THE INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 88 governments (as of 23 September 2009 – see here). It is administered by a small, permanent Secretariat based near Cambridge in the UK.

The IWC was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2 December 1946. The preamble to the Convention states that it was concluded ‘to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry’. The Commission therefore has a dual mandate of both the conservation of whale stocks and the management of whaling. An important feature of the Convention is the emphasis it places on scientific advice and the IWC’s Scientific Committee plays an important role in the work of the Commission.

In addition to keeping under review and revising as necessary the measures laid down in the Schedule to the Convention that govern the conduct of whaling done under the auspices of its member governments, the Commission inter alia: assesses the status of whale stocks, develops management measures for whaling, assesses the extent of and may provide advice on mitigation measures for accidental human-induced mortality such as bycatch and ship strikes; addresses environmental issues that may affect the status of cetaceans (e.g. climate change, pollution, disease, anthropogenic noise), assesses the effects of and provides management advice on whalewatching and considers animal welfare issues. Furthermore, the Commission encourages, co-ordinates and funds whale research and publishes the results of scientific research in its own Journal.

When IWC was established, all twelve members were whaling nations and countries did not hold different views on the acceptability of killing whales.  Today, large whales are taken by seven out of the current membership of 88 countries and very different views exist among the members regarding whales and whaling.  In 2008 the Commission embarked on a process to find ways to resolve the issues that have polarised a number of its debates.  Specifically it is striving to ‘arrive at a consensus solution to the main issues it faces to enable it to best fulfill its role with respect to the conservation of whale stocks and the management of whaling’.  These discussions are ongoing and are involving inter alia a review of the procedures and operation of the Commission and the implications for the work and expertise within the Secretariat.

The work of the IWC centres on the Annual Meeting, usually held in May/June in one of the member countries. (Note that discussions are ongoing regarding reducing the frequency of meetings of the Commission to, for example, every two years.)

The current Chair of the Commission is Ambassador Cristián Maquieira (Chile).  Ambassador Anthony Liverpool (Antigua and Barbuda) is Vice-Chair.

The Secretariat

The IWC office is located in a pleasant Victorian house in Impington, a village some 4 miles from the centre of Cambridge. It is a non-smoking environment.

The staff comprise:

• The Secretary, who has a Personal Assistant.
• The Head of Finance and Administration has responsibility for the general office administration and finances. He is supported by two Finance and Administration Officers who are concerned with the day-to-day administration of the Commission’s financial arrangements and associated personnel matters.
• The Head of Science provides the primary support to the Scientific Committee including chairing certain sub-committees and workshops, is editor of the Commission’s Journal of Cetacean Research and Management and is responsible for management of the Commission’s website. He usually represents the IWC at scientific meetings of relevant international organisations. He has an Assistant, an Assistant Science Editor, a Senior Editorial Assistant and an Editorial Assistant and works closely with the IT, Database and Website Developer (see below) on relevant matters.
• The Head of Statistics is responsible for the whale catch and sightings databases and for management analyses requested by the Scientific Committee. She heads a team comprising the Computer Officer and three Data Preparation Assistants.
• Technical support for the Secretariat’s computing system, technical and logistical arrangements for Annual Meetings, database and website maintenance and development is provided by the Administration, IT and Logistics Officer and the IT, Database and Website Developer.

The structure of the Secretariat is illustrated here.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Duties

The Secretary is the senior officer of the Commission and heads the Secretariat.  He/she is responsible for implementing all the decisions of the Commission and for ensuring the efficient discharge of Commission business. In particular, the Commission’s Rule of Procedure H.2 defines the following duties and responsibilities for the Secretary:

The Secretary . . . shall:

1. be responsible to the Commission for the control and supervision of the staff and management of its office and for the receipt and disbursement of all monies received by the Commission;
2. make arrangements for all meetings of the Commission and its committees and provide necessary secretarial assistance;
3. prepare and submit to the Chair a draft of the Commission's budget for each year and shall subsequently submit the budget to all Contracting Governments and Commissioners as early as possible before the Annual Meeting;
4. despatch by the most expeditious means available:
   1. a draft agenda for the Annual Commission Meeting to all Contracting Governments and Commissioners 100 days in advance of the meeting for comment and any additions with annotations they wish to propose;
   2. an annotated provisional agenda to all Contracting Governments and Commissioners not less than 60 days in advance of the Annual Commission Meeting. Included in the annotations should be a brief description of each item, and in so far as possible, documentation relevant to agenda items should be referred to in the annotation and sent to member nations at the earliest possible date;
5. receive, tabulate and publish notifications and other information required by the Convention in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the Commission;
6. perform such other functions as may be assigned to him/her by the Commission or its Chair;
7. where appropriate, provide copies or availability to a copy of reports of the Commission including reports of Observers under the International Observer Scheme, upon request after such reports have been considered by the Commission.

There are specific responsibilities to do with the Commission’s financial arrangements spelled out in Financial Regulation C.4:

1. establish detailed financial procedures and accounting records as are necessary to ensure effective financial administration and control and the exercise of economy;
2. deposit and maintain the funds of the Commission in an account in the name of the Commission in a bank to be approved by the Chair;
3. cause all payments to be made on the basis of supporting vouchers and other documents which ensure that the services or goods have been received, and that payment has not previously been made;
4. designate the officers of the Secretariat who may receive monies, incur obligations and make payments on behalf of the Commission;
5. authorise the writing off of losses of cash, stores and other assets and submit a statement of such amounts written off to the Commission and the auditors with the annual accounts.

General description

The present Secretariat has been operating in Cambridge since 1976.  There is a well developed pattern of responsibilities established between the various sections which are allowed considerable autonomy by the present Secretary. The Secretary does, however, need to have a broad oversight of all these activities.

Particular responsibilities of the Secretary relate to the preparation of agendas and documentation for the Annual Meeting; making all the practical arrangements for holding the meeting in whatever country is acting as host (or doing this in the UK if there is no invitation from outside the UK); ensuring the smooth running of the meeting, including all its committees and Working Groups; acting as Rapporteur for the Commission plenary and other sub-groups as necessary; writing the Chair’s Report of the Commission plenary as the authoritative record of the meeting; and following up all the actions arising from the meeting. The Secretary sits with, and provides advice to the Chair during meetings of the Commission on a variety of matters including Rules of Debate and Procedure. The Secretary also calls the vote should one be required.

During the year, there is considerable contact with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Commission, the Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee and the other members of the Advisory Committee, as well as certain national Commissioners who take an active role in the Commission’s affairs.  The Secretary must also deal with with government ministers, ambassadors and senior officials, as well as the 100 or so accredited Non-Governmental Organisations with observer status in IWC meetings and the general public.

The Secretary is the public face of the Commission and often has to present its work to the Press and the general public. Within the Secretariat, primary responsibility for presenting the work of the Scientific Committee to the Commission and others lies with the Head of Science. However, the Secretary should have a broad understanding of the work of the Scientific Committee.

Some overseas travel is involved. The main event is the Annual Meeting. In addition to a preliminary visit to establish the local arrangements, the full suite of committee meetings, working groups and plenary sessions occupies about four weeks and the Secretariat is usually away from Cambridge for a few days longer in order to set up and dismantle its office to support the meeting.   It is often the case that an ad hoc intersessional meeting of a working group or other sub-set of the Commission or the Scientific Committee will be arranged which may require Secretariat organisation unless a host government undertakes the arrangements, and the Secretary will also represent the Commission at certain international meetings. 

Selection Timetable

2009	End September	Post advertised
	16 November	Closing date for applications
	Mid December	Short list drawn up
2010	January	Interviews and selection of proposed candidate by selection panel
	February	Confirmation by the Commission of proposed candidate (by postal ballot)
	June	Post occupied.  There will be an overlap between the appointment of the new Secretary and the departure of the current Secretary to facilitate a smooth hand over of duties.
	July/August	Present Secretary leaves

Appointment and Allowances

The person to be appointed will have proven management and administrative abilities and will have held a senior management position or positions for at least eight years. Previous experience in the international arena (particularly with intergovernmental organisations) would be an advantage, particularly if there was a scientific component to the work.

English is the official language of the IWC. While the working languages are English, French and Spanish, routine correspondence and the drafting of documents is in English; interpretation into French and Spanish is only provided by the Commission for certain meetings. Fluency in both spoken and written English is therefore essential. A working knowledge of French and/or Spanish would be an advantage.

The appointment will be for an initial period of 3 years, with the possibility of prolongation.  Notice of earlier termination shall be not less than three months by either side.

IWC salary scales are developed from those of the United Nations as used by the International Maritime Organisation based in London. The post is graded at the equivalent of the D.1 level on the United Nations salary scale. The point on the scale will be determined by qualifications and experience. The contract will be reviewed after the initial three-year period.

For further information on salary and benefits, please contact the Secretariat

The person selected will take up the post in June 2010.

Applications

Applications for this position, including  a CV and the names of two referees (who will not be approached until the short list stage of recruitment) are invited from nationals of the Commission’s 88 Contracting Governments, and should be sent (in confidence) to:

The Chair
The International Whaling Commission
The Red House, 135 Station Road,
Impington, Cambridge, UK, CB24 9NP
Email:  vacancies@iwcoffice.org
Tel:  +44 (0)1223 233971; Fax : +44 (0)1223 232876;
www.iwcoffice.org

Closing date for applications:  16 November 2009