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Institutional Framework

The following bodies are provided for in the Agreement to promote its implementation:

The Meeting of the Parties (MOP):

6th Meeting of the Parties, 2009 © F. Rilla

The MOP is the decision-making body of ASCOBANS. It meets triennially to review progress made and difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Agreement and to lay down the priorities for the next triennium. Non-Party Range States and regional economic organisations bordering on the Agreement Area, as well as a number of other relevant Organisations are entitled to send observers to the MOP; other bodies qualified in cetacean conservation and management may apply for observer status.

Six Meetings of Parties have so far taken place:

MOP 6: UN Campus Bonn, Germany, 16-18 September 2009
MOP 5: Egmond aan Zee, 18-22 September 2006 & The Hague, Netherlands, 12 December 2006
MOP 4: Esbjerg, Denmark, 19-22 August 2003
MOP 3: Bristol, United Kingdom, 26-28 July 2000
MOP 2: Bonn, Germany, 17-19 November 1997
MOP 1: Stockholm, Sweden, 26-28 September 1994

Hardcopies of resolutions and reports of these meetings are available on request from the ASCOBANS Secretariat.

The Advisory Committee (AC)

The AC, which meets at least annually, provides advice and information to the Secretariat and the Parties on the conservation and management of small cetaceans and on other matters related to the running of the Agreement. Each Party is entitled to appoint one member to the AC, who may be accompanied by advisors. Concerning the participation of non-Party Range States, Regional Economic Integration Organisations and other relevant bodies, similar rules to those governing the MOP apply.

To date, 19 Meetings of the Advisory Committee have taken place:

AC 19: Galway, Ireland, 20-22 March 2012
AC 18: UN Campus, Bonn, Germany, 4-6 May 2011
AC 17: UN Campus, Bonn, Germany, 4-6 October 2010
AC 16: Brugge, Belgium, 20-24 April 2009
AC 15: UN Campus, Bonn, Germany, 31 March - 3 April 2008
AC 14: San Sebastian, Spain, 19-21 April 2007
AC 13: Tampere, Finland, 25-27 April 2006
AC 12: Brest, France, 12-14 April 2005
AC 11: Jastrzebia Góra, Poland, 27-29 April 2004
AC 10: Bonn, Germany, 9-11 April 2003
AC 9: Hindås, Sweden, 10-12 June 2002
AC 8: Nymindegab, Denmark, 2-5 April 2001
AC 7: Bruges, Belgium, 13-16 March 2000
AC 6: Aberdeen, UK, 12-14 April 1999
AC 5: Hel, Poland, 22-24 April 1998
AC 4: Texel, Netherlands, 30 June - 2 July 1997
AC 2: Cambridge, UK, 29 November - 1 December 1995
AC 3: Copenhagen, Denmark, 13-15 November 1996
AC 1: Cambridge, United Kingdom, 8-10 March 1995

The proceedings of these meetings are available on the meeting pages or as hardcopy upon request from the ASCOBANS Secretariat.

The Secretariat

The ASCOBANS Secretariat, located in Bonn, Germany, acts as the coordinating body of the Agreement. It gathers and disseminates information to the MOP and the AC. It plays an important role in awareness-raising and provides advice and support to the Parties, assisting them in the implementation of the agreement. It services the sessions of the Meeting of the Parties and meetings of the Advisory Committee. The ASCOBANS Secretariat along with other Regional Agreement Secretariats (AEWA and EUROBATS) within the framework of the Bonn Convention is integrated into the Agreements Unit of the CMS Secretariat. The 5th Meeting of the Parties of ASCOBANS (2006) decided that from 1 January 2007 the UNEP/CMS Secretariat would serve as the Secretariat for the ASCOBANS Agreement; and the Executive Secretary of UNEP/CMS would be the acting Executive Secretary of ASCOBANS for a provisional three-year period. This arrangement was confirmed for a further triennium, i.e. until the end of 2012, by the 6th Meeting of the Parties (2009).

The Secretariat team now consists of:

	Elizabeth Maruma Mrema Acting Executive Secretary (Acting CMS Executive Secretary; time dedicated to ASCOBANS: 3%)
	Borja Heredia ASCOBANS Senior Advisor (CMS Scientific and Technical Officer; time dedicated to ASCOBANS: 15%)
	Heidrun Frisch ASCOBANS Coordinator (CMS Marine Mammals Officer; time dedicated to ASCOBANS: 75%)
	Bettina Reinartz Administrative Assistant (50% part-time position)
	Ana Berta García Consultant (Anniversary Year)

The team also often enjoys the support of an intern. For more information on internship opportunities, please refer to the CMS website.

Any vacancies at the ASCOBANS Secretariat are posted, together with those at the other Secretariats of the CMS Family of Agreements, on the CMS website.