truda Palazzo (Alternate IWC Commissioner for Brazil): a perspective from within the IWC. Yolanda Kakabadse (Former President of the IUCN-The World Conservation Union): a perspective from outside the IWC Karen Sack (Oceans Policy Advisor, Greenpeace International): an NGO perspective
17:15-18:00	Closing remarks and wrap-up by Sir Geoffrey Palmer.

Participants

67 people took part in the Symposium, representing a mix of legal, policy and science academics, policy- and opinion-makers, national and international civil servants, NGO and Think-Tank representatives.

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The meeting was attended by the following people:

Alexandre de Lichtervelde (Belgium), Alexey Yablokov (Russia), Allan Thornton (Canada), Andrew Darby (Australia), Arni Finnsson (Iceland), Atherton Martin (Dominica), Atsushi Ishii (Japan), Ayako Okubo (Japan), Bo Fernholm (Sweden), Brian Halweil (US), Claire Bass (UK), Conall O'Connell (Australia), Cristobel Block (US), Dan Birchall (UK), Daniel Pauly (Canada), David McNeill (Ireland), Ellen Pikitch (US), Duncan Currie (New Zealand), Alex Garcia Wylie (Spain), Emanuel Gonçalves (Portugal), Geoffrey Palmer (New Zealand), Howard Schiffman (US), J. Charles Fox (US), Jaakola Esko (Finland), James Gray (UK), Jim Sniffen (US) Jose Truda (Brazil), Josh Reichert (US), Joth Singh (Trinidad and Tobago), Juanita Castaño (Colombia), Junichi Sato (Japan), Justin Kenney (US), Karen Sack (South Africa), Kees Lankester (Netherlands), Kelly Rigg (Netherlands), Laurel Neme (US), Leah Garces (Colombia), Leslie Busby (US), Lorenzo Rojas (Mexico), Lyle Glowka (US), Maaike Moolhuijsen (Netherlands), Mamadou Diallo (Senegal), Margi Prideaux (Australia), Maria Tereza Mesquita Pessoa (Brazil), Marlies Reimann (Germany), Martine Bigan (France), Michael Tillman (US), Miguel Iñiguez (Argentina), Mike Donoghue (New Zealand), Mordur Arnason (Iceland), Nienke Beintema (Netherlands), Patricia Forkan (US), Patrick Ramage (US), Philippa Brakes (New Zealand), Pierre Gallego (Luxembourg), Remi Parmentier (France), Richard Cowan (UK), Robert Hepworth (UK), Roger Payne (US), Rollie Schmitten (US), Roxana Schteinberg (Argentina), Scott Baker (NZ), Shane Rattenbury (Netherlands), Stellan Hamrin (Sweden), Sue Lieberman (US), Tuiloma Neroni Slade (Samoa), Wil Burns (US), Yolanda Kakabadse (Ecuador).

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Banner image and other photographs used on this page are courtesy of Dr. Roger Payne and the Whale Conservation Institute / Ocean Alliance.