All NPPOs have effective pest surveillance systems in place for timely detection of new pest arrivals and monitoring spread.

All NPPOs have strong capacities to monitor, detect, diagnose, report, and prepare rapid responses to pest outbreaks, so that these pests do not have major impacts on food supplies and they do not spread and thereby threaten other regions and trading partners.

A plant health emergency response system is in place that facilitates timely action against new pest incursions and supports countries with emergency response systems tools and knowledge.

Sustainable pest risk management options, such as systems approaches, are implemented widely to minimize pest impacts right through the production process and harvesting, and to minimize the need for end-point treatments.

Enhance global food security and increase sustainable agricultural productivity.

All NPPOs have pest risk analysis capacity in place to identify and mitigate pest risks to crop production.

Pest risk prevention is integrated throughout the production, processing and trade chain of plants and plant products.

Land productivity and related ecosystems services are maintained or enhanced.

Food security and adequate access to water for people in affected areas is improved.

Sustainable land management and the combating of desertification/land degradation contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and addressing climate change.

To improve the condition of affected ecosystems, combat desertification/land degradation, promote sustainable land management and contribute to land degradation neutrality.

Trade in CITES-listed species is conducted in full compliance with the Convention in order to achieve their conservation and sustainable use.

Parties comply with their obligations under the Convention through the adoption and implementation of appropriate legislation, policies, and procedures.

Implementation of the Convention at the national level is consistent with Resolutions and Decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties.

Parties improve the conservation status of CITES-listed specimens, put in place national conservation actions, support their sustainable use and promote cooperation in managing shared wildlife resources.

By 2030, ensure sustainable food and agriculture production systems through the continued sustainable use and development of genetic resources and biodiversity for food and agriculture, supporting the implementation of resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality.

Implement the 10‑Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

By 2030, increase the economic benefits to small island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Enhanced sustainability of key sectors such as water, energy, mining, agriculture, tourism, urban development, infrastructure, industry, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries, when they affect wetlands, contributing to biodiversity conservation and human livelihoods.

Water use respects wetland ecosystem needs for them to fulfil their functions and provide services at the appropriate scale inter alia at the basin level or along a coastal zone.

The public and private sectors have increased their efforts to apply guidelines and good practices for the wise use of water and wetlands.

Sites that are at risk of change of ecological character have threats addressed.

The wise use of wetlands is strengthened through integrated resource management at the appropriate scale, inter alia, within a river basin or along a coastal zone.

The habitats and ranges of migratory species are maintained and restored, supporting their connectivity.

By 2032, the loss and fragmentation of important habitats for migratory species listed in CMS Appendices is reduced, and habitats are restored to ensure that such habitats support their viability. Explanation: Steps will be taken towards eliminating and/or reducing the negative impacts on migratory species from the loss and degradation of important habitats and ranges because of land-use change and fragmentation. This includes tackling known threats such as unsustainable intensive agriculture, damaging afforestation, urbanization or human-made infrastructure.

The agriculture sector in the Carpathians, including traditionally cultivated land, is maintained and developed sustainably. Traditional knowledge and sustainable agriculture practices are maintained, enabling rural communities to flourish while preserving the natural resources and cultural heritage of the Carpathians. (Source: Main reference document: Carpathian Convention Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Protocol, Article 1 on General objective and principles)

Resolution on Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (AWS)   WHEREAS Resolution 1982-3 states that it is the purpose of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to provide for the effective conservation and management of whale stocks; WHEREAS the Commission recognises the importance of accommodating the needs of aboriginal people who are dependent upon whales for subsistence and cultural purposes and that the Commission intends that the needs of aboriginals shall be determined by the Governments concerned and explained in needs statements that are submitted to the Commission. WHEREAS Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling (ASW) management is a fundamental and integral part of the duties to be performed by the IWC; WHEREAS Resolution 1994-4 states that for aboriginal subsistence whaling the IWC objectives are to: ensure that the risks of extinction to individual stocks are not seriously increased by subsistence whaling; enable aboriginal people to harvest whales in perpetuity at levels appropriate to their cultural and nutritional requirements, subject to the other objectives; and maintain the status of stocks at or above the level giving the highest net recruitment and to ensure that stocks below that level are moved towards it, so far as the environment permits; WHEREAS Resolution 1994-4 also states that highest priority shall be accorded to the objective of ensuring that the risk of extinction to individual stocks are not seriously increased by subsistence whaling; WHEREAS the Scientific Committee in its 2009 report endorsed an interim safe approach to setting catch limits for the Greenlandic hunt in 2008 and agreed that this should be considered valid for two blocks, i.e. up to, and including, the 2018 whaling season; WHEREAS the Commission and the Scientific Committee have agreed that long-term scientific advice on ASW management should follow the Strike Limit Algorithm (SLA) approach; WELCOMING the relevant work carried out by the Scientific Committee, especially the considerable progress in developing SLAs and providing management advice for the Greenlandic hunt; NOTING WITH SATISFACTION the completion of the SLA for humpback whales off West Greenland which provides a more robust basis for providing long-term management advice to the Commission on the subsistence hunt of humpback whales off West Greenland; WELCOMING ALSO the work of the Scientific Committee towards considering a multi-species SLA; WELCOMING FURTHER the additional work undertaken on conversion factors within Greenland, including improved procedures for data collection and updating the new information obtained (SC/65b/AWMP05) in line with the recommendations of the Scientific Committee in 2013 and NOTING that the Scientific Committee has agreed that annual update reports are unnecessary for its work, but has suggested that data are submitted directly to the Commission when it meets and incorporated as necessary into need statements; NOW, THEREFORE, THE COMMISSION: EMPHASISES the need to regulate ASW in the future through a more consistent and long-term approach; URGES all contracting governments to participate more actively in the work of the ASW Sub­ committee; REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to give high priority to all AWMP-related activities, including modelling and data collection and to complete, and, to the extent possible, accelerate its work on the development of agreed and validated SLAs for the Greenland hunt, at least by species, before 2018 in accordance with its current work plan as well as consider the integration of these SLAs so as to provide multispecies advice for the next quota period; FURTHER REQUESTS the ASW Sub-committee to address as a matter of urgency the following issues for the period 2014-2018: Standardised need statements, building on the work already carried out in the ASW sub­ committee and by the Ad Hoc ASW Working Group; Better understanding of the relationship between needs and consumption patterns for ASW hunts, including by collecting data on landings for each category, local consumption and use and the extent of monetary transactions; preparation of a proposal to update paragraph 13a of the Schedule to the International Convention on the Regulation of Whaling to reflect the SLA approach for consideration bylWC66. THANKS the Kingdom of Denmark for providing the updated 2014 needs statement for Greenland; INVITES the ASW countries to continue to provide regular data and improve information on all aspects of their hunts and needs.

Acknowledging that the abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is recognised as a major anthropogenic global problem that causes economic losses, environmental damage and harm to marine wildlife, including cetaceans; Further acknowledging that bycatch in active fishing gear is the greatest immediate threat for cetaceans globally, and that the IWC is committed to addressing this issue through its Bycatch Mitigation Initiative; Recognising that despite being extremely difficult to quantify, the amount of existing ALDFG is prevalent and likely to be increasing; Further recognising that the mortality rates associated with ghost fishing gear are very difficult to quantify, especially transient ALDFG that follow the winds and geostrophic currents, making them difficult to track and find, and prolonged studies very challenging; Aware that entanglement due to ALDFG is an increasingly significant threat to cetacean welfare, causing infection, starvation, drowning and even amputation of fins or tails and that it is an obstacle to the recovery of some endangered whale and dolphin populations; Recalling the Global Whale Entanglement Response Network developed by the IWC that promotes capacity building of national leaders in disentanglement programmes of large whales for IWC Contracting Governments; Noting the wide collaboration of the IWC with other international governmental conventions and organizations; and the active engagement of the Secretariat with the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO); Further noting that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ Committee on Fisheries endorsed Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear at its thirty-third session and further work to address ALDFG, including the development of a comprehensive global strategy to tackle issues relating to ALDFG; Now, therefore the Commission: Recognises the transboundary nature of the ALDFG problem and the importance of regional and international cooperation by IWC Contracting Governments and other International Organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to prevent and mitigate ALDFG, in addition to national- and local-level initiatives; Encourages the IWC Secretariat in conjunction with Contracting Governments, other International Organizations and NGOs to continue to work constructively towards the development of best practices to avoid ALDFG, and consequently to reduce the entanglement of whales and dolphins in ghost fishing gear and to develop techniques to locate it and to clean up what is already accumulated in the ocean. Directs the Conservation Committee and Scientific Committee to continue their work on ghost fishing gear and its impacts to cetaceans in its work, including assessing the risk of each gear’s propensity to become ALDFG and to pose a threat to harm cetaceans and which species or regions are most affected. Urges Contracting Governments to report any relevant information on ghost gear in their voluntary conservation report. Agrees to increase collaboration and co-operation with governmental, regional and other international organizations and NGOs, including cross-sectoral coalitions, such as the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and the Global Partnership on Marine Litter, working on the development and implementation of best practices as well as the development of innovations to prevent and mitigate ALDFG. Invites Parties to join the IWC Global Whale Entanglement Response Network to professionally train and form teams for entanglement responders. Agrees that any provisions of this Resolution should not duplicate work of other organisations in this regard.

AWARE that there exist differences in views between member states on the regulatory competence of the IWC with regard to small cetaceans, and noting that this Resolution does not seek in any way to prejudice different members' positions; NOTING that the biology ofvaquita and concerns about incidental mortality in the shark and totoaba fishery were first mentioned in the published report of the IWC Scientific Committee's first meeting on small cetaceans, Montreal, 1974 (IWC, 1975).i NOTING that the Commission first passed Resolution 1994-3, which acknowledged the immediate need to eliminate incidental catches of vaquita throughout the entire range of the species; AWARE that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed the vaquita as Critically Endangered in 1996, and the population has significantly declined since then as a result of bycatch in entangling fishing nets (gillnets); RECALLING IWC Resolution 2007-5 which urged members of the IWC and the world community to support Mexico's efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita by reducing bycatch to zero in the immediate future and assisting in providing financial resources and technical as well as socio- economic expertise; RECALLING the repeated recommendations of the IWC Scientific Committee, the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) and the IUCN that gillnets must be eliminated from the vaquita's range in order to reduce bycatch to zero; CONCERNED about the recent escalation of the illegal totoaba fishery and the illegal international trade of totoaba swim bladders, which has precipitated a dramatic decline in vaquita numbers over the last five years; DEEPLY CONCERNED that the estimated total abundance of vaquitas in 2015 was 59 (95% Cl 22- 145), compared to previous estimates of 567 (95% Cl 177-1,073) in 1997 and 245 (95% Cl 68-884) in 2008; FURTHER CONCERNED that at leastthreevaquita were killed by totoaba gillnets in March 2016, despite strong enforcement efforts in the Upper Gulfof California; NOTING the Scientific Committee's strong endorsement of the recommendations contained in the June 2016 CIRVA-7 report;ii NOTING the recent adoption of IUCN Resolution 013 on "Actions to avert the extinction ofthe vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus)" and CITES Decision 17.Xa ''Totoaba - Totoaba macdonaldi - Opportunities for international collaboration within the CITES framework" RECOGNISING the hardships faced by the fishing communities of the Upper Gulf in light of the gillnet ban, and mindful of the need to develop and support alternative livelihoods such that these communities can overcome these challenges;   NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: EXPRESSES DEEP CONCERN that the vaquita numbers less than 59 animals and is facing imminent extinction; AFFIRMS that only a permanent, complete, and effective gillnet ban in all fisheries operating in the Upper Gulf of California will prevent the imminent extinction of the vaquita; COMMENDS the Mexican Government for the Strategy on the Comprehensive Care of the Upper Gulf of California that includes an interagency enforcement programme, a two-year gillnet ban (from May 2015), compensation for fishermen and those who work in fishery-related activities and the development of alternative fishing gear; COMMENDS the Mexican Government on the announcement of a permanent ban on gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California gillnet exclusion zone from April 2017 and the programme to remove derelict fishing gear in the Upper Gulfof California. URGES the Mexican Government to eliminate any exemptions to the ban, which can facilitate illegal fishing for totoaba, and to prohibit the use of any gillnets within the range of the vaquita; ENDORSES the recommendations of the IWC Scientific Committee, in particular the urgent need to strengthen enforcement efforts against illegal fishing in Mexico and totoaba smuggling out of Mexico and into transit and destination countries; the urgent need to remove active and ghost gillnets from the range of the vaquita; and the need to maintain the acoustic monitoring programme as a key action in support of any recovery strategy; URGES all Contracting Governments to follow the recommendations in CITES Decision 17. xa and strengthen enforcement actions to eliminate the illegal international trade in totoaba swim bladders, in particular those countries where totoaba products are consumed or in transit, including the United States and China; URGES Contracting Governments to support Mexico's efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita by assisting in providing financial resources as well as technical and socio-economic expertise; REQUESTS the IWC Secretary to forward a copy of this Resolution to the CITES, FAO and IUCN Secretariats 

CONCERNED with the finding of the Scientific Committee concurring with the recent results of the baiji survey in the Yangzte River that has led the scientific community to conclude that the baiji is functionally extinct. It is the first cetacean species to disappear in modern times. The main factors that drove the baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) to extinction were habitat degradation and incidental catch. RECALLING that since 1991 the IWC SC has recommended that conservation actions must be taken immediately to eliminate bycatch of the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) in the northernmost Gulf of California, Mexico, to prevent its extinction. Moreover, since 1997 the International Committee for the Recovery of Vaquita (CIRVA) has recommended that bycatch be reduced to zero by banning entangling nets throughout the vaquita’s range whilst noting the difficulties involved in trying to reconcile the vaquita’s need for immediate protection with the needs of the affected people. FURTHER RECALLING that IUCN has listed the vaquita as Vulnerable in 1978, Endangered in 1990 and Critically Endangered since 1996. NOTING that CIRVA recommended a staged reduction in fishing effort starting in January 2000, with the expectation that gillnetting would be completely eliminated by January 2002. FURTHER NOTING that in March 2007 the IUCN Director-General expressed, through a letter to the President of Mexico, that organization’s grave concern about the future of the vaquita. IUCN also acknowledged the serious social and economic implications of banning the use of entangling nets in the Northern Gulf and indicated that conservation efforts must include programs that will help meet the needs of people in the region. FURTHER NOTING that Mexico has followed many of the recommendations to protect and monitor the vaquita, e.g. by closing the totoaba fishery, protecting the vaquita’s habitat through Marine Protected Areas (Biosphere Reserve of the Upper Gulf of California and Delta of the Colorado River and the recently declared Vaquita Refuge), and implementing an acoustic monitoring program. FURTHER RECALLING that the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries have been working cooperatively with several non-governmental organizations to implement a comprehensive recovery plan with a strong socio-economic component as recommended by CIRVA. FURTHER CONCERNED that progress towards reducing/eliminating entanglement has been very slow despite efforts to ban gillnets from the vaquita’s core area of occurrence and elsewhere in the Northern Gulf. The baiji experience shows that extinction can happen rapidly and without evidence of a steady or prolonged decline, if appropriate conservation actions are not taken promptly. FURTHER NOTING that the vaquita’s survival is at a critical juncture. The best hope for the species is that the international community and non-governmental organizations will support the Government of Mexico by providing technical and financial assistance in the implementation of CIRVA’s Recovery Plan and the Biosphere Reserve. NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: COMMENDS Mexico’s intense recent efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita despite the difficulties involved in reducing bycatch to zero, and especially given the difficulties of providing alternative livelihoods to isolated fishing communities in the Northern Gulf. FURTHER COMMENDS the President of Mexico for the recent announcement on the Conservation Program for Endangered Species (PROCER), which calls for the implementation of specific Species Conservation Action Programs (PACE) for a list of selected species. The vaquita is among the top five species on this list.IWC59\Resolution 2007-5 2 04/06/07 URGES the Members of IWC and the world community to support Mexico's efforts to prevent the extinction of the vaquita by reducing bycatch to zero in the immediate future and assisting in providing financial resources and technical as well as socio-economic expertise.

Resolution 2001-12 Resolution on Dall’s Porpoise RECOGNISING that for more than a decade there has been concern about the status of Dall’s porpoise stocks impacted by the Japanese hand-harpoon fishery, and that the Government of Japan has provided much valuable information to assess the status of these stocks in the past, leading to a substantial decrease in the numbers taken, although not to the levels recommended by the Scientific Committee; WHEREAS in 1999 the Commission directed the Scientific Committee to review the status of Dall’s porpoise stocks exploited in the Japanese hand harpoon hunt and that this review was carried out at the 53rd meeting of the Scientific Committee; NOTING however, that this year data for the Dall’s porpoise status review was not made available by the Government of Japan, and that the work of the Scientific Committee was hampered because of this; CONCERNED that the most recent abundance estimate for the exploited stocks was made in 1991, and that since this time more than 130,000 Dall’s porpoises have been reported taken; NOTING that there has been a recent increase in the proportion of lactating females in some catches which may reflect a change in hunting techniques whereby hunters target females with dependent calves; FURTHER NOTING that reported catch statistics are also limited by the absence of data on number of individuals struck and lost, inaccurate reporting on a stock-by-stock basis and the absence of data on age, sex and reproductive condition; NOTING the Scientific Committee’s report that a total of 11,973 Dall’s porpoises were taken as by-catch from 1993 to 1999 in the Japanese salmon drift-net fishery that operates in the Russian EEZ, and that some of these by-catches are from the stocks impacted by the Japanese harpoon fishery; FURTHER NOTING that the Scientific Committee reported that these by-catches should be considered in any future assessment of Dall’s porpoises in this region; NOTING ALSO that the Scientific Committee recommended that Governments should report by-catches of Dall’s porpoises on an annual basis to the Scientific Committee; NOTING that in 1990 the Scientific Committee recommended that catches of Dall’s porpoises should be reduced to levels below 10,000 each year, and that, subsequently, catches have exceeded these levels; CONCERNED that reported levels of directed takes alone exceed levels considered by the Scientific Committee to be sustainable; NOTING that the Scientific Committee reiterated its extreme concern for these stocks and repeated its previous recommendations that catches be reduced as soon as possible to sustainable levels; NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: DIRECTS the Scientific Committee to carry out a full assessment of the status of exploited Dall’s porpoise stocks as soon as sufficient additional information becomes available; CALLS ON the Government of Japan to provide information necessary to carry out such an assessment; namely improved catch statistics for each stock, including information on age, sex and reproductive status and numbers struck and lost, and new abundance estimates for each stock; REQUESTS all governments with fisheries in the range of these stocks to fully report by-catch to the Scientific Committee on an annual basis; URGES the Government of Japan to halt the directed takes of Dall’s porpoises until a full assessment by the Scientific Committee has been carried out.

Resolution 2001-4 Resolution on the incidental capture of Cetaceans NOTING that the problem of the incidental capture of non-target species in fishing gear is a problem of international proportions, and is the subject of serious concern within a number of international agreements, including the Convention on Migratory Species, RECOGNISING that the problem of by-catch of cetaceans has been discussed by the IWC for over twenty years, RECALLING IWC Resolution 2000-8 (on the North Atlantic Right Whale) and 2000-9 (on fresh water cetaceans), ACKNOWLEDGING that the problem of by-catch may prove critical for some species, NOW THEREFORE, THE COMMISSION COMMENDS the work of the Scientific Committee on the Estimation of By-catch and Other Human-Induced Mortality; URGES all members to contribute fully to the Committee’s further work on this matter; REQUESTS the Scientific Committee to provide to the 54th Annual Meeting of the Commission a summary of its work in recent years on the most feasible methods to mitigate the incidental capture of large cetaceans in fishing gear, and ways in which entangled large cetaceans may be removed from fishing gear with minimal risk to rescuers; RECOMMENDS that all Contracting Parties make reasonable attempts to release alive, with the minimum harm possible, whales that have been incidentally captured. If the whale cannot be released alive, the Commission recommends that: (a) There shall be no commercial exchange of incidentally-captured whales for which no catch limit has been set by the Commission; (b) If an incidentally-captured whale is subject to a catch limit awarded under the RMP, and the sovereign government wishes to permit commercial exchange for that whale, then: (i) A DNA sample must be forwarded to the appropriate diagnostic register; (ii) The incidental capture must be counted against the overall quota for that species or stock.

Resolution 2001-13 Resolution on Small Cetaceans APPRECIATING the valuable work of the Standing Sub Committee on Small Cetaceans (SCSC) and recognising the usefulness of its findings to other international and regional bodies; COMMENDING the SCSC’s species and population-specific reviews which enable the Scientific Committee and Commission to make species-specific recommendations; NOTING in particular the Scientific Committee’s recent acknowledgement of the critically endangered status of the baiji and vaquita, the depleted or unknown status of many beluga stock and the uncertain status of the narwhal; NOTING the continuing and critical threat to some small cetaceans posed by directed takes and their incidental capture in fisheries operations; WELCOMING the information on direct and incidental takes of small cetaceans provided by some Contracting Governments through their annual progress reports to the IWC; RECOGNISING the Government of Mexico’s recovery strategy for the vaquita, the objective of which is to reduce by-catches of vaquita as rapidly as possible; CONCERNED that, in the absence of information on population status, trends and distribution, takes and other anthropogenic removals, the removal of certain small cetaceans may be detrimental to the survival of that species; REGRETTING that, despite repeated requests for information and action on certain species and populations, the requested information and action have not always been forthcoming; NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: COMMENDS Contracting Governments who have instigated/taken conservation measures in relation to small cetaceans in their waters and through other regional bodies; URGES Contracting Governments to respond to outstanding and future requests from the Scientific Committee for information on the status of, and threats to small cetaceans and recommendations for action; DIRECTS the Scientific Committee to undertake a regular review of the extent to which outstanding recommendations and resolutions relating to small cetaceans have been fulfilled; CALLS ON Contracting Governments to report to the extent practicable information on all direct and non-direct takes and other anthropogenic removals in their national progress reports; URGES Contracting Governments to take all appropriate measures to prevent, minimise and mitigate by-catch of small cetaceans in fisheries operations; SUPPORTS the recommendations of the Scientific Committee in 1999 that beluga range states continue studies to resolve the structure of beluga stocks, conduct contaminant analysis and health assessments and provide relevant scientific data to the Scientific Committee; FURTHER URGES narwhal range states to respond to the recommendations of the Scientific Committee in 1999 to undertake genetic and telemetry studies to identify stocks and improve catch reporting, as well as to assess the potential impact of threats including radionuclide contamination; FURTHER URGES all Contracting Governments to respond to the Scientific Committee’s requests to report progress on the conservation of critically endangered species, including baiji; ENCOURAGES Contracting Governments to offer technical, scientific and financial support to range states to assist their small cetacean conservation measures;2001-13.doc 2 15/05/12 11:26 URGES the IWC under its Memorandum of Understanding with the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) to pursue complementary and mutually supportive actions in respect of small cetaceans.

RECALLING the objective of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling to safeguard the natural resources represented by whale stocks for the benefit of future generations; NOTING that many coastal States, including developing countries, have adopted policies of non-lethal use of cetaceans in the waters under their jurisdiction, in accordance with their sovereign rights reinforced by, inter alia, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Rio Declaration; AWARE that most whale species are highly migratory and thus shared biodiversity resources; CONCERNED that negotiations aimed at resolving the impasses at the International Whaling Commission must address the issue of non-lethal use to take into account the interests of a substantial portion of IWC membership; NOTING that, under domestic management by coastal States, non-lethal utilization of whales is a rapidly growing activity that provides substantial socio-economic opportunities, including promoting employment in coastal communities, especially in developing countries; NOTING FURTHER that the moratorium on commercial whaling has been in effect since 1986 and has contributed to the recovery of some cetacean populations essential for the promotion of non-lethal uses in many countries; CONCERNED that whales in the 21st Century face a wider range of threats than those envisaged when the ICRW was concluded in 1946; NOTING that the Buenos Aires Declaration states that “high quality and well managed implementation of whale watching tourism promotes economic growth and social and cultural development of local communities, bringing educational and scientific benefits, whilst contributing to the protection of cetacean populations”; NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION: RECOGNISES the valuable benefits that can be derived from the non-lethal uses of cetaceans as a resource, both in terms of socio-economic and scientific development; RECOGNISES non-lethal use as a legitimate management strategy; ENCOURAGES member States to work constructively towards the incorporation of the needs of non-lethal users of whale resources in any future decisions and agreements.