1. TERMS OF REFERENCE
The Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP) shall:
a) keep under continuous review the requirements for fishery statistics (including aquaculture) for the purposes of research, policy-making and management, taking into account inter alia their purpose, usefulness, cost, burden in collection and collation, timeliness, quality, confidentiality needs and regional differences;
b) agree standard concepts, definitions, classifications and methodologies for the collection and collation of fishery statistics;
c) make proposals and recommendations for action in relation to the collection, collation and dissemination of fishery statistics, recognizing the need to coordinate activities so as to avoid duplication.
2. COMPOSITION
The Working Party shall be composed of experts nominated by intergovernmental organizations which have a competence in fishery statistics. The following shall be the participating organizations initially:
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO)
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
Statistical Office of the European Communities (EU/Eurostat)
Participating organizations may admit other intergovernmental organizations having competence in fishery statistics. Participating organizations may withdraw from the Working Party.
Each of the participating organizations may nominate up to five experts in accordance with their respective internal procedures.
3. SECRETARY
The Secretary to the Working Party shall be appointed by the Director-General of FAO and shall be administratively responsible to him.
4. RULES OF PROCEDURE
The Working Party will adopt its own Rules of Procedure and amendments thereto which shall come into force unless any participating organization objects within three months of the adoption.
5. AMENDMENTS OF STATUTES
Proposals for amendments to the Statutes shall be submitted to the CWP Secretary by one or more participating organizations or shall be recommended by the Working Party. Amendments adopted by the Working Party shall come into force upon receipt by the CWP Secretary of notification of approval by all of the participating organizations in accordance with their respective internal procedures.
