International Whaling Commission; Meetings

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[ID 112499A]

International Whaling Commission; Meetings

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: NOAA makes use of a public Interagency Committee to assist in

preparing for meetings of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

This notice sets forth guidelines for participating on the Committee

and a tentative schedule of meetings and of important dates.

DATES: The January 14, 2000, Interagency Meeting will be held at 2:00

p.m. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for tentative 2000 meeting

schedules.

ADDRESSES: The January 14, 2000, meeting will be held in Room 1W611 on

the ground floor of Building 4 in the NOAA Silver Spring Metro Complex,

1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cathy Campbell, (202) 482-2652.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The January 14, 2000, Interagency Committee

meeting will review recent events relating to the IWC and issues that

will arise at the 2000 IWC annual meeting.

The Secretary of Commerce is charged with the responsibility of

discharging the obligations of the United States under the

International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946. This

authority has been delegated to the Under Secretary for Oceans and

Atmosphere, who is also the U.S. Commissioner to the IWC. The U.S.

Commissioner has primary responsibility for the preparation and

negotiation of U.S. positions on international issues concerning

whaling and for all matters involving the IWC. He is staffed by the

Department of Commerce and assisted by the Department of State, the

Department of the Interior, the Marine Mammal Commission, and by other

interested agencies.

Each year, NOAA conducts meetings and other activities to prepare

for the annual meeting of the IWC. The major purpose of the preparatory

meetings is to provide input in the development of policy by

individuals and non-governmental organizations interested in whale

conservation. NOAA believes that this participation is important for

the effective development and implementation of U.S. policy concerning

whaling. Any person with an identifiable interest in United States

whale conservation policy may participate in the meetings, but NOAA

reserves the authority to inquire about the interest of any person who

appears at a meeting and to determine the appropriateness of that

person's participation. Foreign nationals and persons who represent

foreign governments may not attend. These stringent measures are

necessary to promote the candid exchange of information and to

establish the necessary basis for the relatively open process of

preparing for IWC meetings that characterizes current practices.

Tentative Meeting Schedule

The schedule of additional meetings and deadlines, including those

of the IWC, during 2000 follows. Specific locations and times will be

published in the Federal Register.

January 14, 2000 (NOAA, Silver Spring Metro Complex, Building 4,

Room 1W611, Silver Spring, MD): Interagency Committee meeting to review

recent events relating to the IWC and to review U.S. positions for the

2000 IWC annual meeting.

June 12-13, 2000 (Australia): IWC Scientific Committee Working

Groups and Sub-committees.

June 14-26, 2000 (Australia): IWC Scientific Committee.

June 28 - July 1, 2000 (Australia): IWC Commission Committees, Sub-

committees and Working Groups.

July 3-6, 2000 (Australia): IWC 52nd Annual Meeting.

Special Accommodations

Department of Commerce meetings are physically accessible to people

with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other

auxiliary aids should be directed to Cathy Campbell (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT) at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Dated: December 22, 1999.

Art Jeffers,

Deputy Director, Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries

Service.

[FR Doc. 99-34083 Filed 12-30-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3510-22-F