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The objective of the three-day meeting in Monaco was to hammer out the rules for the resumption of commercial whaling under the IWC auspices, known as the Revised Management Scheme (RMS). This set of rules, which the IWC has worked on for more than ten years, will replace the current whaling ban adopted by the IWC in 1982.
The official statement issued by the IWC after the meeting, says in diplomatic language that "there was a valuable exchange of views and ideas", and that "progress was made in several areas but some fundamental issues remain". In direct language, this means that the fronts were as hard as ever and that there was no progress at all.
Frustrated at the lack of substantial progress, the Japanese and Norwegian Commissioners to the IWC, Minoru Morimoto and Odd Gunnar Skagestad, in a joint statement at the conclusion of the meeting, said: "We are extremely disappointed that we failed to make substantial progress towards the adoption of RMS, but with the previously recorded positions of the anti-whaling countries we cannot be surprised. These nations have publicly stated that they are opposed to the sustainable use of whale resources yet they persist in taking part in the negotiating process designed to allow the resumption of whaling for abundant species. Their continuing tactic of insisting on the inclusion of excessive demands that will make the system impractical and unworkable, does not represent good faith negotiation."
While seated at the negotiating table, Australia has decided not to participate in the work to complete the RMS. The reason is that Australia considers the completion of the RMS as the precursor of the lifting of the current whaling ban and the ensuing resumption of commercial whaling. Because Australia is fundamentally opposed to commercial whaling, it consequently also will oppose the completion and implementation of the RMS.
Although in violation of Australia's international obligations under the Whaling Convention, this honest position stands in sharp contrast to the one taken by New Zealand.
During the meeting, New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phil Goff, said that "New Zealand is fundamentally opposed to the softening of the moratorium on commercial whaling." On the other hand, New Zealand claims to engage in good faith in the negotiations on the RMS.
At the Monaco meeting, the Norwegian Commissioner to the IWC, Odd Gunnar Skagestad, therefore questioned whether the fundamental opponents to whaling do engage in good faith in the negotiations or not.
Mr. Skagestad described the longstanding impasse in the IWC as "more than ridiculous" and a "disgrace to our Comission".
The working group meeting was attended by only 29 of the 40 IWC member nations, two non-member government observers, 3 intergovernmental organisations and 39 non-governmental organisations.
Further discussions will continue at the Whaling Commission's annual meeting in London in July this year.
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