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IWMC To IWC: Pass Global Whale Management Plan Or Face Legal Action Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday, 28 June 2000: With the world’s patience worn thin by 14 years of inaction, IWMC-World Conservation Trust pledged a campaign of legal action to break the logjam within the International Whaling Commission (IWC) that has prevented the establishment of a much-needed global whale management plan. IWMC’s challenge was issued in its opening statement before the 52nd Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), July 3-6. “Enough is enough. The world and its whales have waited too long for completion of a global management plan. Every other international, regional and national body charged with managing marine species – from tuna to Patagonian toothfish – recognize a need and respond quickly and decisively to create in a matter of months what IWC has failed to do in almost two decades. We can no longer tolerate the selfish behavior of some delegations and NGOs that refuse to allow IWC to fulfill its legal mandate to the whales and to the world,” said Eugene Lapointe, IWMC – World Conservation Trust President. Following a direct demand at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s (CITES) 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) this past April at the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) complex in Gigiri, Kenya that IWC resolve the deadlock blocking the completion of such a management system, a number of like-minded nations, largely responsible for the do-nothing posture of IWC, met in Austria to discuss strategies that give the appearance of action but that will take “years, not months or days” before such a plan is finalized. “Those delegations, delegates and NGOs responsible for the unconscionable delay in fulfilling the IWC’s obligation to the whales and its charter will no longer be allowed to pretend they are pursuing honorable behavior. IWMC will act as the world’s watchdog on IWC and closely monitor every action or failure to act at this and every IWC meeting. We will hold those nations, delegations and even individual delegates responsible for IWC’s failure to enact a plan for the whales accountable. We will pursue that accountability in every court of law at the national and international level,” said Lapointe. “This is not a threat,” said Lapointe, “It is a promise.”
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