Admission to Commission Meetings | Admission to Commission meetings |
Admission to SC Meetings | Admission to the Scientific Committee |
Opening Statements | Details for submission of Opening Statements |
Fees | Registration fees |
Credentials | Credentials of all participants and observers |
Registration | Observer registration for the 2021 Meeting |
Back to Meetings page | Return to previous section |
Any Government not a party to the Convention (GO) or any intergovernmental organisation (IGO) may be represented at meetings of the Commission by an observer or observers, if such non-party government or intergovernmental organisation has previously attended any meeting of the Commission, or if it submits its request in writing to the Commission 60 days prior to the start of the meeting, or if the Commission issues an invitation to attend.
Observers may attend all meetings of the Commission and any meetings of subsidiary groups of the Commission EXCEPT Commissioners-only meetings and the Finance and Administration Committee.
Representatives of IGOs with particular relevance to the work of the Scientific Committee may participate as non-voting members, subject to the agreement of the Chair of the Committee acting according to such policy as the Commission may decide.
Non-member governments (GOs) may be represented by observers at meetings of the Scientific Committee subject to the arrangements described above for admission to Commission meetings.
Opening statements may be submitted to Annual Meetings of the Commission. The conditions for Opening Statements are as follows:
Please note that it is no longer possible to submit Opening Statements in the format of glossy-type brochures or booklets. However, as usual, such material may be made available for delegates to collect if they wish from tables provided for this purpose.
Please note that the Commission charges a fee for the attendance of observers at its meetings. For 2022, it has set the fee for non-member governments at £835.00 for each observer. The fee for regional integration organisations and international governmental organisations is £835.00 per individual observer. However, please also note that the fee is waived in the case of international governmental organisations with whom IWC has reciprocal arrangements for the exchange of observers.
If your procedures require an invoice we will be pleased to issue one on receiving information on your nominated observer and the address of your paying office.
Please ensure that your fee is paid in good time.
Proper credentials with original signatures or seals must be forwarded to the Secretariat in advance of or presented at the Annual Meeting as set out in Rule of Procedure D:
D. Credentials
Fax or email notifications (or photocopies) will not be accepted as the formal credentials, although advance notification by these means is helpful
PLEASE NOTE that non-member Governments (GOs and IGOs) that have not previously attended an IWC meeting must first receive an invitation from the Commission via the Secretariat before registering.