The final day of the five-day plenary focused on budgetary and administrative issues. The Commission acknowledged difficult financial circumstances and adopted a Budget Reform Strategy introducing best practices for financial management including balanced budgets, fully costed workplans and longer-term planning. A balanced budget was adopted for the next biennium. The Commission welcomed voluntary contributions of £42,500 from non-governmental organisations. A voluntary contribution from Belgium was also announced for £85,000.
The Commission elected Amadou Diallo of Guinea as Chair for the next biennium, particularly welcoming the first IWC Chair from an African country. Nick Gales of Australia, a long-standing member of both the Commission and Scientific Commission, was elected as Vice-chair. The Commission paid tribute to Andrej Bibic of Slovenia, the outgoing Chair and host of the meeting who has served an unprecedented four year term due to the postponement of meetings, and steered the IWC through the many challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Commission also elected a new Bureau, the administrative body that oversees the work of the Commission during the intersessional period. Standing members are the Chair, Vice-chair and Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee (USA). The Commission elected new member Belgium and re-elected Argentina, Ghana and St Lucia on varying terms of office.
The Commission welcomed offers from Peru to host the next IWC meeting in 2024 and from Antigua and Barbuda to host the Scientific Committee meeting in 2024.