Resolution 2006-3

Resolution 2006-3
FRENCH AND SPANISH AS WORKING LANGUAGES OF THE COMMISSION
AWARE of the internationally accepted difference between ‘official languages’ and ‘working languages’ in the
operations of international conventions;
FURTHER AWARE of the necessity for international organizations to protect the Sovereign Rights and the
cultural values of their members;
WELCOMING the increasing number of French speaking countries becoming members of the Commission;
CONSCIOUS of the difficulties inherent to the implementation of new working languages within the
Commission, but wishing to make concrete progress in this direction;
RECALLING the several discussions that took place since IWC56 regarding the introduction of French as
working language of the Commission, as reported mainly in reports submitted to the Commission by the
Finances and Administration Committee;
NOTING with gratitude and appreciation the special contribution made by the Governments of France and
Monaco towards an experimental implementation of the French language as a working language of the
Commission;
FURTHER NOTING with gratitude and appreciation efforts and contributions made by other members of the
Commission to assist with the implementation of French as a working language; and
RECOGNISING the excellent work performed by the Finances and Administration Committee and the
Secretariat
NOW THEREFORE THE COMMISSION:
INSTRUCTS the Secretariat to provide translation and interpretation in French and Spanish in accordance with
IWC/58/28 at the 2007 IWC Annual Meeting.
REQUESTS the Secretariat to investigate the possibility of recognising French and Spanish as working
languages of the Commission at the 2007 IWC Annual Meeting.
FURTHER REQUESTS the Secretariat before IWC/59 to develop options for the implementation of French
and Spanish at future meetings of the Commission, including possible time frame and cost implications for a
final decision to be taken at the 2007 IWC Annual Meeting.