8. Results of the UN Conference on the Human Environment with Respect to Cetacea (1972)

8. Results of the UN Conference on the Human Environment with Respect to Cetacea

(from "Chairman's Report of the Twenty-Fourth Meeting")

A copy of a communication received from the Secretary-General of the Conference was circulated as meeting document IWC/24/13. This reported the adoption of a resolution recommending the strengthening of the International Whaling Commission, increasing international research efforts, and calling for an agreement involving all governments concerned in a ten-year moratorium on commercial whaling. The Secretary General, Mr Maurice Strong, attended the meeting to transmit the resolution and convey the importance the UN Conference attached to it. He said that emerging from the consideration given to this subject at the Conference was a very new dimension in the interest of governments in the question which is the principal purpose of the Commission's meeting. He knew the Commission recognised this larger interest that exists amongst the Governments of the world in the question of whales not only as a resource for commercial exploitation but as a world resource in a larger sense. He pointed out that it was the intention of Governments to add to and strengthen the very important role of the Commission. He urged strong favourable consideration of the recommendation and offered the co-operation of the United Nations in any of the Commission's future activities that may pertain to them. He asked that a report on the Commission's decisions be sent to him. The Chairman in thanking Mr Strong for his statement said a report of the meeting would be sent to him as soon as it was ready.