Displaying 1 - 200 of 273

Paragraphs in "Convention On The Conservation And Management Of Fishery Resources In The South East Atlantic Ocean" coded as SCIR

Label Provision
Pre.1 The Contracting Parties to this Convention,
Pre.2 COMMITTED to ensuring the long term conservation and sustainable use of all living marine resources in the South-East Atlantic Ocean, and to safeguarding the environment and marine ecosystems in which the resources occur;
Pre.3 RECOGNISING the urgent and constant need for effective conservation and management of the fishery resources in the high seas of the South-East Atlantic Ocean;
Pre.4 RECOGNISING THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982; the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, 1995; and taking into account the FAO Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas,1993 and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, 1995;
Pre.5 RECOGNISING the duties of States to cooperate with each other in the conservation and management of living resources in the South-East Atlantic Ocean;
Pre.6 DEDICATED to exercising and implementing the precautionary approach in the management of fishery resources, in line with the principles set out in the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, 1995, and with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, 1995;
Pre.7 RECOGNISING that the long term conservation and sustainable use of high seas fishery resources require cooperation among States through appropriate subregional or regional organisations which agree upon the measures necessary for this purpose;
Pre.8 COMMITTED to responsible fisheries;
Pre.9 NOTING that the coastal States have established areas of national jurisdiction in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, and general principles of international law within which they exercise sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing living marine resources;
Pre.10 DESIRING cooperation with the coastal States and with all other States and Organisations having a real interest in the fishery resources of the South-East Atlantic Ocean to ensure compatible conservation and management measures;
Pre.11 RECOGNISING economic and geographical considerations and the special requirements of developing States, and their coastal communities, for equitable benefit from living marine resources;
Pre.12 CALLING upon States which are not Contracting Parties to this Convention, and which do not otherwise agree to apply the conservation and management measures adopted under this Convention, not to authorise vessels flying their flags to engage in fishing for the resources which are the subject of this Convention;
Pre.13 CONVINCED that the establishment of an organisation for the long term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources in the South-East Atlantic Ocean would best serve these purposes;
Pre.14 BEARING IN MIND that the achievements of the above will contribute to the realisation of a just and equitable economic order in the interests of all humankind, and in particular the special interests and needs of developing States,
Pre.15 HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Art.1 Article 1 Use of terms
Art.1.1x For the purposes of this Convention:
Art.1.1x.a (a) '1982 Convention' means the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982;
Art.1.1x.b (b) '1995 Agreement' means the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, 1995;
Art.1.1x.c (c) 'Coastal State' means any Contracting Party with waters under national jurisdiction which are adjacent to the Convention Area;
Art.1.1x.d (d) 'Commission' means the South-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission established pursuant to Article 5;
Art.1.1x.e (e) 'Contracting Party' means any State or regional economic integration organisation which has consented to be bound by this Convention, and for which the Convention is in force;
Art.1.1x.f (f) 'Control measure' means any decision or action adopted by the Commission regarding observation, inspection, compliance and enforcement pursuant to Article 16;
Art.1.1x.g (g) 'Fisheries management organisation' means any intergovernmental organisation which has competence to take regulatory measures in relation to living marine resources;
Art.1.1x.h (h) 'Fishing' means:
Art.1.1x.h.i (i) the actual or attempted searching for, catching, taking or harvesting of fishery resources;
Art.1.1x.h.ii (ii) engaging in any activity which can reasonably be expected to result in the locating, catching, taking or harvesting of fishery resources for any purpose including scientific research;
Art.1.1x.h.iii (iii) placing, searching for or recovering any aggregating device for fishery resources or associated equipment including radio beacons;
Art.1.1x.h.iv (iv) any operation at sea in support of, or in preparation for, any activity described in this definition, except for any operation in emergencies involving the health and safety of crew members or the safety of a vessel; or
Art.1.1x.h.v (v) the use of an aircraft in relation to any activity described in this definition except for flights in emergencies involving the health or safety of crew members or the safety of a vessel;
Art.1.1x.i (i) 'Fishing entity' means any fishing entity referred to in Article 1 paragraph 3 of the 1995 Agreement;
Art.1.1x.j (j) 'Fishing vessel' means any vessel used or intended for use for the purposes of the commercial exploitation of fishery resources, including mother ships, any other vessels directly engaged in such fishing operations, and vessels engaged in transshipment;
Art.1.1x.k (k) 'Fishing research vessel' means any vessel engaged in fishing, as defined in point (h), for scientific research purposes, including permanent research vessels or vessels normally engaged in commercial fishing operations, or fishing support activities;
Art.1.1x.l (l) 'Fishery resources' means resources of fish, molluscs, crustaceans and other sedentary species within the Convention Area, excluding:
Art.1.1x.l.i (i) sedentary species subject to the fishery jurisdiction of coastal States pursuant to Article 77 paragraph 4 of the 1982 Convention; and
Art.1.1x.l.ii (ii) highly migratory species listed in Annex I of the 1982 Convention;
Art.1.1x.m (m) 'Flag State' means, unless otherwise indicated:
Art.1.1x.m.i (i) a state whose vessels are entitled to fly its flag; or
Art.1.1x.m.ii (ii) a regional economic integration organisation in which vessels are entitled to fly the flag of a member State of that regional economic integration organisation.
Art.1.1x.n (n) 'Living marine resources' means all living components of marine ecosystems, including seabirds;
Art.1.1x.o (o) 'Regional economic integration organisation' unless other-wise specified, means a regional economic integration organisation to which all its member States have transferred competence over matters covered by this Convention, including the authority to make decisions binding on its member States in respect of those matters; and
Art.1.1x.p (p) 'Transshipment' means unloading of all or any of the fishery resources on board a fishing vessel to another fishing vessel either at sea or in port without the products having been recorded by a port State as landed.
Art.2 Article 2 Objective
Art.2.1x The objective of this Convention is to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources in the Convention Area through the effective implementation of this Convention.
Art.3 Article 3 General principles
Art.3.1x In giving effect to the objective of this Convention, the Contracting Parties, where appropriate through the Organisation, shall, in particular:
Art.3.1x.c (c) apply the provisions of this Convention relating to fishery resources, taking due account of the impact of fishing operations on ecologically related species such as seabirds, cetaceans, seals and marine turtles;
Art.3.1x.e (e) ensure that fishery practices and management measures take due account of the need to minimise harmful impacts on living marine resources as a whole; and
Art.4 Article 4 Geographical application
Art.4.1x Except as otherwise provided, this Convention applies within the Convention Area, being all waters beyond areas of national jurisdiction in the area bounded by a line joining the following points along parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude:
Art.4.1x.ax - beginning at the outer limit of waters under national jurisdiction at a point 6° South, thence due west along the 6° South parallel to the meridian 10° West, thence due north along the 10° West meridian to the equator, thence due west along the equator
Art.5 Article 5 The Organisation
Art.5.1 1. The Contracting Parties hereby establish and agree to maintain the South-East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, herein 'the Organisation'.
Art.5.2 2. The Organisation shall comprise:
Art.5.2.a (a) the Commission;
Art.5.2.b (b) the Compliance and Scientific Committees, as subsidiary bodies, and any other subsidiary bodies that the Commission shall establish from time to time to assist in meeting the objective of this Convention; and
Art.5.2.c (c) the Secretariat.
Art.5.3 3. The Organisation shall have legal personality and shall enjoy in the territory of each of the Contracting Parties such legal capacity as may be necessary to perform its functions and achieve the objective of this Convention. The privileges and immunities to be enjoyed by the Organisation and its staff in the territory of a Contracting Party shall be determined by agreement between the Organisation and the Contracting Party concerned.
Art.5.4 4. The official languages of the Organisation shall be English and Portuguese.
Art.5.5 5. The headquarters of the Organisation shall be established in Namibia.
Art.6 Article 6 The Commission
Art.6.1 1. Each Contracting Party shall be a member of the Commission.
Art.6.2 2. Each member shall appoint one representative to the Commission who may be accompanied by alternate representatives and advisers.
Art.6.3 3. The functions of the Commission shall be to:
Art.6.3.d (d) determine the nature and extent of participation in fishing;
Art.6.3.i (i) adopt measures concerning control and enforcement within the Convention Area;
Art.6.3.m (m) direct the Compliance and Scientific Committees, other subsidiary bodies, and the Secretariat;
Art.6.3.n (n) approve the budget of the Organisation; and
Art.6.3.o (o) carry out such other activities as may be necessary to fulfil its functions.
Art.6.4 4. The Commission shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Art.6.5 5. The Commission shall adopt measures, in accordance with international law, to promote compliance by vessels flying the flag of non-parties to this Convention with measures agreed by the Commission.
Art.6.8 8. The measures referred to in paragraph 3 may include the following:
Art.6.8.a (a) the quantity of any species which may be caught;
Art.6.8.b (b) the areas and periods in which fishing may occur;
Art.6.8.c (c) the size and sex of any species which may be taken;
Art.6.8.d (d) the fishing gear and technology which may be used;
Art.6.8.e (e) the level of fishing effort, including vessel numbers, types and sizes, which may be used;
Art.6.8.f (f) the designation of regions and sub-regions;
Art.6.8.g (g) other measures regulating fisheries with the objective of protecting any species; and
Art.6.8.h (h) other measures the Commission considers necessary to meet the objective of this Convention.
Art.6.9 9. Conservation and management and control measures adopted by the Commission in accordance with this Convention shall become effective in accordance with Article 23.
Art.6.10 10. Taking account of Articles 116-119 of the 1982 Convention, the Commission may draw the attention of any State or fishing entity which is a non-party to this Convention to any activity which in the opinion of the Commission affects implementation of the objective of this Convention.
Art.6.11 11. The Commission shall draw the attention of all Contracting Parties to any activity which in the opinion of the Commission undermines:
Art.6.11.a (a) the implementation by a Contracting Party of the objective of this Convention, or the compliance of that Contracting Party with its obligations under this Convention; or
Art.6.11.b (b) the compliance of that Contracting Party with its obligations under this Convention.
Art.6.12 12. The Commission shall take account of measures established by other organisations which affect living marine resources in the Convention Area, and, without prejudice to the objective of this Convention, shall seek to ensure consistency with such measures.
Art.6.13 13. If the Commission determines that a Contracting Party has ceased to participate in the work of the Organisation, the Commission shall consult with the Contracting Party concerned and may take a decision to address the matter, as it deems appropriate.
Art.7 Article 7 Application of the precautionary approach
Art.8 Article 8 Meetings of the Commission
Art.8.1 1. The Commission shall hold an annual meeting and any other meetings as deemed necessary.
Art.8.2 2. The first meeting of the Commission shall be held within three months of the entry into force of this Convention, provided that among the Contracting Parties there are at least two States conducting fishing activities in the Convention Area. The first meeting shall, in any event, be held within six months of the entry into force of the Convention. The Government of Namibia shall consult with the Contracting Parties regarding the first Commission meeting. The provisional agenda shall be communicated to each signatory and Contracting Party not less than one month before the date of the meeting.
Art.8.3 3. The first meeting of the Commission shall, inter alia, give priority consideration to the costs associated with implementation of the Annex by the Secretariat and measures to fulfil the functions of the Commission set out in Article 6.3(k) and (l).
Art.8.4 4. The first meeting of the Commission shall be held at the headquarters of the Organisation. Thereafter, meetings of the Commission shall be held at the headquarters, unless the Commission decides otherwise.
Art.8.5 5. The Commission shall elect from among the representatives of the Contracting Parties a chairperson and vice chairperson, each of whom shall serve for a term of two years and shall be eligible for re-election for one additional term of two years. The first chairperson shall be elected at the first meeting of the Commission for an initial term of three years. The chairperson and vice chairperson shall not be representatives of the same Contracting Party.
Art.8.6 6. The Commission shall adopt rules of procedure to govern the participation of representatives from non-Parties to this Convention as observers.
Art.8.7 7. The Commission shall adopt rules of procedure to govern the participation of representatives from inter-governmental organisations as observers.
Art.8.8 8. Representatives from non-governmental organisations concerned with the stocks found in the Convention Area shall be given the opportunity to participate as observers in the meetings of the Organisation, subject to rules adopted by the Commission.
Art.8.9 9. The Commission shall adopt rules to govern such participation and to provide for transparency in the activities of the Organisation. The rules shall not be unduly restrictive in this respect and shall provide for timely access to records and reports of the Organisation, subject to the procedural rules on access to them. The Commission shall adopt such rules of procedure as soon as possible.
Art.8.10 10. The Contracting Parties may decide, by consensus, to invite representatives from non-parties to this Convention and from intergovernmental organisations to participate as observers until the rules regarding such participation are adopted by the Commission.
Art.9 Article 9 The Compliance Committee
Art.9.1 1. Each Contracting Party shall be entitled to appoint one representative to the Compliance Committee who may be accompanied by alternate representatives and advisers.
Art.9.2 2. Unless otherwise decided by the Commission, the functions of the Compliance Committee shall be to provide the Commission with information, advice and recommendations on the implementation of, and compliance with, conservation and management measures.
Art.9.3 3. In performing its functions, the Compliance Committee shall conduct activities as the Commission may direct and shall:
Art.9.3.a (a) coordinate compliance activities undertaken by or on behalf of the Organisation;
Art.9.3.b (b) coordinate with the Scientific Committee on matters of common concern; and
Art.9.3.c (c) perform such other tasks as directed by the Commission.
Art.9.4 4. The Compliance Committee shall meet as deemed necessary by the Commission.
Art.9.5 5. The Compliance Committee shall adopt, and amend as necessary, rules of procedure for the conduct of its meetings and the exercise of its functions. The rules and any amendments thereto shall be approved by the Commission. The rules shall include procedures for the presentation of minority reports.
Art.9.6 6. The Compliance Committee may establish, with the approval of the Commission, such subsidiary bodies as are necessary for the performance of its functions.
Art.10 Article 10 The Scientific Committee
Art.10.1 1. Each Contracting Party shall be entitled to appoint one representative to the Scientific Committee who may be accompanied by alternate representatives and advisers.
Art.10.2 2. The Scientific Committee may seek expert advice as required on an ad hoc basis.
Art.10.4 4. In performing its functions, the Scientific Committee shall conduct such activities as the Commission may direct and shall:
Art.10.6 6. The first meeting of the Scientific Committee shall be held within three months of the first meeting of the Commission.
Art.10.7 7. The Scientific Committee shall adopt, and amend as necessary, rules of procedure for the conduct of its meetings and the exercise of its functions. The rules and any amendments thereto shall be approved by the Commission. The rules shall include procedures for the presentation of minority reports.
Art.10.8 8. The Scientific Committee may establish, with the approval of the Commission, such subsidiary bodies as are necessary for the performance of its functions.
Art.11 Article 11 The Secretariat
Art.11.1 1. The Commission shall appoint an Executive Secretary according to such procedures and on such terms and conditions as the Commission may determine.
Art.11.2 2. The Executive Secretary shall be appointed for a term of four years and may be reappointed for one additional term not exceeding four years.
Art.11.3 3. The Commission shall authorise such staff for the Secretariat as may be necessary and the Executive Secretary shall appoint, direct and supervise such staff according to staff regulations approved by the Commission.
Art.11.4 4. The Executive Secretary and the Secretariat shall perform the functions delegated to them by the Commission.
Art.12 Article 12 Finance and budget
Art.12.1 1. At each annual meeting, the Commission shall adopt the Organisation's budget. In determining the size of the budget, the Commission shall give due consideration to the principle of cost effectiveness.
Art.12.2 2. A draft budget for the Organisation's next financial year shall be prepared by the Executive Secretary and submitted to the Contracting Parties at least 60 days before the annual meeting of the Commission.
Art.12.3 3. Each Contracting Party shall contribute to the budget. The contribution by each Contracting Party shall be according to a combination of an equal basic fee, and a fee based on the total catch in the Convention Area of species covered by the Convention. The Commission shall adopt and amend the proportion in which these contributions are applied taking into account the economic status of each Contracting Party. For Contracting Parties with territory adjoining the Convention Area, this shall be the economic status of that territory.
Art.12.4 4. For the first three years following the Convention's entry into force, or a shorter period as decided by the Commission, the contribution of each Contracting Party shall be equal.
Art.12.5 5. The Commission may request and accept financial contributions and other forms of assistance from organisations, individuals and other sources for purposes connected with the fulfilment of its functions.
Art.12.6 6. The financial activities of the Organisation,including the proportion of contributions referred to in paragraph 3, shall be conducted in accordance with Financial Regulations adopted by the Commission and shall be subject to an annual audit by independent auditors appointed by the Commission.
Art.12.7 7. Each Contracting Party shall meet its own expenses arising from attendance at meetings of the bodies of the Organisation.
Art.12.8 8. Unless otherwise decided by the Commission, a Contracting Party that is in arrears with its payment of any monies owing to the Organisation by more than two years:
Art.12.8.a (a) shall not participate in the taking of any decisions by the Commission; and
Art.12.8.b (b) may not notify non-acceptance of any measure adopted by the Commission until it has paid all monies owing by it to the Organisation.
Art.13 Article 13 Contracting Party obligations
Art.13.1 1. Each Contracting Party shall, in respect of its activities within the Convention Area:
Art.13.3 3. Each Contracting Party shall promptly implement this Convention and any conservation, management and other measures or matters which may be agreed by the Commission.
Art.13.4 4. Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate measures, in accordance with the measures adopted by the Commission and international law, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the measures adopted by the Commission.
Art.13.5 5. Each Contracting Party shall transmit to the Commission an annual statement of implementing and compliance measures, including imposition of sanctions for any violations, it has taken in accordance with this Article.
Art.13.6.a 6.(a) Without prejudice to the primacy of the responsibility of the flag State, each Contracting Party shall, to the greatest extent possible, take measures, or cooperate, to ensure that its nationals fishing in the Convention Area and its industries comply with the provisions of this Convention. Each Contracting Party shall, on a regular basis, inform the Commission of such measures taken.
Art.13.6.b (b) Fishing opportunities granted to the Contracting Parties by the Commission shall be exercised exclusively by vessels flying the flag of Contracting Parties.
Art.13.7 7. Each coastal State shall regularly inform the Organisation of the measures they have adopted for fishery resources within areas of water under their national jurisdiction adjacent to the Convention Area.
Art.13.8 8. Each Contracting Party shall fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed under this Convention and shall exercise the rights recognised in this Convention in a manner which would not constitute an abuse of rights.
Art.14 Article 14 Flag State duties
Art.14.1 1. Each Contracting Party shall take such measures as may be necessary to ensure that vessels flying its flag comply with the conservation and management and control measures adopted by the Commission and that they do not engage in any activities which undermine the effectiveness of such measures.
Art.14.2 2. Each Contracting Party shall authorise the use of vessels flying its flag for fishing in the Convention Area only where it is able to exercise effectively its responsibilities in respect of such vessels under this Convention.
Art.14.3 3. Each Contracting Party shall take appropriate measures in respect of vessels flying its flag which are in accordance with measures adopted by the Commission and which give effect thereto, and which take account of existing international practices. These measures shall include, inter alia:
Art.14.3.a (a) measures to ensure that a flag State investigates immediately and reports fully on actions taken in response to an alleged violation by a vessel flying its flag of measures adopted by the Commission;
Art.14.3.b (b) control of such vessels in the Convention Area by means of fishing authorisation;
Art.14.3.c (c) establishment of a national record of fishing vessels authorised to fish in the Convention Area and provision for sharing this information with the Commission on a regular basis;
Art.14.3.d (d) requirements for marking of fishing vessels and fishing gear for identification;
Art.14.3.e (e) requirements for recording and timely reporting of vessel position, catch of target and non-target species, catch landed, catch transhipped, fishing effort and other relevant fisheries data;
Art.14.3.f (f) regulation of transhipment to ensure that the effectiveness of conservation and management measures is not undermined;
Art.14.3.g (g) measures to permit access by observers from other Contracting Parties to carry out functions as agreed by the Commission; and
Art.14.3.h (h) measures to require the use of a vessel monitoring system as agreed by the Commission.
Art.14.4 4. Each Contracting Party shall ensure that vessels flying its flag do not undermine measures agreed by the Commission through unauthorised fishing within areas adjacent to the Convention Area on stocks occurring in the Convention Area and the adjacent area.
Art.15 Article 15 Port State duties and measures taken by a port State
Art.15.1 1. Measures taken by a port State in accordance with this Convention shall take full account of the right and the duty of a port State to take measures, in accordance with international law, to promote the effectiveness of subregional, regional and global conservation and management measures.
Art.15.2 2. Each Contracting Party shall, in accordance with measures agreed by the Commission, inter alia, inspect documents, fishing gear and catch on board fishing vessels, when such vessels are voluntarily in its ports or at its offshore terminals.
Art.15.3 3. Each Contracting Party shall, in accordance with measures agreed by the Commission, adopt regulations in accordance with international law to prohibit landings and transshipments by vessels flying the flag of non-parties to this Convention where it has been established that the catch of a stock covered by this Convention has been taken in a manner which undermines the effectiveness of conservation and management measures adopted by the Commission.
Art.15.4 4. In the event that a port State considers that there has been a violation by a Contracting Party vessel of a conservation and management or control measure adopted by the Commission, the port State shall draw this to the attention of the flag State concerned and, as appropriate, the Commission. The port State shall provide the flag State and the Commission with full documentation of the matter, including any record of inspection. In such cases, the flag State shall transmit to the Commission details of actions it has taken in respect of the matter.
Art.15.5 5. Nothing in this article affects the exercise by States of their sovereignty over ports in their territory in accordance with international law.
Art.15.6 6. All measures taken under this article shall be taken in accordance with international law.
Art.16 Article 16 Observation, inspection, compliance and enforcement
Art.16.2 2. In establishing the System, the Commission shall be guided, inter alia, by the following principles:
Art.16.2.a (a) fostering of cooperation among Contracting Parties to ensure effective implementation of the System;
Art.16.2.b (b) a System which is impartial and non-discriminatory in nature;
Art.16.2.d (d) prompt action on reports of infringements in contravention of measures agreed by the Commission.
Art.16.3 3. In applying these principles the System shall, inter alia, comprise the following elements:
Art.16.3.a (a) control measures, including the authorisation of vessels to fish, the marking of vessels and fishing gear, the recording of fishing activities, and the near-to-real time reporting of vessel movements and activities by means such as satellite surveillance;
Art.16.3.b (b) an inspection programme, both at sea and in port, including procedures for boarding and inspection of vessels, on a reciprocal basis;
Art.16.3.c (c) an observer programme based on common standards for the conduct of observation, including, inter alia, arrangements for the placing of observers by a Contracting Party on vessels flying the flag of another Contracting Party with the consent of that Party; an appropriate level of coverage for different sizes and types of fishing vessels and fishery research vessels; and measures for reporting by observers of information regarding apparent violations of conservation and management measures, taking into account the need to ensure the safety of observers; and
Art.16.3.d (d) procedures for the follow-up on infringements detected under the System, including standards of investigation, reporting procedures, notification of proceedings and sanctions, and other enforcement actions.
Art.16.4 4. The System shall have a multilateral and integrated character.
Art.16.5 5. In order to strengthen the effective exercise of flag State responsibility by Contracting Parties for fishing vessels and fishery research vessels flying their flags in the Convention Area, the interim arrangements set out in the Annex, which forms an integral part of this Convention, shall apply upon entry into force of this Convention and remain in force until the establishment of the System or until the Commission decides otherwise.
Art.16.6 6. If, within two years of the entry into force of this Convention, the Commission has not established the System, the Commission shall, at the request of any Contracting Party, give urgent consideration to adoption of boarding and inspection procedures in order to strengthen the effective discharge by Contracting Parties of their obligations under this Convention and where applicable, under the 1995 Agreement. A special meeting of the Commission may be convened for this purpose.
Art.17 Article 17 Decision making
Art.17.1 1. Decisions of the Commission on matters of substance shall be taken by consensus of the Contracting Parties present. The question of whether a matter is one of substance shall be treated as a matter of substance.
Art.17.2 2. Decisions on matters other than those referred to in paragraph 1 shall be taken by a simple majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting.
Art.17.3 3. In the taking of decisions pursuant to this Convention, a regional economic integration organisation shall have only one vote.
Art.18 Article 18 Cooperation with other organisations
Art.18.1 1. The Organisation shall cooperate, as appropriate, with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and with other specialised agencies and organisations on matters of mutual interest.
Art.18.2 2. The Organisation shall seek to develop cooperative working relationships with other inter-governmental organisations which can contribute to their work and which have an interest in ensuring the long-term conservation and sustainable use of living marine resources in the Convention Area.
Art.18.3 3. The Commission may enter into agreements with the organisations referred to in this article and with other organisations as may be appropriate. The Commission may invite such organisations to send observers to its meetings, or to the meetings of any subsidiary bodies of the Organisation.
Art.18.4 4. In the application of Articles 2 and 3 of this Convention to fishery resources, the Organisation shall cooperate with other relevant fisheries management organisations and take account of their conservation and management measures applicable in the region.
Art.19 Article 19 Compatibility of conservation and management measures
Art.19.1 1. The Contracting Parties recognise the need to ensure compatibility of conservation and management measures adopted for straddling fish stocks on the high seas and in areas under national jurisdiction. To this end, the Contracting Parties have a duty to cooperate for the purposes of achieving compatible measures in respect of such stocks of fisheries resources as occur in the Convention area and in areas under the jurisdiction of any Contracting Party. The appropriate Contracting Party and the Commission shall accordingly promote the compatibility of such measures. This compatibility shall be ensured in such a way which does not undermine measures established in accordance with Articles 61 and 119 of the 1982 Convention.
Art.19.3 3. Each Contracting Party shall keep the Commission informed of its measures and decisions taken in accordance with this Article.
Art.20 Article 20 Fishing opportunities
Art.20.1 1. In determining the nature and extent of participatory rights in fishing opportunities, the Commission shall take into account, inter alia:
Art.20.1.a (a) the state of fishery resources including other living marine resources and existing levels of fishing effort, taking into account the advice and recommendations of the Scientific Committee;
Art.20.1.b (b) respective interests, past and present fishing patterns, including catches, and practices in the Convention Area;
Art.20.1.c (c) the stage of development of a fishery;
Art.20.1.d (d) the interests of developing States in whose areas of national jurisdiction the stocks also occur;
Art.20.1.f (f) contributions to new or exploratory fisheries, taking account of the principles set out in Article 6.6 of the 1995 Agreement;
Art.20.1.g (g) the needs of coastal fishing communities which are dependent mainly on fishing for the stocks in the South-East Atlantic; and
Art.20.1.h (h) the needs of coastal States whose economies are overwhelmingly dependent on the exploitation of fishery resources.
Art.20.2 2. In applying the provisions of paragraph 1, the Commission may, inter alia :
Art.20.2.a (a) designate annual quota allocations or effort limitations for Contracting Parties;
Art.20.2.c (c) set aside fishing opportunities for non-parties to this Convention, if necessary.
Art.20.3 3. The Commission shall, subject to agreed rules, review quota allocations, effort limitations and participation in fishing opportunities of Contracting Parties taking into account the information, advice and recommendations on the implementation of, and compliance with, conservation and management measures by Contracting Parties.
Art.21 Article 21 Recognition of the special requirements of developing States in the region

Pages