12. The FAO Conference at its Tenth Session in 1959 adopted Resolution 23/59 under which the Conference (i) noted with satisfaction that the Edinburgh Meeting had "agreed on recommendations to governments and international organizations designed to improve and considerably simplify the collection and reporting of fishery statistics in the North Atlantic area"; and (ii) accepted that "FAO should transmit its report to the governments and international organizations concerned, with the request that they consider implementation of the recommendations contained in it".
13. In the same Resolution the Conference (i) welcomed the suggestion for the establishment of a Continuing Working Party on Fishery Statistics in the North Atlantic Area with the role as specified in paragraph 8 (ii) above, and (ii) agreed that the "Working Party should consist of one government expert each nominated by the Governments of Canada, Germany, Iceland and the United Kingdom, one expert each nominated by the Secretary-General of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and the Executive Secretary of the International Commission of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, one expert nominated by the Director General of FAO, and such additional experts as may be nominated by the Working Party itself". Finally, the Resolution authorised and requested "the Director General to establish the Working Party in accordance with Article VI of the FAO Constitution and to arrange for the FAO Fisheries Division to function as secretariat for the Working Party".
14. Subsequently, ICES and ICNAF agreed to participate in and support the CWP and the four national governments agreed to provide experts to participate.
