in the area, that cost-effectiveness should be considered in 

 all aspects of the proposed organization, and that further 

 consultation should take this into account. These points 

 were reiterated by a Commission representative at a meeting 

 on 5 February 1988 at the Department of State to discuss the 

 accomplishments of the Canadian meeting. 



The Canadian delegation followed the meeting by distri- 

 buting, in September 1988, two draft proposals for a Convention 

 for an International North Pacific Marine Science Organization. 

 The proposals were identical except that one provided for a 

 coordinating scientific body. On 27 October 1988, an inter- 

 agency group, including a Commission representative, met to 

 discuss the Canadian proposals and a draft paper describing 

 possible benefits of U.S. participation in the proposed organi- 

 zation. On 4 November 1988, the Commission received draft 

 papers from the Department of State suggesting U.S. positions 

 on the proposed organization in general terms and, specifically, 

 on the Canadian drafts. The Commission subsequently provided 

 suggestions for ensuring that the structure and function of 

 the organization complements, rather than duplicates, the 

 efforts of other organizations, such as the proposed Inter- 

 national Arctic Science Committee described above, and that 

 the scientific priorities include consideration of the 

 scientific bases for conservation of marine living resources. 



The Commission also expressed concern that, since the 

 establishment of the organization intends to bring the collec- 

 tive scientific knowledge and resources of participating 

 nations to bear on scientific issues for which one country's 

 expertise or resources might be insufficient, the organization 

 should be structured to facilitate free and open scientific 

 exchange among its members and adhering bodies and to encourage 

 participation by knowledgeable and interested experts from 

 all parts of the scientific community. The Commission noted 

 that the scientific priorities of the organization should be 

 established by a scientific body, in consultation with subsid- 

 iary groups of specialists, to facilitate scientific openness 

 and the development of expert scientific opinions. 



On 14-15 November 1988, a meeting was held in Sydney, 

 British Columbia, to discuss the Canadian draft conventions and 

 related issues. Although a formal report had not been received 

 by the end of 1988, the Commission was advised that: ocean 

 scientists from all invited countries except Japan participated; 

 all countries agreed to proceed with drafting a convention on 

 living resources and fisheries; a draft should be made available 

 by 1 April 1989; and, based on the availability of the draft 

 convention, a meeting to complete a draft negotiating text 

 and a plenary meeting to adopt the convention should be held 

 in July 1989 and before the end of 1989, respectively. 



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