Summary
On the final day of IWC-66, delegates resumed discussions on unresolved agenda items, and addressed finance and administration and several organizational matters.
On strengthening the capacities of governments with limited means to participate in the work of the IWC, Japan presented a new draft, noting remaining fundamental differences of opinion. Despite several countries’ wish to continue work on this item intersessionally in order to arrive at consensus at a later stage, Japan preferred to bring the draft resolution to a vote. It was adopted with 30 members voting in favor, zero against, 31 abstaining, and one not participating.
On finance and administration, delegates addressed administrative matters, intersessional working groups, and financial statements. They adopted a £315,800 research budget for the Scientific Committee and IWC annual budgets amounting to £1.785 million for 2017 and £1.841 million for 2018.
The reports of the Scientific, Conservation, and Finance and Administration Committees, the Infractions, Budgetary, and ASW Sub-Committees, and the Whale Killing Methods and Welfare Issues Working Group were adopted without further revisions, with IWC Chair Bruno Mainini (Switzerland) noting that their smooth adoption portrays the hard work done.
The IWC also elected a new Bureau, with Joji Morishita (Japan) as Chair and Andrej Bibič (Slovenia) as Vice-Chair. Mainini closed the meeting at 4:00 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web highlights from IWC66. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report of the meeting in HTML and PDF.
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Chair Bruno Mainini, Switzerland, gives his final remarks
Amy Laurenson, New Zealand
L-R: New IWC Chair, Joji Morishita, Japan; outgoing Chair Bruno Mainini, Switzerland; and new Vice-Chair, Andrej Bibič, Slovenia
Slovenian delegates
A gathering of flags
Hideki Moronuki, Japan, Whale tie contest winner