Antigua and Barbuda Rejects Proposed Whaling Commission Quorum Changes, Calls for Working Group

Antigua and Barbuda has opposed both proposed changes to the International Whaling Commission’s quorum rule, warning that lowering the number of members needed to conduct business could weaken the voice of small island states.

In a statement prepared for the commission’s 70th meeting in Hobart, the delegation said the current threshold of 45 of its 88 member governments should remain in place until a more representative rule can be agreed.

The strongest objection was to a proposal that would define quorum according to the number of members present at a meeting. Antigua and Barbuda argued that attendance can depend on a country’s ability to pay for travel and should not determine how many members are needed to make decisions on behalf of the full commission.

“With 50 present, quorum would be 26 — less than one-third of 88,” the statement said. The delegation also argued that a quorum should be maintained when decisions are taken, rather than checked only when a meeting opens.

Antigua and Barbuda said it could not support the other proposal in its current form either. That option would base quorum on the number of governments whose delegations had been accredited or registered. The delegation questioned whether registration would count if representatives did not attend and said the threshold could change substantially from one meeting to another.

If 60 governments registered, for example, a majority would be 31, below the current threshold of 45, the statement noted.

The delegation called for a small working group representing small island developing states, coastal states and other regions to review the proposals. It wants the group to consider keeping 45 members as a minimum, requiring the chair to confirm quorum before key decisions, and setting a higher threshold for changes to the commission’s rules.

Antigua and Barbuda offered to chair or co-chair the group and asked that its proposal be recorded.

“Efficiency at 80 years must be balanced efficiency not efficiency achieved by excluding members,” the statement said.