The Report of the Panel is now available.The Report of the Panel is now available.
In 2009 NAFO established a General Council Performance Assessment Working Group (PAWG) to address the establishment of a performance review to identify the strengths and weaknesses in NAFO, as urged by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 63/112 on Sustainable Fisheries for Regional Fishery Management Organizations (RFMOs). In 2010 the working group met and the terms of the Performance Review were developed. General Council approved terms of reference (ToR) at the September Annual Meeting.
The objective of the work to be carried out by the Review Panel was to assess the performance of NAFO since 1979 against the objectives set out in the NAFO Convention and other relevant international instruments addressing the conservation and management of marine living resources, with special emphasis on the period since 1995, noting the objectives reflected in the amendments to the Convention adopted by NAFO in 2007. Consideration should be given to the developments in fisheries and ocean management that have taken place during the period covered by the review. The review was to l be performed on the basis of the criteria provided and point to achievements, as well as identify areas which could be improved. The criteria for reviewing the performance of NAFO can be found here.
The Panel had two meetings during 2011. The Panel established by the Secretariat in accordance with the ToR was composed of three external experts in fisheries management, fisheries science, and Law of the Sea matters, as proposed by FAO/ICES/UNDOALOS respectively. Dr Fabio Hazin (Brazil) was elected as the Panel Chair. These experts shall not have participated in the work of NAFO, and shall not be a national of any NAFO Contracting Party, and fFour internal experts, with Canada, Denmark (in respect of Faroe Islands and Greenland) (DFG), the European Union (EU) and the Russian Federation to each nominate one panel member with experience and knowledge of NAFO. In addition, it was agreed that the Chair of STACTIC shall act as a resource person to the Panel, without voting rights. The Secretariat provided administrative assistance and information support to the Panel.
The Report of the NAFO Performance Review Panel 2011 was presented to the Annual Meeting. A list of recommendations contained in the report was compiled and divided into two groups. Panel recommendations that pertained to individual NAFO Constituent Bodies were forwarded to the Bodies for their review during the Annual Meeting. Each Constituent Body will be responsible for their actions taken in regard to these recommendations.
A General Council Working Group on the future of NAFO on the development of plans of action necessary for the implementation of the recommendations of the NAFO Performance Review Panel was established. This Working Group will meet in March of 2012 in Halifax, NS, Canada and chaired by the President of the Organziation, Veronika Veits (EU). The Working Group will investigate the second group of recommendations that involve policy issues and more than one Constituent Body. These recommendations shall be prioritized and Plans of Action and solutions be formulated. The Working Group shall designate which recommendations can be addressed immediately and for which Plans of Action can be established in the short, medium and long-term. The Working Group shall also recommend concrete courses of action to implement the recommendations of the Performance Review Panel in particular for the areas identified as priority.