6. The International Observer Scheme

(from "Chairman's Report of the Nineteenth Meeting")



In accordance with the decision reached at the Commission's Eighteenth meeting, the Chairman had appointed a working group to draw up an international observer scheme or schemes to cover all whaling operations. The group's report (see Appendix) was considered by the Technical Committee which recommended that the countries concerned should be invited to establish regional schemes along the lines proposed in the report. This recommendation was adopted on the proposal of the Chairman of the Technical Committee (Commissioner for the United States of America), seconded by the Commissioner for the United Kingdom, with twelve votes in favour and two abstentions. The Technical Committee also proposed for the Commission's consideration draft amendments to the Schedule, but as there appeared to be some doubt whether it would be in order for the Commission to amend the Schedule without the proposed amendments having been included as a specific item on the provisional Agenda, it was decided to leave the matter over to a subsequent meeting. The Chairman undertook to obtain advice on this question from the legal adviser and it was agreed that the legal adviser's opinion should be circulated to Commissioners.

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