IWC Documents

The IWC was established in 1946 as the global authority on cetaceans, and continues to lead cetacean research and conservation as well as regulation of whaling. The organisation holds an extensive collection of current and historical information including meeting reports and supporting documents, scientific papers, catch and sightings data, transcripts and audio recordings. These files are publicly accessible and many are held in the IWC Archive.

For current and recent meeting documents, the IWC also maintains the IWC Portal. Anyone interested in following IWC meetings can register to access the documents and data held in the Portal.

Quick Links

Category	Link
Commission Meeting Reports	Reports of IWC Commission Meetings
Commission Meeting Papers	Meeting Documents since 2011
- IWC67 \| Brazil 2018	- The 67th Meeting of the IWC
- IWC66 \| Slovenia 2016	- The 66th Meeting of the IWC
- IWC65 \| Slovenia 2014	- The 65th Meeting of the IWC
Commission Resolutions	IWC Resolutions adopted since 1976
Commission Workshops	Ad hoc workshops & other meetings
Scientific Committee Meeting Papers	Meeting Documents since 2012
Scientific Committee Reports	Meeting Reports since 1971
Scientific Committee Workshops	Ad hoc SC workshops & other meetings
Media Resources	IWC Bulletins & other resources
Circulars	External communications sent
JCRM	Journal of Cetacean Research & Management

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Key Publications

Commission Meeting Reports

The Commission has met since 1950. The structure of the meetings and their reports have evolved over time. Recent meeting reports contain a Chair’s Report of the Plenary and Sub-committee Reports as annexes. Please note that the Commission moved from annual to biennial meetings in 2012.

The Journal of Cetacean Research and Management (JCRM)

This is a peer-reviewed publication containing original scientific papers on the conservation and management of whales, dolphins and porpoises. The Journal is accompanied by an annual Supplement which contains the report of the IWC Scientific Committee meeting and intersessional workshops held during the relevant period. There are also a number of topic-based Special Issues. For information on submissions, please see the Authors guide.

Live and Recent Meeting Documents and Data

The IWC Portal has several functions for both members of the IWC community and anyone interested in the current work of the organisation. It is used by those participating in or wishing to know more about live and recent IWC meetings, as it contains the documents discussed at these events and other relevant information such as logistics, maps and timetables. The majority of these meeting documents are later transferred to the Archive (see below) and become part of the historical record of the IWC.

The Portal also houses data such as the Ship Strikes Database which gathers reports of collisions between whales and vessels all over the world. In addition, the Portal is used by researchers wishing to contact the IWC to request data or submit papers to the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management.

Anyone interested in the current work of the IWC is welcome to create an account and use the resources available on the Portal.

Historical Archive

The IWC Archive is an evolving depository of IWC documents and records. Additional material is added whenever resources to do this become available.The archive currently contains a range of documents from previous meetings of the Commission, its Bureau and Sub-committees, as well as copies of formal Circular Communications issued to all member governments, and most of the available Verbatim Records of IWC meetings. The long-term aim is to offer digital versions of all IWC records and there are over seventy years of files to scan and upload before the collection is complete.