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.
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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.
