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Art.3 |
Article III |
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Art.3.1 |
1. The Meeting of the Parties shall be the decision-making body of this Agreement. |
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Art.3.2 |
2. The Depositary shall convene, in consultation with the Secretariat of the Convention, a session of the Meeting of the Parties to this Agreement not later than one year after the date of its entry into force. Thereafter, the Agreement secretariat shall convene, in consultation with the Secretariat of the Convention, ordinary sessions of the Meeting of the Parties at intervals of not more than three years, unless the Meeting of the Parties decides otherwise. |
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Art.3.3 |
3. The Agreement secretariat shall convene an extraordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties on the written request of at least two thirds of the Parties. |
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Art.3.4 |
4. The United Nations, its Specialized Agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, any State not a Party to this Agreement, secretariats of other global and regional conventions or agreements concerned inter alia with the conservation of cetaceans, and regional or subregional fisheries management organizations with competence for species found temporarily or permanently resident in the Agreement area may be represented by observers in sessions of the Meeting of the Parties. Any other agency or body technically qualified in the conservation of cetaceans may be represented at sessions of the Meeting of the Parties by observers, unless at least one third of the Parties present object. Once admitted to a session of the Meeting of the Parties, an observer shall continue to be entitled to participate in future sessions unless one third of the Parties object at least thirty days before the start of the session. |
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Art.3.5 |
5. Only Parties have the right to vote. Each Party shall have one vote. Regional economic integration organizations which are Parties to this Agreement shall exercise, in matters within their competence, their right to vote with a number of votes equal to the number of their member States which are Parties to the Agreement. A regional economic integration organization shall not exercise its right to vote if its member States exercise theirs and vice versa. |
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Art.3.6 |
6. All decisions of the Meeting of the Parties shall be adopted by consensus except as otherwise provided in Article X of this Agreement. However, if consensus cannot be achieved in respect of matters covered by the annexes to the Agreement, a decision may be adopted by a two thirds majority of the Parties present and voting. In the event of a vote, any Party may, within one hundred and fifty days, notify the Depositary in writing of its intention not to apply the said decision. |
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Art.3.7 |
7. At its first session, the Meeting of the Parties shall: |
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Art.3.7.a |
a) adopt its rules of procedure; |
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Art.3.7.b |
b) establish an Agreement secretariat to perform the secretariat functions listed in Article IV of this Agreement; |
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Art.3.7.c |
c) designate in each subregion, within an existing institution, a Co-ordination unit to facilitate implementation of the measures prescribed in Annex 2 to this Agreement; |
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Art.3.7.d |
d) elect a Bureau as provided for in Article VI; |
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Art.3.7.e |
e) establish a Scientific Committee, as provided for in Article VII; and |
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Art.3.7.f |
f) decide on the format and content of Party reports on the implementation of the Agreement, as provided for in Article VIII. |
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Art.3.8 |
8. At each of its ordinary sessions, the Meeting of the Parties shall: |
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Art.3.8.a |
a) review scientific assessments of the conservation status of cetaceans of the Agreement area and the habitats which are important to their survival, as well as the factors which may affect them unfavourably; |
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Art.3.8.b |
b) review the progress made and any difficulties encountered in the implementation of this Agreement on the basis of the reports of the Parties and of the Agreement secretariat; |
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Art.3.8.c |
c) make recommendations to the Parties as it deems necessary or appropriate and adopt specific actions to improve the effectiveness of this Agreement; |
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Art.3.8.d |
d) examine and decide upon any proposals to amend, as may be necessary, this Agreement; |
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Art.3.8.e |
e) adopt a budget for the next financial period and decide upon any matters relating to the financial arrangements for this Agreement; |
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Art.3.8.f |
f) review the arrangements for the Agreement secretariat, the Co-ordination units and the Scientific Committee; |
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Art.3.8.g |
g) adopt a report for communication to the Parties to this Agreement and to the Conference of the Parties of the Convention; |
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Art.3.8.h |
h) agree on the provisional time and venue of the next meeting; and |
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Art.3.8.i |
i) deal with any other matter relating to implementation of this Agreement. |
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Art.6 |
Article VI |
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Art.6.1 |
1. The Meeting of the Parties shall elect a Bureau consisting of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Meeting of the Parties, and shall adopt rules of procedure for the Bureau, as proposed by the Agreement secretariat. The Chairperson of the Scientific Committee shall be invited to participate as an observer in the meetings of the Bureau. Whenever necessary, the Agreement secretariat shall provide secretariat services. |
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Art.6.2 |
2. The Bureau shall: |
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Art.6.2.a |
a) provide general policy guidance and operational and financial direction to the Agreement secretariat and the Co-ordination units concerning the implementation and promotion of the Agreement; |
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Art.6.2.b |
b) carry out, between sessions of the Meeting of the Parties, such interim activities on its behalf as may be necessary or assigned to it by the Meeting of the Parties; and |
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Art.6.2.c |
c) represent the Parties vis-à-vis the Government(s) of the host country (or countries) of the Agreement secretariat and the Meeting of the Parties, the Depositary and other international organizations on matters relating to this Agreement and its secretariat. |
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Art.6.3 |
3. At the request of its Chairperson, the Bureau shall normally meet once per annum at the invitation of the Agreement secretariat, which shall inform all Parties of the date, venue and agenda of such meetings. |
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Art.6.4 |
4. The Bureau shall provide a report on its activities for each session of the Meeting of the Parties which will be circulated to all Parties in advance of the session by the Agreement secretariat. |
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Art.7 |
Article VII |
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Art.7.1 |
1. A Scientific Committee, comprising persons qualified as experts in cetacean conservation science, shall be established as an advisory body to the Meeting of the Parties. The Meeting of the Parties will entrust the functions of the Scientific Committee to an existing organization in the Agreement area that assures geographically-balanced representation. |
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Art.7.2 |
2. Meetings of the Scientific Committee shall be convened by the Agreement secretariat at the request of the Meeting of the Parties. |
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Art.7.3 |
3. The Scientific Committee shall: |
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Art.7.3.a |
a) provide advice to the Meeting of the Parties on scientific and technical matters having a bearing on the implementation of the Agreement, and to individual Parties between sessions, as appropriate, through the Co-ordination unit of the subregion concerned; |
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Art.7.3.b |
b) advise on the guidelines as provided for in Article IV, paragraph 3, assess the reviews prepared in accordance with Annex 2 to this Agreement and formulate recommendations to the Meeting of the Parties relating to their development, contents and implementation; |
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Art.7.3.c |
c) conduct scientific assessments of the conservation status of cetacean populations; |
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Art.7.3.d |
d) advise on the development and co-ordination of international research and monitoring programmes, and make recommendations to the Meeting of the Parties concerning further research to be carried out; |
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Art.7.3.e |
e) facilitate the exchange of scientific information and of conservation techniques; |
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Art.7.3.f |
f) prepare for each session of the Meeting of the Parties a report of its activities which shall be submitted to the Agreement secretariat not less than one hundred and twenty days before the session of the Meeting of the Parties and circulated forthwith by the Agreement secretariat to all Parties; |
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Art.7.3.g |
g) render timely advice on the exceptions of which it has been informed pursuant to Article II, paragraph 2; and |
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Art.7.3.h |
h) carry out, as may be necessary, other tasks referred to it by the Meeting of the Parties. |
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Art.7.4 |
4. The Scientific Committee, in consultation with the Bureau and the respective Co-ordination units, may establish working groups as may be necessary to deal with specific tasks. The Meeting of the Parties shall agree a fixed budget allocation for this purpose. |
