Whaling issue enters defining phase, says McCully

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the whaling issue have now entered a defining phase, Foreign Minister Murray McCully said today.

Mr McCully paid tribute to the “outstanding leadership” that New Zealand’s International Whaling Commission representative Sir Geoffrey Palmer had provided to the IWC Support Group, which has now completed its work.

“The Support Group was unable to deliver a consensus recommendation to the IWC meeting in June. But the fact that all of the players have remained inside the process is a testament to Sir Geoffrey’s diplomatic skills. His role has now been concluded and I thank him for his very significant efforts.

“Over the next day or so I expect the IWC Chair to deliver a proposal based upon the informal discussions in the Support Group. It is unlikely that his proposal will meet New Zealand’s position on the whaling issue.

“But the critical question will be whether the proposal provides a basis for improvement, so that it might get close to our objectives over the weeks building up to the IWC meeting in Morocco.

“I look forward to seeing the proposal, but want to emphasise that it is not endorsed in any way by the New Zealand Government.

“New Zealand is firmly committed to the elimination of whaling in the Southern Ocean and will test any proposal that comes forward against that objective,” Mr McCully said.

ENDS

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