25. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

(from "Chair's Report of the Fifty-Third Annual Meeting")


Iceland informed the meeting that it considered itself to be a fully-fledged IWC member since it believed the vote taken on the first day of the meeting to be illegal. It noted the support it had received from many Commission members and hoped and expected this support to increase. Iceland indicated that: (1) it will take up the issue of its membership directly with the capitals of those countries that took part in the decision to reject Iceland; and (2) that it will continue to participate and looked forward to Shimonoseki.

The Republic of Guinea commended the Chair, who it believed had run the meeting very efficiently in spite of all the difficulties he faced. It requested the Chair and the Secretary to re-examine the case of Iceland's membership.

Norway also thanked the Chair for his sincere efforts in steering the Commission through the rough terrain of the meeting and commended the Secretariat for its performance. Although it has mixed views on the performance of IWC, Norway indicated that it remains basically hopeful, optimistic and confident about the organisation and that its commitment to IWC remains as strong and robust as ever.

The meeting paid tribute to the debonair Commissioner from the Netherlands, Mr Fer von der Assen who was leaving IWC and taking up new duties as the representative of the Dutch Government to UNEP in Nairobi. He was recognised for his integrity and sense of humour and thanked in particular for his dedicated, diplomatic, creative and patient work as Chair of the RMS Working Group. The Commission wished him well in his new post.

The meeting also thanked and recognised Martin Harvey and Daphne Ransom from the Secretariat who have served the Commission with diligence, good humour and seemingly endless patience for 25 years.

Finally, after thanking the Secretariat and the UK Government for arranging the meeting, the Chair closed the meeting.

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