RESOLUTION 1.3

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACCOBAMS SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

The Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area:

Recalling that the Final Act of the negotiation meeting of the ACCOBAMS held in the Monaco, November 1996, invites the Interim Secretariat to take the necessary steps to elaborate the proposal of CIESM offering its marine mammal expert group to fulfil the function of the Scientific Committee, 

Recalling Article VII of the Agreement on the general composition and tasks of the Scientific Committee,

Emphasising the need for establishing a close link between the Scientific Committee and the network of cetaceans experts in each Party, so that the Agreement may benefit from the existing knowledge and experience,

Recalling also Article VII.1 of the Agreement underlining the need for a balanced geographical representation within the Scientific Committee,

1. Determines that: 

The Scientific Committee shall consist of 12 members:

- One qualified expert representing each of the four geographical regions as in annex 2. One alternate will be designated for each regional representative, to participate in meetings only in the absence of that delegate;

- Five qualified experts in cetacean conservation appointed by the General Secretariat of the CIESM following consultation with the Permanent Secretariat of the Agreement;

- One representative each from the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the European Cetacean Society (ECS) and the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) appointed by the individual Organization.

2. Instructs, referring to Article V.c), the Sub Regional Co-ordination Units to fully participate in the work and the meetings of the Scientific Committee;

3. Invites the Chairman of the Scientific Committee in consultation with the Executive Secretary, when necessary and if the following disciplines are not already represented on the Scientific Committee, to complement the Meeting with representative specialists in environmental law, fisheries and socio-economics, as “special guests”.

4. Thanks CIESM for covering the participation cost of the five qualified experts appointed by this Organization to the Scientific Committee meeting;

5. Urges the Scientific Committee to adopt its Rules Procedure at its first meeting.

6. Appoints the following persons, in their capacity as experts representing regions of the Agreement Area: to the Scientific Committee until the second session of the Meeting of the Parties

ANNEX 1   

DIVISION OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE OF THE AGREEMENT INTO FOUR REGIONS AND REGIONAL REPRESENTATIONS

Article 1

In order to insure a balanced-geographical representation in the Scientific Committee,  the geographical scope of the Agreement is divided into four regions.

Article 2

Due to their particular geographical situation, Greece, Italy, Tunisia and Turkey can, at the Meeting of the Parties, select their attachment to a region during the designation of qualified regional experts:

- "Western Mediterranean" or "Central Mediterranean" for Greece, Italy and Tunisia; 
- "Central Mediterranean" or "Eastern Mediterranean" for Greece;
- "Black Sea" or "Eastern Mediterranean" for Turkey.