Na podlagi druge alinee prvega odstavka 107. člena in prvega odstavka 91. člena Ustave Republike Slovenije izdajam

Razglašam Zakon o ratifikaciji Sporazuma o ohranjanju kitov in delfinov Črnega morja, Sredozemskega morja in atlantskega območja ob njem (MSOKD), ki ga je sprejel Državni zbor Republike Slovenije na seji 14. julija 2006.

Ratificira se Sporazum o ohranjanju kitov in delfinov Črnega morja, Sredozemskega morja in atlantskega območja ob njem, sestavljen 24. novembra 1996 v Monaku.

Besedilo sporazuma se v izvirniku v angleškem jeziku ter v prevodu v slovenskem jeziku glasi:

The Parties,
Recalling that the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979, encourages international co-operative action to conserve migratory species;
Recalling further that the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, held in Geneva in September 1991, urged Range States to collaborate with a view to concluding, under the Convention's auspices, a multilateral agreement for the conservation of small cetaceans of the Mediterranean and Black Seas;
Recognizing that cetaceans are an integral part of the marine ecosystem which must be conserved for the benefit of present and future generations, and that their conservation is a common concern;
Recognizing the importance of integrating actions to conserve cetaceans with activities related to the socio-economic development of the Parties concerned by this Agreement, including maritime activities such as fishing and the free circulation of vessels in accordance with international law;
Aware that the conservation status of cetaceans can be adversely affected by factors such as degradation and disturbance of their habitats, pollution, reduction of food resources, use and abandonment of non-selective fishing gear, and by deliberate and incidental catches;
Convinced that the vulnerability of cetaceans to such threats warrants the implementation of specific conservation measures, where they do not already exist, by States or regional economic integration organizations that exercise sovereignty and/or jurisdiction over any part of their range, and by States, flag vessels of which are engaged outside national jurisdictional limits in activities that may affect the conservation of cetaceans;
Stressing the need to promote and facilitate co-operation among States, regional economic integration organizations, intergovernmental organizations and the non governmental sector for the conservation of cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, the waters which interconnect these seas, and the contiguous Atlantic area;
Convinced that the conclusion of a multilateral agreement and its implementation through co-ordinated, concerted actions will contribute significantly to the conservation of cetaceans and their habitats in the most efficient manner, and will have ancillary benefits for other species;
Acknowledging that, despite past or ongoing scientific research, knowledge of the biology, ecology, and population dynamics of cetaceans is deficient, and that it is necessary to develop co-operation for research and monitoring of these species in order to fully implement conservation measures;
Acknowledging further that effective implementation of such an agreement will require that assistance be provided, in a spirit of solidarity, to some Range States for research, training, and monitoring of cetaceans and their habitats, as well as for the establishment or improvement of scientific and administrative institutions;
Recognizing the importance of other global and regional instruments of relevance to the conservation of cetaceans, signed by many Parties, such as the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, 1946; the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution, 1976, its related protocols and the Action Plan for the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea adopted under its auspices in 1991; the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, 1979; the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982; the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992; the Convention for the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution, 1992; and the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation, Management and Utilization of Marine Mammals of the United Nations Environment Programme, adopted in 1984; as well as initiatives of inter alia the General Fisheries Council for Mediterranean, the International Commission for Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean, and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas,
Have agreed as follows:

1. a) The geographic scope of this Agreement, hereinafter referred to as the "Agreement area", is constituted by all the maritime waters of the Black Sea and theMediterranean and their gulfs and seas, and the internal waters connected to or interconnecting these maritime waters, and of the Atlantic area contiguous to the Mediterranean Sea west of the Straits of Gibraltar. For the purpose of this Agreement:
– the Black Sea is bounded to the southwest by the line joining Capes Kelaga and Dalyan (Turkey);
– the Mediterranean Sea is bounded to the east by the southern limits of the Straits of the Dardanelles between the lighthouses of Mehmetcik and Kumkale (Turkey) and to the west by the meridian passing through Cape Spartel lighthouse, at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar; and
– the contiguous Atlantic area west of the Strait of Gibraltar is bounded to the east by the meridian passing through Cape Spartel lighthouse and to the west by the line joining the lighthouses of Cape St. Vicente (Portugal) and Casablanca (Morocco).
b) Nothing in this Agreement nor any act adopted on the basis of this Agreement shall prejudice the rights and obligations, the present and future claims or legal views of any State relating to the law of the sea or to the Montreux Convention of 20 July 1936 (Convention concernant le régime des détroits), in particular the nature and the extent of marine areas, the delimitation of marine areas between States with opposite or adjacent coasts, freedom of navigation on the high seas, the right and the modalities of passage through straits used for international navigation and the right of innocent passage in territorial seas, as well as the nature and extent of the jurisdiction of the coastal State, the flag State and the port State.
c) No act or activity undertaken on the basis of this Agreement shall constitute grounds for claiming, contending or disputing any claim to national sovereignty or jurisdiction.
2. This Agreement applies to all cetaceans that have a range which lies entirely or partly within the Agreement area or that accidentally or occasionally frequent the Agreement area, an indicative list of which is contained in Annex 1 to this Agreement.
3. For the purpose of this Agreement:
a) "Cetaceans" means animals, including individuals, of those species, subspecies or populations of Odontoceti or Mysticeti;
b) "Convention" means the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979;
c) "Secretariat of the Convention" means the body established under Article IX of the Convention;
d) "Agreement secretariat" means the body established under Article III, paragraph 7, of this Agreement;
e) "Scientific Committee" means the body established under Article III, paragraph 7, of this Agreement;
f) "Range" means all areas of water that a cetacean inhabits, stays in temporarily, or crosses at any time on its normal migration route within the Agreement area.
g) "Range State" means any State that exercises sovereignty and/or jurisdiction over any part of the range of a cetacean population covered by this Agreement, or a State, flag vessels of which are engaged in activities in the Agreement area which may affect the conservation of cetaceans;
h) "Regional economic integration organization" means an organization constituted by sovereign States which has competence in respect of the negotiation, conclusion and application of international agreements in matters covered by this Agreement;
i) "Party" means a Range State or a regional economic integration organization for which this Agreement is in force;
j) "Subregion", depending on the particular context, means either the region comprising the coastal States of Black Sea or the region comprising the coastal States of the Mediterranean Sea and the contiguous Atlantic area; any reference in the Agreement to the States of a particular subregion shall be taken to mean the States which have any part of their territorial waters within that subregion, and States, flag vessels of which are engaged in activities which may affect the conservation of cetaceans in that subregion; and
k) "Habitat" means any area in the range of cetaceans where they are temporarily or permanently resident, in particular, feeding areas, calving or breeding grounds, and migration routes.
In addition, the terms defined in Article I, subparagraphs 1 a) to e), and i) of the Convention shall have the same meaning, mutatis mutandis, in this Agreement.
4. This Agreement is an agreement within the meaning of Article IV, paragraph 4, of the Convention.
5. The annexes to this Agreement form an integral part thereof, and any reference to the Agreement includes a reference to its annexes.

1. Parties shall take co-ordinated measures to achieve and maintain a favourable conservation status for cetaceans. To this end, Parties shall prohibit and take all necessary measures to eliminate, where this is not already done, any deliberate taking of cetaceans and shall co-operate to create and maintain a network of specially protected areas to conserve cetaceans.
2. Any Party may grant an exception to the prohibition set out in the preceding paragraph only in emergency situations as provided for in Annex 2, paragraph 6, or, after having obtained the advice of the Scientific Committee, for the purpose of non-lethal in situ research aimed at maintaining a favourable conservation status for cetaceans. The Party concerned shall immediately inform the Bureau and the Scientific Committee, through the Agreement secretariat, of any such exception that has been granted. The Agreement secretariat shall inform all Parties of the exception without delay by the most appropriate means.
3. In addition, Parties shall apply, within the limits of their sovereignty and/or jurisdiction and in accordance with their international obligations, the conservation, research and management measures prescribed in Annex 2 to this Agreement, which shall address the following matters:
a) adoption and enforcement of national legislation;
b) assessment and management of human-cetacean interactions;
c) habitat protection;
d) research and monitoring;
e) capacity building, collection and dissemination of information, training and education; and
f) responses to emergency situations.
Measures concerning fisheries activities shall be applied in all waters under their sovereignty and/or jurisdiction and outside these waters in respect of any vessel under their flag or registered within their territory.
4. In implementing the measures prescribed above, the Parties shall apply the precautionary principle.

1. The Meeting of the Parties shall be the decision-making body of this Agreement.
2. The Depositary shall convene, in consultation with the Secretariat of the Convention, a session of the Meeting of the Parties to this Agreement not later than one year after the date of its entry into force. Thereafter, the Agreement secretariat shall convene, in consultation with the Secretariat of the Convention, ordinary sessions of the Meeting of the Parties at intervals of not more than three years, unless the Meeting of the Parties decides otherwise.
3. The Agreement secretariat shall convene an extraordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties on the written request of at least two thirds of the Parties.
4. The United Nations, its Specialized Agencies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, any State not a Party to this Agreement, secretariats of other global and regional conventions or agreements concerned inter alia with the conservation of cetaceans, and regional or subregional fisheries management organizations with competence for species found temporarily or permanently resident in the Agreement area may be represented by observers in sessions of the Meeting of the Parties. Any other agency or body technically qualified in the conservation of cetaceans may be represented at sessions of the Meeting of the Parties by observers, unless at least one third of the Parties present object. Once admitted to a session of the Meeting of the Parties, an observer shall continue to be entitled to participate in future sessions unless one third of the Parties object at least thirty days before the start of the session.
5. Only Parties have the right to vote. Each Party shall have one vote. Regional economic integration organizations which are Parties to this Agreement shall exercise, in matters within their competence, their right to vote with a number of votes equal to the number of their member States which are Parties to the Agreement. A regional economic integration organization shall not exercise its right to vote if its member States exercise theirs and vice versa.
6. All decisions of the Meeting of the Parties shall be adopted by consensus except as otherwise provided in Article X of this Agreement. However, if consensus cannot be achieved in respect of matters covered by the annexes to the Agreement, a decision may be adopted by a two thirds majority of the Parties present and voting. In the event of a vote, any Party may, within one hundred and fifty days, notify the Depositary in writing of its intention not to apply the said decision.
7. At its first session, the Meeting of the Parties shall:
a) adopt its rules of procedure;
b) establish an Agreement secretariat to perform the secretariat functions listed in Article IV of this Agreement;
c) designate in each subregion, within an existing institution, a Co-ordination unit to facilitate implementation of the measures prescribed in Annex 2 to this Agreement;
d) elect a Bureau as provided for in Article VI;
e) establish a Scientific Committee, as provided for in Article VII; and
f) decide on the format and content of Party reports on the implementation of the Agreement, as provided for in Article VIII.
8. At each of its ordinary sessions, the Meeting of the Parties shall:
a) review scientific assessments of the conservation status of cetaceans of the Agreement area and the habitats which are important to their survival, as well as the factors which may affect them unfavourably;
b) review the progress made and any difficulties encountered in the implementation of this Agreement on the basis of the reports of the Parties and of the Agreement secretariat;
c) make recommendations to the Parties as it deems necessary or appropriate and adopt specific actions to improve the effectiveness of this Agreement;
d) examine and decide upon any proposals to amend, as may be necessary, this Agreement;
e) adopt a budget for the next financial period and decide upon any matters relating to the financial arrangements for this Agreement;
f) review the arrangements for the Agreement secretariat, the Co-ordination units and the Scientific Committee;
g) adopt a report for communication to the Parties to this Agreement and to the Conference of the Parties of the Convention;
h) agree on the provisional time and venue of the next meeting; and
i) deal with any other matter relating to implementation of this Agreement.

1. Subject to the approval of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, an Agreement secretariat shall be established within the Secretariat of the Convention. If the Secretariat of the Convention is unable, at any time, to provide this function, the Meeting of the Parties shall make alternative arrangements.
2. The functions of the Agreement secretariat shall be:
a) to arrange and service the sessions of the Meeting of the Parties;
b) to liaise with and facilitate co-operation between Parties and non-Party Range States, and international and national bodies whose activities are directly or indirectly relevant to the conservation of cetaceans in the Agreement area;
c) to assist the Parties in the implementation of this Agreement, ensuring coherence between the subregions and with measures adopted pursuant to other international instruments in force;
d) to execute decisions addressed to it by the Meeting of the Parties;
e) to invite the attention of the Meeting of the Parties to any matter pertaining to this Agreement;
f) to provide to each ordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties a report on the work of the Agreement secretariat, the Co-ordination units, the Bureau, and the Scientific Committee, and on the implementation of the Agreement based on information provided by the Parties and other sources;
g) to administer the budget for this Agreement;
h) to provide information to the general public concerning this Agreement and its objectives; and
i) to perform any other function entrusted to it under this Agreement or by the Meeting of the Parties.
3. The Agreement secretariat, in consultation with the Scientific Committee and the Co-ordination units, shall facilitate the preparation of guidelines covering inter alia:
a) the reduction or elimination, as far as possible and for the purposes of this Agreement, of adverse human-cetacean interactions;
b) habitat protection and natural resource management methods as they relate to cetaceans;
c) emergency measures; and
d) rescue methods.

1. The functions of the subregional Co-ordination units shall be:
a) to facilitate implementation in the respective subregions of the activities provided for in Annex 2 to this Agreement, in accordance with instructions of the Meeting of the Parties;
b) to collect and evaluate information that will further the objectives and implementation of the Agreement and provide for appropriate dissemination of such information; and
c) to service meetings of the Scientific Committee and to prepare a report for communication to the Meeting of the Parties through the Agreement secretariat.
The designation of the Co-ordination units and their functions shall be reviewed, as appropriate, at each session of the Meeting of the Parties.
2. Each Co-ordination unit, in consultation with the Scientific Committee and the Agreement secretariat, shall facilitate the preparation of a series of international reviews or publications, to be updated regularly, including:
a) reports on the status and trends of populations, as well as gaps in scientific knowledge;
b) a subregional directory of important areas for cetaceans; and
c) a subregional directory of national authorities, research and rescue centres, scientists and non-governmental organizations concerned with cetaceans.

1. The Meeting of the Parties shall elect a Bureau consisting of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons of the Meeting of the Parties, and shall adopt rules of procedure for the Bureau, as proposed by the Agreement secretariat. The Chairperson of the Scientific Committee shall be invited to participate as an observer in the meetings of the Bureau. Whenever necessary, the Agreement secretariat shall provide secretariat services.
2. The Bureau shall:
a) provide general policy guidance and operational and financial direction to the Agreement secretariat and the Co-ordination units concerning the implementation and promotion of the Agreement;
b) carry out, between sessions of the Meeting of the Parties, such interim activities on its behalf as may be necessary or assigned to it by the Meeting of the Parties; and
c) represent the Parties vis-à-vis the Government(s) of the host country (or countries) of the Agreement secretariat and the Meeting of the Parties, the Depositary and other international organizations on matters relating to this Agreement and its secretariat.
3. At the request of its Chairperson, the Bureau shall normally meet once per annum at the invitation of the Agreement secretariat, which shall inform all Parties of the date, venue and agenda of such meetings.
4. The Bureau shall provide a report on its activities for each session of the Meeting of the Parties which will be circulated to all Parties in advance of the session by the Agreement secretariat.

1. A Scientific Committee, comprising persons qualified as experts in cetacean conservation science, shall be established as an advisory body to the Meeting of the Parties. The Meeting of the Parties will entrust the functions of the Scientific Committee to an existing organization in the Agreement area that assures geographically-balanced representation.
2. Meetings of the Scientific Committee shall be convened by the Agreement secretariat at the request of the Meeting of the Parties.
3. The Scientific Committee shall:
a) provide advice to the Meeting of the Parties on scientific and technical matters having a bearing on the implementation of the Agreement, and to individual Parties between sessions, as appropriate, through the Co-ordination unit of the subregion concerned;
b) advise on the guidelines as provided for in Article IV, paragraph 3, assess the reviews prepared in accordance with Annex 2 to this Agreement and formulate recommendations to the Meeting of the Parties relating to their development, contents and implementation;
c) conduct scientific assessments of the conservation status of cetacean populations;
d) advise on the development and co-ordination of international research and monitoring programmes, and make recommendations to the Meeting of the Parties concerning further research to be carried out;
e) facilitate the exchange of scientific information and of conservation techniques;
f) prepare for each session of the Meeting of the Parties a report of its activities which shall be submitted to the Agreement secretariat not less than one hundred and twenty days before the session of the Meeting of the Parties and circulated forthwith by the Agreement secretariat to all Parties;
g) render timely advice on the exceptions of which it has been informed pursuant to Article II, paragraph 2; and
h) carry out, as may be necessary, other tasks referred to it by the Meeting of the Parties.
4. The Scientific Committee, in consultation with the Bureau and the respective Co-ordination units, may establish working groups as may be necessary to deal with specific tasks. The Meeting of the Parties shall agree a fixed budget allocation for this purpose.

Each Party shall:
a) designate a focal point for this Agreement, and shall communicate without delay the focal point's name, address and telecommunication numbers to the Agreement secretariat, for prompt circulation to the other Parties and to the Co-ordination units; and
b) prepare for each ordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties, beginning with the second session, a report on its implementation of the Agreement with particular reference to the conservation measures and scientific research and monitoring it has undertaken. The format of such reports shall be determined by the first session of the Meeting of the Parties and reviewed as may be necessary at any subsequent session. Each report shall be submitted to the Agreement secretariat not less than one hundred and twenty days before the opening of the session of the Meeting of the Parties for which it has been prepared, and copies shall be circulated forthwith to the other Parties by the Agreement secretariat.

1. The scale of contributions to the budget of this Agreement shall be determined by the Meeting of the Parties at its first session. No regional economic integration organization shall be required to contribute more than 2.5 per cent of the administrative costs.
2. Decisions relating to the budget and any changes to the scale of contributions that may be found necessary shall be adopted by the Meeting of the Parties by consensus.
3. The Meeting of the Parties may establish a supplementary conservation fund from voluntary contributions of Parties or from any other source in order to increase the funds available for monitoring, research, training and projects relating to the conservation of cetaceans.
4. Parties are also encouraged to provide technical and financial support on a bilateral or multilateral basis to assist Range States which are developing countries or countries with economies in transition to implement the provisions of this Agreement.
5. The Agreement secretariat shall undertake periodically a review of potential mechanisms for providing additional resources, including funds and technical assistance, for the implementation of this Agreement, and shall report its findings to the Meeting of the Parties.

1. This Agreement may be amended at any ordinary or extraordinary session of the Meeting of the Parties.
2. Proposals for amendments to the Agreement may be made by any Party. The text of any proposed amendment and the reasons for it shall be communicated to the Agreement secretariat not less than one hundred and fifty days before the opening of the session. The Agreement secretariat shall transmit copies forthwith to the Parties. Any comments on the text by the Parties shall be communicated to the Agreement secretariat not less than sixty days before the opening of the session. The Secretariat shall communicate to the Parties, as soon as possible after the last day for submission of comments, all comments submitted by that day.
3. Any additional annex or any amendment to the Agreement other than an amendment to its annexes shall be adopted by a two thirds majority of the Parties present and voting and shall enter into force for those Parties which have accepted it on the thirtieth day after the date on which two thirds of the Parties to the Agreement at the date of the adoption of the additional annex or amendment have deposited their instruments of acceptance with the Depositary. For any Party that deposits an instrument of acceptance after the date on which two thirds of the Parties have deposited their instruments of acceptance, the additional annex or amendment shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date on which it deposits its instrument of acceptance.
4. Any amendment to an annex to the Agreement shall be adopted by a two thirds majority of the Parties present and voting and shall enter into force for all Parties on the one hundred and fiftieth day after the date of its adoption by the Meeting of the Parties, except for Parties that have entered a reservation in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Article.
5. During the period of one hundred and fifty days provided for in paragraph 4 of this Article, any Party may by written notification to the Depositary enter a reservation with respect to an amendment to an annex to the Agreement. Such reservation may be withdrawn by written notification to the Depositary, and thereupon the amendment shall enter into force for that Party on the thirtieth day after the date of withdrawal of the reservation.

1. The provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the right of any Party to maintain or adopt more stringent measures for the conservation of cetaceans and their habitats, nor the rights or obligations of any Party deriving from any existing treaty, convention or agreement to which it is a party, except where the exercise of those rights and obligations would threaten the conservation of cetaceans.
2. Parties shall implement this Agreement consistently with their rights and obligations arising under the law of the sea.

1. Any dispute which may arise between two or more Parties with respect to the interpretation or application of the provisions of this Agreement shall be subject to negotiation between the Parties involved in the dispute, or to mediation or conciliation by a third party if this is acceptable to the Parties concerned.
2. If the dispute cannot be resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of this Article, the Parties may by mutual consent submit the dispute to arbitration or judicial settlement. The Parties submitting the dispute shall be bound by the arbitral or judicial decision.

1. This Agreement shall be open for signature by any Range State, whether or not areas under its jurisdiction lie within the Agreement area, or regional economic integration organization, at least one member of which is a Range State, either by:
a) signature without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval; or
b) signature with reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval.
2. This Agreement shall remain open for signature at Monaco until the date of its entry into force.
3. This Agreement shall be open for accession by any Range State or regional economic integration organization mentioned in paragraph 1, above, on and after the date of entry into force of the Agreement.
4. Instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be deposited with the Depositary.

1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following the date on which at least seven coastal States of the Agreement area or regional economic integration organizations, comprising at least two from the subregion of the Black Sea and at least five from the subregion of the Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area, have signed without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval, or have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval in accordance with Article XIII of this Agreement.
2. For any Range State or regional economic integration organization which has:
a) signed without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance, or approval;
b) ratified, accepted, or approved; or
c) acceded to
this Agreement after the date on which the number of Range States and regional economic integration organizations necessary to enable entry into force have signed it without reservation or have ratified, accepted or approved it, this Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following the signature without reservation, or deposit, by that State or organization, of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

The provisions of this Agreement shall not be subject to general reservations. However, a specific reservation may be entered by any State in respect of a specifically delimited part of its internal waters, on signature without reservation in respect of ratification, acceptance or approval or, as the case may be, on the deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Such a reservation may be withdrawn at any time by the State which had entered it by notification in writing to the Depositary; the State concerned shall not be bound by the application of the Agreement to the waters which are the object of the reservation until thirty days after the date on which the reservation has been withdrawn.

Any Party may denounce this Agreement at any time by written notification to the Depositary. The denunciation shall take effect twelve months after the date on which the Depositary has received the notification.

1. The original of this Agreement, in the Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each version being equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Government of the Principality of Monaco, which shall be the Depositary. The Depositary shall transmit certified copies of the Agreement to all States and regional economic integration organizations referred to in Article XIII, paragraph 1, of this Agreement, and to the Agreement secretariat after it has been established.
2. As soon as this Agreement enters into force, a certified copy thereof shall be transmitted by the Depositary to the Secretariat of the United Nations for registration and publication in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.
3. The Depositary shall inform all States and regional economic integration organizations that have signed or acceded to the Agreement, and the Agreement secretariat, of:
a) any signature;
b) any deposit of an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession;
c) the date of entry into force of this Agreement and of any additional annex as well as of any amendment to the Agreement or to its annexes;
d) any reservation with respect to an additional annex or an amendment to an annex;
e) any notification of withdrawal of a reservation; and
f) any notification of denunciation of this Agreement.
The Depositary shall transmit to all States and regional economic integration organizations that have signed or acceded to this Agreement, and to the Agreement secretariat, the text of any reservation, any additional annex and any amendment to the Agreement or to its annexes.
In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorized to that effect, have signed this Agreement.
Done at Monaco on the twenty-fourth day of November 1996.

Phocoena phocoena – Harbour porpoise

Tursiops truncatus – Bottlenose dolphin
Delphinus delphis – Common dolphin

Phocoena phocoena – Harbour porpoise

Steno bredanensis – Rough-toothed dolphin
Grampus griseus – Risso's dolphin
Tursiops truncatus – Bottlenose dolphin
Stenella coeruleoalba – Striped dolphin
Delphinus delphis – Short-beaked common dolphin
Pseudorca crassidens – False killer whale
Orcinus orca – Killer whale
Globicephala melas – Long-finned pilot whale

Mesoplodon densirostris – Blainville's beaked whale
Ziphius cavirostris – Cuvier's beaked whale

Physeter macrocephalus – Sperm whale

Kogia simus – Dwarf sperm whale

Eubalaena glacialis – Northern right whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata – Minke whale
Balaenoptera borealis – Sei whale
Balaenoptera physalus – Fin whale
Megaptera novaeangliae – Humpback whale
The present Agreement shall also apply to any other cetaceans not already listed in this annex, but which may frequent the Agreement area accidentally or occasionally.

The Parties shall undertake, to the maximum extent of their economic, technical, and scientific capacities, the following measures for the conservation of cetaceans, giving priority to conserving those species or populations identified by the Scientific Committee as having the least favourable conservation status, and to undertaking research in areas or for species for which there is a paucity of data.

Parties to this Agreement shall adopt the necessary legislative, regulatory or administrative measures to give full protection to cetaceans in waters under their sovereignty and/or jurisdiction and outside these waters in respect of any vessel under their flag or registered within their territory engaged in activities which may affect the conservation of cetaceans. To this end, Parties shall:
a) develop and implement measures to minimize adverse effects of fisheries on the conservation status of cetaceans. In particular, no vessel shall be allowed to keep on board, or use for fishing, one or more drift nets whose individual or total length is more than 2.5 kilometres;
b) introduce or amend regulations with a view to preventing fishing gear from being discarded or left adrift at sea, and to require the immediate release of cetaceans caught incidentally in fishing gear in conditions that assure their survival;
c) require impact assessments to be carried out in order to provide a basis for either allowing or prohibiting the continuation or the future development of activities that may affect cetaceans or their habitat in the Agreement area, including fisheries, offshore exploration and exploitation, nautical sports, tourism and cetacean-watching, as well as establishing the conditions under which such activities may be conducted;
d) regulate the discharge at sea of, and adopt within the framework of other appropriate legal instruments stricter standards for, pollutants believed to have adverse effects on cetaceans; and
e) endeavour to strengthen or create national institutions with a view to furthering implementation of the Agreement.

Parties shall, in co-operation with relevant international organizations, collect and analyse data on direct and indirect interactions between humans and cetaceans in relation to inter alia fishing, industrial and touristic activities, and land-based and maritime pollution. When necessary, Parties shall take appropriate remedial measures and shall develop guidelines and/or codes of conduct to regulate or manage such activities.

Parties shall endeavour to establish and manage specially protected areas for cetaceans corresponding to the areas which serve as habitats of cetaceans and/or which provide important food resources for them. Such specially protected areas should be established within the framework of the Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution, 1976, and its relevant protocol, or within the framework of other appropriate instruments.

Parties shall undertake co-ordinated, concerted research on cetaceans and facilitate the development of new techniques to enhance their conservation. Parties shall, in particular:
a) monitor the status and trends of species covered by this Agreement, especially those in poorly known areas, or species for which little data are available, in order to facilitate the elaboration of conservation measures;
b) co-operate to determine the migration routes and the breeding and feeding areas of the species covered by the Agreement in order to define areas where human activities may need to be regulated as a consequence;
c) evaluate the feeding requirements of the species covered by the Agreement and adapt fishing regulations and techniques accordingly;
d) develop systematic research programmes on dead, stranded, wounded or sick animals to determine the main interactions with human activities and to identify present and potential threats; and
e) facilitate the development of passive acoustic techniques to monitor cetacean populations.

Taking into account the differing needs and the developmental stages of the Range States, Parties shall give priority to capacity building in order to develop the necessary expertise for the implementation of the Agreement. Parties shall co-operate to develop common tools for the collection and dissemination of information about cetaceans and to organize training courses and education programmes. Such actions shall be conducted in concert at the subregional and Agreement level, supported by the Agreement secretariat, the Co-ordination units and the Scientific Committee and carried out in collaboration with competent international institutions or organizations. The results shall be made available to all Parties. In particular, Parties shall co-operate to:
a) develop the systems for collecting data on observations, incidental catches, strandings, epizootics and other phenomena related to cetaceans;
b) prepare lists of national authorities, research and rescue centres, scientists and non-governmental organizations concerned with cetaceans;
c) prepare a directory of existing protected or managed areas which could benefit the conservation of cetaceans and of marine areas of potential importance for the conservation of cetaceans;
d) prepare a directory of national and international legislation concerning cetaceans;
e) establish, as appropriate, a subregional or regional data bank for the storage of information collected under paragraphs a) to d) above;
f) prepare a subregional or regional information bulletin on cetacean conservation activities or contribute to an existing publication serving the same purpose;
g) prepare information, awareness and identification guides for distribution to users of the sea;
h) prepare, on the basis of regional knowledge, a synthesis of veterinary recommendations for the rescue of cetaceans; and
i) develop and implement training programmes on conservation techniques, in particular, onobservation, release, transport and first aid techniques, and responses to emergency situations.

Parties shall, in co-operation with each other, and whenever possible and necessary, develop and implement emergency measures for cetaceans covered by this Agreement when exceptionally unfavourable or endangering conditions occur. In particular, Parties shall:
a) prepare, in collaboration with competent bodies, emergency plans to be implemented in case of threats to cetaceans in the Agreement area, such as major pollution events, important strandings or epizootics; and
b) evaluate capacities necessary for rescue operations for wounded or sick cetaceans; and
c) prepare a code of conduct governing the function of centres or laboratories involved in this work.
In the event of an emergency situation requiring the adoption of immediate measures to avoid deterioration of the conservation status of one or more cetacean populations, a Party may request the relevant Co-ordination unit to advise the other Parties concerned, with a view to establishing a mechanism to give rapid protection to the population identified as being subject to a particularly adverse threat.

Pogodbenice so se
ob sklicevanju na to, da Konvencija o varstvu selitvenih vrst prosto živečih živali, 1979, spodbuja skupno mednarodno ukrepanje za ohranitev selitvenih vrst;
ob sklicevanju tudi na to, da je Konferenca pogodbenic konvencije na svojem tretjem zasedanju septembra 1991 v Ženevi pozvala države na območju razširjenosti, naj sodelujejo, da bi v okviru konvencije sklenile večstranski sporazum za ohranjanje malih kitov in delfinov Sredozemskega in Črnega morja;
s priznavanjem, da so kiti in delfini sestavni del morskega ekosistema, ki ga je treba ohraniti v dobro sedanje in prihodnjih generacij, ter da je njihova ohranitev skupna skrb;
s priznavanjem, da je pomembno povezovanje ukrepov za ohranitev kitov in delfinov z dejavnostmi, povezanimi z družbenogospodarskim razvojem pogodbenic, na katere se nanaša ta sporazum, skupaj s pomorskimi dejavnostmi, kot sta ribolov in prosto gibanje plovil, skladno z mednarodnim pravom;
ob zavedanju, da lahko na stanje ohranjenosti kitov in delfinov škodljivo vplivajo dejavniki, kot so propadanje in motenje njihovih habitatov, onesnaževanje, zmanjševanje virov hrane, uporaba in opuščanje neselektivnih ribolovnih sredstev ter namerni in naključni ulov;
v prepričanju, da je ranljivost kitov in delfinov zaradi takega ogrožanja upravičen razlog za to, da države ali regionalne organizacije za gospodarsko povezovanje, ki imajo suverenost in/ali jurisdikcijo nad katerim koli delom njihovega območja razširjenosti, in države, katerih plovila pod njihovo zastavo zunaj meja njihove državne jurisdikcije opravljajo dejavnosti, ki lahko vplivajo na ohranitev kitov in delfinov, izvedejo posebne ohranitvene ukrepe, če še ne obstajajo;
s poudarjanjem, da je treba spodbujati in olajšati sodelovanje med državami, regionalnimi organizacijami za gospodarsko povezovanje, medvladnimi organizacijami in nevladnim sektorjem za ohranitev kitov in delfinov Črnega morja, Sredozemskega morja, voda, ki ju povezujejo, in atlantskega območja ob njem;
v prepričanju, da bosta sklenitev večstranskega sporazuma in njegovo izvajanje z usklajenim skupnim ukrepanjem precej in najučinkoviteje prispevala k ohranitvi kitov in delfinov in njihovih habitatov ter bosta poleg tega koristila tudi drugim vrstam;
s priznavanjem, da je poznavanje biologije, ekologije in populacijske dinamike kitov in delfinov kljub preteklim ali sedanjim znanstvenim raziskavam pomanjkljivo ter da je treba vzpostaviti sodelovanje pri raziskavah in spremljanju stanja teh vrst, da se ohranitveni ukrepi v celoti izvedejo;
s priznavanjem tudi, da bo treba za učinkovito izvajanje takega sporazuma nekaterim državam na območju razširjenosti v duhu solidarnosti pomagati pri raziskavah, usposabljanju in spremljanju stanja kitov in delfinov in njihovih habitatov ter ustanavljanju ali krepitvi znanstvenih in upravnih institucij;
s priznavanjem pomembnosti drugih svetovnih in regionalnih dokumentov, pomembnih za ohranitev kitov in delfinov, ki so jih podpisale mnoge pogodbenice, na primer Mednarodne konvencije o zakonski ureditvi kitolova, 1946, Konvencije o varstvu Sredozemskega morja pred onesnaženjem, 1976, njenih protokolov in Akcijskega načrta za ohranitev kitov in delfinov v Sredozemskem morju, sprejetim leta 1991 v njenem okviru, Konvencije o varstvu prosto živečega evropskega živalstva in rastlinstva ter njunih naravnih življenjskih prostorov, 1979, Konvencije Združenih narodov o pomorskem mednarodnem pravu, 1982, Konvencije o biološki raznovrstnosti, 1992, Konvencije o varstvu Črnega morja pred onesnaženjem, 1992, in Svetovnega akcijskega načrta za ohranjanje, upravljanje in izkoriščanje morskih sesalcev, sprejetega leta 1984 v okviru Programa Združenih narodov za okolje, ter pobud, med drugim tudi Splošnega ribiškega sveta za Sredozemlje, Mednarodne komisije za znanstveno raziskovanje Sredozemlja ter Mednarodne komisije za ohranjanje atlantskih tunov,
sporazumele:

1. a) Zemljepisno območje uporabe tega sporazuma, v nadaljnjem besedilu "območje sporazuma", sestavljajo vse morske vode Črnega morja in Sredozemlja ter njunih zalivov in morij, notranje morske vode, ki so s temi morskimi vodami povezane ali jih povezujejo, ter atlantsko območje ob Sredozemskem morju zahodno od Gibraltarske ožine. V tem sporazumu je:
– jugozahodna meja Črnega morja na črti, ki povezuje rta Kelaga in Dalyan (Turčija);
– vzhodna meja Sredozemskega morja na južni meji Dardanel med svetilnikoma Mehmetcik in Kumkale (Turčija) ter zahodna meja na poldnevniku, ki teče čez svetilnik na rtu Spartel na vhodu v Gibraltarsko ožino in
– vzhodna meja atlantskega območja zahodno od Gibraltarske ožine na poldnevniku, ki teče čez svetilnik na rtu Spartel, ter zahodna meja na črti, ki povezuje svetilnika na rtu St. Vicente (Portugalska) in v Casablanci (Maroko).
b) Nobena določba tega sporazuma ali katerega koli akta, sprejetega na njegovi podlagi, ne posega v pravice in obveznosti, sedanje in prihodnje zahteve ali pravna stališča katere koli države, ki se nanašajo na pomorsko mednarodno pravo ali Montreujsko konvencijo z dne 20. julija 1936 (Convention concernant le régime des détroits), zlasti na naravo in obseg morskih območij, razmejitev morskih območij med državami z nasproti ali zraven ležečimi obalami, prosto plovbo po odprtih morjih, pravico in načine prehoda skozi ožine, ki se uporabljajo za mednarodno plovbo, pravico neškodljivega prehoda skozi teritorialna morja, ter naravo in obseg jurisdikcije obalne države, države zastave in države pristanišča.
c) Nobeno dejanje ali dejavnost, ki temelji na tem sporazumu, ni podlaga za zahtevo, nasprotovanje ali spor v zvezi z zahtevo po državni suverenosti ali jurisdikciji.
2. Ta sporazum se uporablja za vse kite in delfine, katerih območje razširjenosti leži v celoti ali delno na območju sporazuma ali ki naključno ali občasno prihajajo na območje sporazuma in katerih okvirni seznam je v prilogi 1 k temu sporazumu.
3. V tem sporazumu izraz:
a) "kiti in delfini" pomeni živali vrst, podvrst ali populacij Odontoceti ali Mysticeti vključno s posamezniki;
b) "konvencija" pomeni Konvencijo o varstvu selitvenih vrst prosto živečih živali, 1979;
c) "sekretariat konvencije" pomeni organ, ustanovljen po 9. členu konvencije;
d) "sekretariat sporazuma" pomeni organ, ustanovljen po sedmem odstavku 3. člena tega sporazuma;
e) "znanstveni odbor" pomeni organ, ustanovljen po sedmem odstavku 3. člena tega sporazuma;
f) "območje razširjenosti" pomeni vsa vodna območja, ki jih kit ali delfin naseljuje, se v njih začasno zadržuje ali jih prečka kadar koli na svoji običajni selitveni poti na območju sporazuma;
g) "država na območju razširjenosti" pomeni katero koli državo, ki ima suverenost in/ali jurisdikcijo nad katerim koli delom območja razširjenosti populacije kitov in delfinov, vključene v ta sporazum, ali državo, katere plovila pod njeno zastavo na območju sporazuma opravljajo dejavnosti, ki lahko vplivajo na ohranitev kitov in delfinov;
h) "regionalna organizacija za gospodarsko povezovanje" pomeni organizacijo, ki jo sestavljajo suverene države, in je pristojna za pogajanja o mednarodnih sporazumih, njihovo sklepanje in izvajanje v zvezi z zadevami, vključenimi v ta sporazum;
i) "pogodbenica" pomeni državo na območju razširjenosti ali regionalno organizacijo za gospodarsko povezovanje, za katero velja ta sporazum;
j) "podregija" odvisno od sobesedila pomeni regijo, ki jo sestavljajo obalne države Črnega morja, ali regijo, ki jo sestavljajo obalne države Sredozemskega morja in atlantskega območja ob njem; vsako sklicevanje na države posamezne podregije v tem sporazumu pomeni države, ki imajo v njej del svojega teritorialnega morja, in države, katerih plovila pod njihovo zastavo opravljajo dejavnosti, ki lahko vplivajo na ohranitev kitov in delfinov v tej podregiji, in
k) "habitat" pomeni katero koli območje na območju razširjenosti kitov in delfinov, ki ga začasno ali stalno naseljujejo, zlasti območja prehranjevanja, kotenja mladičev ali razmnoževanja ter selitvene poti.
Poleg tega imajo izrazi, opredeljeni v točkah a do e in i prvega odstavka 1. člena konvencije, v tem sporazumu smiselno enak pomen.
4. Ta sporazum je sporazum v smislu četrtega odstavka 4. člena konvencije.
5. Priloge k temu sporazumu so njegov sestavni del in vsako sklicevanje na sporazum vključuje sklicevanje na njegove priloge.

1. Pogodbenice usklajeno ukrepajo, da dosežejo in ohranijo ugodno stanje ohranjenosti kitov in delfinov. V ta namen prepovejo namerni odvzem kitov in delfinov in ga z ustreznimi ukrepi odpravijo, če tega še niso storile, ter sodelujejo, da vzpostavijo in vzdržujejo omrežje posebej zavarovanih območij za ohranitev kitov in delfinov.
2. Pogodbenica lahko odobri izjemo k prepovedi iz prejšnjega odstavka le v izrednih razmerah, kot je določeno v šestem odstavku priloge 2, ali po pridobitvi nasveta znanstvenega odbora za življenju nenevarne raziskave in situ, namenjene vzdrževanju ugodnega stanja ohranjenosti kitov in delfinov. Ta pogodbenica prek sekretariata sporazuma takoj obvesti urad in znanstveni odbor o vsaki taki odobreni izjemi. Sekretariat sporazuma o izjemi takoj in z najprimernejšimi sredstvi obvesti vse pogodbenice.
3. Poleg tega pogodbenice v mejah svoje suverenosti in/ali jurisdikcije ter skladno s svojimi mednarodnimi obveznostmi uporabljajo ukrepe za ohranjanje, raziskovanje in upravljanje, predpisane v prilogi 2 k temu sporazumu, ki obravnavajo:
a) sprejemanje in uveljavljanje državne zakonodaje;
b) ocenjevanje in obvladovanje medsebojnih vplivov človeka in kitov in delfinov;
c) varstvo habitatov;
d) raziskave in spremljanje stanja;
e) institucionalno krepitev, zbiranje in razširjanje informacij, usposabljanje in izobraževanje ter
f) ukrepanje v izrednih razmerah.
Ukrepi, ki se nanašajo na ribiške dejavnosti, se uporabljajo v vseh vodah pod njihovo suverenostjo in/ali jurisdikcijo ter zunaj teh voda za katero koli plovilo pod njihovo zastavo ali registrirano na njihovem ozemlju.
4. Pri izvajanju zgoraj predpisanih ukrepov pogodbenice uporabljajo previdnostno načelo.

1. Zasedanje pogodbenic je organ odločanja tega sporazuma.
2. Depozitar ob posvetovanju s sekretariatom konvencije skliče sejo zasedanja pogodbenic tega sporazuma najpozneje eno leto po njegovem začetku veljavnosti. Potem sekretariat sporazuma sklicuje redne seje zasedanja pogodbenic ob posvetovanju s sekretariatom konvencije v presledkih največ treh let, razen če zasedanje pogodbenic ne odloči drugače.
3. Sekretariat sporazuma skliče izredno sejo zasedanja pogodbenic na pisno zahtevo vsaj dveh tretjin pogodbenic.
4. Združene narode, njihove specializirane agencije, Mednarodno agencijo za atomsko energijo, državo, ki ni pogodbenica tega sporazuma, sekretariate drugih svetovnih in regionalnih konvencij ali sporazumov, ki med drugim obravnavajo ohranjanje kitov in delfinov, ter regionalne ali podregionalne organizacije za upravljanje ribištva, pristojne za vrste, ki so začasno na območju sporazuma ali ga stalno naseljujejo, lahko na sejah zasedanja pogodbenic zastopajo opazovalci. Tudi katero koli drugo agencijo ali telo, tehnično usposobljeno za ohranjanje kitov in delfinov, lahko na seji zasedanja pogodbenic zastopajo opazovalci, razen če vsaj tretjina prisotnih pogodbenic temu ne nasprotuje. Ko se opazovalcu enkrat dovoli, da se udeleži seje zasedanja pogodbenic, se je upravičen udeleževati prihodnjih sej, razen če tretjina pogodbenic temu ne nasprotuje vsaj trideset dni pred začetkom seje.
5. Pravico glasovanja imajo samo pogodbenice. Vsaka pogodbenica ima en glas. Regionalne organizacije za gospodarsko povezovanje, ki so pogodbenice sporazuma, pri zadevah v svoji pristojnosti uresničujejo svojo pravico glasovanja s številom glasov, enakim številu svojih držav članic, ki so pogodbenice sporazuma. Regionalna organizacija za gospodarsko povezovanje ne uresničuje svoje pravice glasovanja, če jo uresničujejo njene države članice, in nasprotno.
6. Vse odločitve zasedanja pogodbenic se sprejemajo soglasno, razen če ni drugače določeno v 10. členu tega sporazuma. Če soglasja ni mogoče doseči v zvezi z zadevami, vključenimi v priloge k temu sporazumu, se odločitev lahko sprejme z dvetretjinsko večino prisotnih in glasujočih pogodbenic. Pri glasovanju lahko katera koli pogodbenica v sto petdesetih dneh pisno uradno obvesti depozitarja, da ne namerava uporabljati omenjene odločitve.
7. Na svoji prvi seji zasedanje pogodbenic:
a) sprejme svoj poslovnik;
b) ustanovi sekretariat sporazuma za opravljanje nalog sekretariata, navedenih v 4. členu tega sporazuma;
c) v vsaki podregiji v okviru obstoječe institucije imenuje enoto za usklajevanje, ki pospešuje izvajanje ukrepov, predpisanih v prilogi 2 k temu sporazumu;
d) izvoli urad, kot je določen v 6. členu;
e) ustanovi znanstveni odbor, kot je določen v 7. členu, in
f) odloči o obliki in vsebini poročil pogodbenic o izvajanju sporazuma, kot je določeno v 8. členu.
8. Na vsaki svoji redni seji zasedanje pogodbenic:
a) pregleda znanstvene ocene stanja ohranjenosti kitov in delfinov z območja sporazuma in habitatov, ki so pomembni za njihovo preživetje, ter dejavnike, ki lahko neugodno vplivajo nanje;
b) pregleda doseženi napredek in vse težave pri izvajanju tega sporazuma na podlagi poročil pogodbenic in sekretariata sporazuma;
c) pogodbenicam da priporočila, kakor meni, da je potrebno ali primerno, ter sprejme posebne ukrepe za izboljšanje učinkovitosti tega sporazuma;
d) preuči predloge za spremembe tega sporazuma, ki so morda potrebne, in o njih odloči;
e) sprejme proračun za naslednje finančno obdobje in odloči o finančnih zadevah v zvezi s tem sporazumom;
f) pregleda zadeve v zvezi s sekretariatom sporazuma, enoto za usklajevanje in znanstvenim odborom;
g) sprejme poročilo, ki se pošlje pogodbenicam tega sporazuma in konferenci pogodbenic konvencije;
h) se dogovori za okvirni čas in kraj naslednje seje in
i) obravnava druge zadeve v zvezi z izvajanjem tega sporazuma.

1. Z odobritvijo konference pogodbenic konvencije se v okviru sekretariata konvencije ustanovi sekretariat sporazuma. Če sekretariat konvencije ne more izpolniti te naloge, zasedanje pogodbenic to uredi drugače.
2. Naloge sekretariata sporazuma so:
a) organizirati seje zasedanja pogodbenic;
b) povezovati se s pogodbenicami in državami na območju razširjenosti, ki niso pogodbenice, ter z mednarodnimi in nacionalnimi organi, katerih dejavnosti so neposredno ali posredno pomembne za ohranjanje kitov in delfinov na območju sporazuma, in omogočati sodelovanje med njimi;
c) pomagati pogodbenicam pri izvajanju tega sporazuma ter tako zagotavljati usklajenost podregij in usklajenost z ukrepi, sprejetimi na podlagi drugih veljavnih mednarodnih dokumentov;
d) izvajati odločitve, ki jih nanj naslovi zasedanje pogodbenic;
e) opozoriti zasedanje pogodbenic na vsako zadevo v zvezi s tem sporazumom;
f) za vsako redno sejo zasedanja pogodbenic zagotoviti poročilo o delu sekretariata sporazuma, enot za usklajevanje, urada in znanstvenega odbora ter o izvajanju sporazuma na podlagi informacij, ki jih priskrbijo pogodbenice in drugi viri;
g) upravljati proračun tega sporazuma;
h) obveščati najširšo javnost o sporazumu in njegovih ciljih in
i) opravljati vse druge naloge, ki so mu zaupane po tem sporazumu ali mu jih zaupa zasedanje pogodbenic.
3. Sekretariat sporazuma ob posvetovanju z znanstvenim odborom in enotami za usklajevanje omogoči pripravo smernic, ki med drugim obravnavajo:
a) zmanjšanje ali odpravo, kolikor je to mogoče in za namene tega sporazuma, škodljivih medsebojnih vplivov človeka in kitov in delfinov;
b) načine varstva habitatov in upravljanja naravnih virov, ki se nanašajo na kite in delfine;
c) nujne ukrepe in
d) načine reševanja.

1. Naloge podregionalnih enot za usklajevanje so:
a) v svojih podregijah omogočati izvajanje dejavnosti, določenih v prilogi 2 k temu sporazumu, skladno z navodili zasedanja pogodbenic;
b) zbirati in ovrednotiti informacije, ki bodo izboljšale uresničevanje ciljev in izvajanje sporazuma, ter zagotoviti ustrezno razširjanje takih informacij, in
c) skrbeti za izvedbo sestankov znanstvenega odbora in pripraviti poročilo, ki se prek sekretariata sporazuma pošlje zasedanju pogodbenic.
Imenovanje enot za usklajevanje in njihove naloge se ustrezno pregledajo na vsaki seji zasedanja pogodbenic.
2. Vsaka enota za usklajevanje ob posvetovanju z znanstvenim odborom in sekretariatom sporazuma omogoči pripravo vrste mednarodnih pregledov ali publikacij, ki se redno dopolnjujejo, vključno s:
a) poročili o stanju populacij in njihovih trendih ter vrzelih v znanstvenih dognanjih;
b) podregionalnimi registri pomembnih območij in
c) podregionalnimi registri državnih organov, raziskovalnih in reševalnih centrov, znanstvenikov ter nevladnih organizacij, ki se ukvarjajo s kiti in delfini.

1. Zasedanje pogodbenic izvoli urad, ki ga sestavljajo predsednik in podpredsedniki zasedanja pogodbenic, ter sprejme poslovnik urada, kot predlaga sekretariat sporazuma. Predsednik znanstvenega odbora je vabljen, da sodeluje na sestankih urada kot opazovalec. Po potrebi sekretariat sporazuma za urad opravlja naloge sekretariata.
2. Urad:
a) daje sekretariatu sporazuma in enotam za usklajevanje smernice o splošni politiki ter navodila o delovanju in finančnih zadevah v zvezi z izvajanjem in uveljavljanjem sporazuma;
b) med sejami zasedanja pogodbenic izvaja tiste vmesne dejavnosti v njenem imenu, ki so morda potrebne ali mu jih je dodelilo zasedanje pogodbenic, in
c) zastopa pogodbenice pri vladi (ali vladah) države gostiteljice (ali držav gostiteljic) sekretariata sporazuma in zasedanja pogodbenic, pri depozitarju in drugih mednarodnih organizacijah v zvezi z zadevami, ki se nanašajo na ta sporazum in njegov sekretariat.
3. Urad se na zahtevo svojega predsednika običajno sestane enkrat letno na povabilo sekretariata sporazuma, ki pogodbenice obvesti o datumu, kraju in dnevnem redu takih sestankov.
4. Urad za vsako sejo zasedanja pogodbenic zagotovi poročilo o svojih dejavnostih, ki ga sekretariat sporazuma pred sejo pošlje vsem pogodbenicam.

1. Znanstveni odbor, ki ga sestavljajo usposobljeni strokovnjaki za ohranjanje kitov in delfinov, se ustanovi kot svetovalno telo zasedanja pogodbenic. Zasedanje pogodbenic zaupa naloge znanstvenega odbora obstoječi organizaciji na območju sporazuma, ki zagotavlja zemljepisno uravnoteženo zastopanost.
2. Sestanke znanstvenega odbora skliče sekretariat sporazuma na zahtevo zasedanja pogodbenic.
3. Znanstveni odbor:
a) zasedanju pogodbenic svetuje o znanstvenih in tehničnih zadevah, ki so pomembne za izvajanje sporazuma, ter prek enote za usklajevanje v zadevni podregiji ustrezno svetuje posameznim pogodbenicam med sejami;
b) svetuje o smernicah iz tretjega odstavka 4. člena, oceni preglede, pripravljene skladno s prilogo 2 k temu sporazumu, ter v zvezi z njihovo pripravo, vsebino in izvajanjem oblikuje priporočila za zasedanje pogodbenic;
c) pripravlja znanstvene ocene stanja ohranjenosti populacij kitov in delfinov;
d) svetuje o razvoju in usklajevanju programov mednarodnih raziskav in spremljanja stanja ter zasedanju pogodbenic daje priporočila o dodatnih raziskavah, ki jih je treba izvesti;
e) omogoča izmenjavo znanstvenih informacij in načinov ohranjanja;
f) za vsako sejo zasedanja pogodbenic pripravi poročilo o svojih dejavnostih in ga najpozneje sto dvajset dni pred sejo zasedanja pogodbenic predloži sekretariatu sporazuma, ki kopije poročila nemudoma pošlje vsem pogodbenicam;
g) pravočasno svetuje o izjemah, o katerih je bil obveščen na podlagi drugega odstavka 2. člena, in
h) po potrebi opravlja vse druge naloge, ki mu jih dodeli zasedanje pogodbenic.
4. Znanstveni odbor lahko ob posvetovanju z uradom in ustreznimi enotami za usklajevanje ustanovi delovne skupine, ki so morda potrebne za opravljanje posebnih nalog. Zasedanje pogodbenic se dogovori o stalni proračunski postavki za ta namen.

Vsaka pogodbenica:
a) imenuje točko za stike za ta sporazum in brez odlašanja sekretariatu sporazuma sporoči njeno ime, naslov in druge številke za stike, da jih takoj pošlje drugim pogodbenicam in enotam za usklajevanje, in
b) za vsako redno sejo zasedanja pogodbenic, začenši z drugo sejo, pripravi poročilo o svojem izvajanju sporazuma, v katerem posebej navede ohranitvene ukrepe ter znanstvene raziskave in spremljanje stanja, ki jih je izvedla. Oblika takih poročil se določi na prvi seji zasedanja pogodbenic in po potrebi pregleda na kateri koli naslednji seji. Vsako poročilo se najpozneje sto dvajset dni pred začetkom seje zasedanja pogodbenic, za katero je bilo pripravljeno, predloži sekretariatu sporazuma, ki njegove kopije nemudoma pošlje drugim pogodbenicam.

1. Lestvico prispevkov za proračun sporazuma določi zasedanje pogodbenic na svoji prvi seji. Nobeni regionalni organizaciji za gospodarsko povezovanje ni treba prispevati več kot 2,5 odstotka upravnih stroškov.
2. Odločitve o proračunu in spremembah lestvice prispevkov, ki bodo morda potrebne, soglasno sprejme zasedanje pogodbenic.
3. Zasedanje pogodbenic lahko s prostovoljnimi prispevki pogodbenic ali iz drugih virov ustanovi dodatni ohranitveni sklad, da poveča razpoložljiva sredstva za spremljanje stanja, raziskave, usposabljanje ter projekte, povezane z ohranjanjem kitov in delfinov.
4. Pogodbenice se tudi spodbujajo, da zagotovijo strokovno in finančno podporo na dvostranski ali večstranski podlagi, da pomagajo državam na območju razširjenosti, ki so države v razvoju ali države z gospodarstvom v prehodu, pri izvajanju določb tega sporazuma.
5. Sekretariat sporazuma redno pregleduje možne mehanizme za zagotovitev dodatnih virov, vključno s sredstvi in strokovno pomočjo, za izvajanje tega sporazuma, ter o svojih ugotovitvah poroča zasedanju pogodbenic.

1. Ta sporazum se lahko spremeni na redni ali izredni seji zasedanja pogodbenic.
2. Spremembe sporazuma lahko predlaga vsaka pogodbenica. Besedilo vsake predlagane spremembe in razlogi zanjo se sporočijo sekretariatu sporazuma najpozneje sto petdeset dni pred začetkom seje. Sekretariat sporazuma kopije takoj pošlje pogodbenicam. Pogodbenice sporočijo sekretariatu sporazuma kakršne koli pripombe k besedilu najpozneje šestdeset dni pred začetkom seje. Sekretariat, takoj ko je to mogoče, po zadnjem dnevu za predložitev pripomb, sporoči pogodbenicam vse pripombe, predložene do tega dne.
3. Dodatne priloge ali spremembe sporazuma, razen sprememb njegovih prilog, se sprejmejo z dvetretjinsko večino prisotnih in glasujočih pogodbenic ter začnejo veljati za tiste pogodbenice, ki so jih sprejele, trideseti dan po dnevu, ko sta dve tretjini pogodbenic sporazuma na dan sprejetja dodatne priloge ali spremembe deponirali svoje listine o sprejetju pri depozitarju. Za vsako pogodbenico, ki listino o sprejetju deponira po dnevu, ko sta dve tretjini pogodbenic deponirali svoje listine o sprejetju, začne dodatna priloga ali sprememba veljati trideseti dan po dnevu, ko je deponirala svojo listino o sprejetju.
4. Spremembe prilog k sporazumu se sprejmejo z dvetretjinsko večino prisotnih in glasujočih pogodbenic ter začnejo veljati stopetdeseti dan po dnevu, ko jih je sprejelo zasedanje pogodbenic, za vse pogodbenice, razen tistih, ki so izrazile pridržek skladno s petim odstavkom tega člena.
5. V obdobju sto petdesetih dni, predvidenem v četrtem odstavku tega člena, lahko pogodbenica s pisnim uradnim obvestilom depozitarju izrazi pridržek v zvezi s spremembo priloge k temu sporazumu. Tak pridržek se lahko umakne s pisnim uradnim obvestilom depozitarju, sprememba pa začne za to pogodbenico veljati trideseti dan po dnevu, ko je umaknila pridržek.

1. Določbe tega sporazuma ne vplivajo na pravico pogodbenice, da ohrani ali sprejme strožje ukrepe za ohranitev kitov in delfinov in njihovih habitatov, niti na pravice ali obveznosti pogodbenice, ki izhajajo iz katere koli obstoječe pogodbe, konvencije ali sporazuma, katerih pogodbenica je, razen kadar bi uresničevanje teh pravic in obveznosti ogrozilo ohranitev kitov in delfinov.
2. Pogodbenice izvajajo ta sporazum skladno s svojimi pravicami in obveznostmi po pomorskem mednarodnem pravu.

1. Vsak spor, ki lahko nastane med dvema ali več pogodbenicami zaradi razlage ali uporabe določb tega sporazuma, se rešuje s pogajanji med pogodbenicami v sporu ali posredovanjem ali spravo s pomočjo tretje strani, če je to sprejemljivo za zadevne pogodbenice.
2. Če se spor ne da rešiti skladno s prvim odstavkom tega člena, lahko pogodbenice z medsebojnim soglasjem predložijo spor v reševanje arbitraži ali sodišču. Arbitražna ali sodna odločitev zavezuje pogodbenice, ki so spor predložile.

1. Ta sporazum je na voljo za podpis vsem državam na območju razširjenosti, ne glede na to, ali so območja pod njihovo jurisdikcijo na območju sporazuma, in regionalnim organizacijam za gospodarsko povezovanje, ki imajo med svojimi članicami vsaj eno državo na območju razširjenosti:
(a) s podpisom brez pridržka glede ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve ali
(b) s podpisom s pridržkom glede ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve, ki mu sledi ratifikacija, sprejetje ali odobritev.
2. Ta sporazum je na voljo za podpis v Monaku do dneva, ko začne veljati.
3. Ta sporazum je na voljo za pristop vsem državam na območju razširjenosti ali regionalnim organizacijam za gospodarsko povezovanje iz prvega odstavka tega člena od dneva, ko začne veljati.
4. Listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu se deponirajo pri depozitarju.

1. Ta sporazum začne veljati prvi dan tretjega meseca po dnevu, ko je vsaj sedem obalnih držav na območju sporazuma ali regionalnih organizacij za gospodarsko povezovanje, od katerih sta vsaj dve iz podregije Črnega morja in vsaj pet iz podregije Sredozemskega morja in atlantskega območja ob njem, podpisalo sporazum brez pridržka glede ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve ali deponiralo svoje listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi skladno s 13. členom tega sporazuma.
2. Za katero koli državo na območju razširjenosti ali regionalno organizacijo za gospodarsko povezovanje, ki je ta sporazum:
a) podpisala brez pridržka glede ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve,
b) ratificirala, sprejela ali odobrila ali
c) k njemu pristopila
po dnevu, ko je sporazum podpisalo brez pridržka oziroma ratificiralo, sprejelo ali odobrilo toliko držav na območju razširjenosti in regionalnih organizacij za gospodarsko povezovanje, kot je potrebno za začetek veljavnosti, ta sporazum začne veljati prvi dan tretjega meseca, potem ko je ta država ali organizacija podpisala sporazum brez pridržka ali deponirala svojo listino o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu.

Za določbe tega sporazuma ne veljajo splošni pridržki. Država pa lahko ob podpisu brez pridržka glede ratifikacije, sprejetja ali odobritve oziroma ob deponiranju svoje listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi izrazi poseben pridržek glede natančno razmejenega dela svojih notranjih morskih voda. Država, ki je izrazila tak pridržek, ga lahko kadar koli umakne s pisnim uradnim obvestilom depozitarju; uporaba določb za vode, ki so predmet pridržka, te države ne zavezuje še trideset dni po umiku pridržka.

Pogodbenica lahko kadar koli odpove ta sporazum s pisnim uradnim obvestilom depozitarju. Odpoved začne veljati dvanajst mesecev po dnevu, ko je depozitar prejel uradno obvestilo.

1. Izvirnik tega sporazuma v angleškem, arabskem, francoskem, ruskem in španskem jeziku, pri čemer je vsaka različica enako verodostojna, se hrani pri vladi Kneževine Monako, ki je depozitar. Depozitar pošlje overjene kopije sporazuma vsem državam in regionalnim organizacijam za gospodarsko povezovanje iz prvega odstavka 13. člena tega sporazuma ter sekretariatu sporazuma, potem ko se ta ustanovi.
2. Takoj ko začne sporazum veljati, depozitar pošlje overjeno kopijo sporazuma sekretariatu Združenih narodov za registracijo in objavo skladno s 102. členom Ustanovne listine Združenih narodov.
3. Depozitar obvesti vse države in regionalne organizacije za gospodarsko povezovanje, ki so podpisale sporazum ali k njemu pristopile, ter sekretariat sporazuma o:
a) vsakem podpisu;
b) vsakem deponiranju listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju, odobritvi ali pristopu;
c) datumu začetka veljavnosti tega sporazuma in vsake dodatne priloge ter vsake spremembe sporazuma ali njegovih prilog;
d) vsakem pridržku glede dodatne priloge ali spremembe priloge;
e) vsakem uradnem obvestilu o umiku pridržka in
f) vsakem uradnem obvestilu o odpovedi tega sporazuma.
Depozitar pošlje vsem državam in regionalnim organizacijam za gospodarsko povezovanje, ki so podpisale ta sporazum ali k njemu pristopile, ter sekretariatu sporazuma besedilo vsakega pridržka, vsake dodatne priloge in vsake spremembe sporazuma ali njegovih prilog.
Da bi to potrdili, so podpisani pooblaščenci, ki so bili za to pravilno pooblaščeni, podpisali ta sporazum.
Sestavljeno v Monaku štiriindvajsetega novembra 1996.

Phocoena phocoena – pristaniška rjava pliskavka,
rjavi ribjek, svinjek

Tursiops truncatus – velika pliskavka
Delphinus delphis – navadni delfin

Phocoena phocoena – pristaniška rjava pliskavka,
rjavi ribjek, svinjek

Steno bredanensis – brazdastozobi delfin
Grampus griseus – okrogloglavi delfin
Tursiops truncatus – velika pliskavka
Stenella coeruleoalba – navadni progasti delfin
Delphinus delphis – navadni delfin
Pseudorca crassidens – mala orka, mala sabljarica
Orcinus orca – orka, sabljarka, kit ubijalec
Globicephala melas – dolgoplavuta mrka pliskavka,
obloglavka

Mesoplodon densirostris – blainvillov dvozob
Ziphius cavirostris – cuvierjev kljunati kit

Physeter macrocephalus – glavač, kašelot

Kogia simus – pritlikavi glavač

Eubalaena glacialis – biskajski kit, ledni kit

Balaenoptera acutorostrata – ščukasti kit, mali kit, ščukar
Balaenoptera borealis – borealni kit, zajval
Balaenoptera physalus – hrbtopluti kit
Megaptera novaeangliae – kit grbavec
Ta sporazum se uporablja tudi za vse druge kite in delfine, ki niso navedeni v tej prilogi, vendar lahko naključno ali občasno zaidejo na območje sporazuma.

Pogodbenice v največji možni meri glede na svoje gospodarske, tehnične in znanstvene zmogljivosti izvajajo naslednje ukrepe za ohranitev kitov in delfinov, pri čemer dajo prednost ohranitvi tistih vrst ali populacij, za katere je znanstveni odbor določil, da so v najmanj ugodnem stanju ohranjenosti, in raziskovanju območij ali vrst, o katerih nimamo dovolj podatkov.

Pogodbenice tega sporazuma sprejmejo potrebne zakonske, podzakonske ali upravne ukrepe za celovito varstvo kitov in delfinov v vodah, ki so v njihovi suverenosti in/ali jurisdikciji, ter zunaj teh voda v zvezi s katerim koli plovilom, ki plove pod njihovo zastavo ali je registrirano na njihovem ozemlju ter opravlja dejavnosti, ki lahko vplivajo na ohranitev kitov in delfinov. V ta namen pogodbenice:
a) razvijejo in izvedejo ukrepe, s katerimi v največji možni meri zmanjšajo škodljive učinke ribolova na stanje ohranjenosti kitov in delfinov. Še zlasti nobenemu plovilu ni dovoljeno imeti na krovu ali uporabiti za ribolov eno ali več visečih mrež, če dolžina posamezne mreže ali vseh skupaj presega 2,5 kilometra;
b) uvedejo ali spremenijo predpise, da bi preprečile, da se ribolovna sredstva zavržejo ali puščajo na morju, in zahtevale takojšnjo izpustitev kitov in delfinov, ki se naključno ujamejo v ribolovna sredstva, v razmerah, ki zagotavljajo njihovo preživetje;
c) zahtevajo, da se opravi presoja vplivov, da bi zagotovile podlago za dovolitev ali prepoved nadaljevanja ali prihodnjega razvoja dejavnosti, ki lahko vplivajo na kite in delfine ali njihove habitate na območju sporazuma, vključno z ribištvom, raziskovanjem in izkoriščanjem pred obalo, navtičnimi športi, turizmom in opazovanjem kitov in delfinov, ter za ustvarjanje razmer, v katerih se lahko izvajajo take dejavnosti;
d) s predpisi uredijo izpust onesnaževal na morju, ki naj bi imela škodljive učinke na kite in delfine, in v drugih ustreznih pravnih dokumentih sprejmejo strožje standarde za taka onesnaževala;
e) si prizadevajo okrepiti ali vzpostaviti državne institucije, da bi spodbudile izvajanje tega sporazuma.

Pogodbenice v sodelovanju z ustreznimi mednarodnimi organizacijami zbirajo in analizirajo podatke o neposrednih in posrednih medsebojnih vplivih človeka in kitov in delfinov med drugim v zvezi z ribištvom, industrijskimi in turističnimi dejavnostmi, onesnaževanjem s kopnega in na morju. Po potrebi pogodbenice sprejmejo ustrezne sanacijske ukrepe in razvijejo smernice in/ali kodekse ravnanja, s katerimi urejajo in obvladujejo take dejavnosti.

Pogodbenice si prizadevajo ustanoviti in upravljati posebej zavarovana območja za kite in delfine, ki so območja habitatov kitov in delfinov in/ali so pomemben vir njihove hrane. Taka posebej zavarovana območja naj se ustanovijo s Konvencijo o varstvu Sredozemskega morja pred onesnaževanjem, 1976, in njenimi ustreznimi protokoli ali drugimi primernimi dokumenti.

Pogodbenice usklajeno in skupaj raziskujejo kite in delfine ter omogočajo lažji razvoj novih načinov za spodbujanje ohranitve kitov in delfinov. Pogodbenice še zlasti:
a) spremljajo stanje in trende vrst, vključenih v ta sporazum, predvsem na manj znanih območjih, ali vrst, za katere je na voljo malo podatkov, da bi omogočile lažjo pripravo ohranitvenih ukrepov;
b) sodelujejo pri določanju selitvenih poti in območij, kjer se razmnožujejo in hranijo vrste, vključene v ta sporazum, da bi opredelile območja, na katerih je treba posledično s predpisi urediti dejavnosti ljudi;
c) ovrednotijo prehranske potrebe vrst, vključenih v ta sporazum, in ustrezno prilagodijo ribiške predpise in tehnike;
d) razvijejo sistematične raziskovalne programe za poginule, nasedle, ranjene ali bolne živali, da bi opredelile glavne vplive dejavnosti ljudi na kite in delfine ter sedanje in morebitno ogrožanje;
e) omogočijo lažje razvijanje pasivnih zvočnih tehnik za spremljanje kitov in delfinov.

Pogodbenice ob upoštevanju različnih potreb in razvojnih stopenj držav na območju razširjenosti dajo prednost institucionalni krepitvi, da bi razvile potrebno strokovno znanje za izvajanje sporazuma. Pogodbenice sodelujejo pri razvijanju skupnih orodij za zbiranje in razširjanje informacij o kitih in delfinih in organiziranju tečajev usposabljanja in izobraževalnih programov. Te dejavnosti se opravijo skupaj na podregijski ravni in ravni sporazuma ob podpori sekretariata sporazuma, enot za usklajevanje in znanstvenega odbora ter izvedejo v sodelovanju z ustreznimi mednarodnimi institucijami ali organizacijami. Rezultati so na voljo vsem pogodbenicam. Pogodbenice še zlasti sodelujejo, da bi se:
a) razvili sistemi zbiranja podatkov o opazovanjih, naključnih ulovih, nasedlih živalih, epizootijah in drugih pojavih, povezanih s kiti in delfini;
b) pripravili seznami državnih organov, raziskovalnih in reševalnih centrov, znanstvenikov in nevladnih organizacij, ki se ukvarjajo s kiti in delfini;
c) pripravili register obstoječih zavarovanih ali upravljanih območij, ki bi lahko bila koristna za ohranjanje kitov in delfinov, in morebitnih pomembnih morskih območij za ohranjanje kitov in delfinov;
d) pripravil register državne zakonodaje in mednarodnih predpisov o kitih in delfinih;
e) vzpostavila, če je to primerno, podregijska ali regijska banka podatkov za shranjevanje informacij, zbranih po zgornjih točkah od a do d;
f) pripravil podregijski ali regijski informativni bilten o dejavnostih za ohranjanje kitov in delfinov ali da bi prispevale k obstoječi publikaciji, ki ima isti namen;
g) pripravili vodniki za obveščanje, ozaveščanje in prepoznavanje, ki se razdelijo uporabnikom morja;
h) na podlagi regijskega znanja pripravila sinteza veterinarskih priporočil za reševanje kitov in delfinov;
i) razvili in izvedli programi za usposabljanje o načinih ohranitve, predvsem o načinih opazovanja, spuščanja, prevoza in prve pomoči, ter ukrepanje v izrednih razmerah.

Pogodbenice v medsebojnem sodelovanju, in če je to mogoče in potrebno, razvijejo in izvedejo izredne ukrepe za kite in delfine, vključene v ta sporazum, v izjemno neugodnih ali nevarnih razmerah. Pogodbenice še zlasti:
a) v sodelovanju s pristojnimi telesi pripravijo načrte ukrepanja v izrednih razmerah, ki se izvedejo ob ogroženosti kitov in delfinov na območju sporazuma, kot so velika onesnaževanja, nasedle živali ali epizootija;
b) ovrednotijo zmogljivosti, ki so potrebne za operacije reševanja ranjenih ali bolnih kitov in delfinov;
c) pripravijo kodeks ravnanja, ki ureja nalogo centrov ali laboratorijev, vključenih v to delo.
Pogodbenica lahko v izrednih razmerah, ki zahtevajo sprejetje takojšnjih ukrepov za izognitev poslabšanju stanja ohranjenosti ene ali več populacij kitov in delfinov, zahteva, da ustrezna enota za usklajevanje svetuje drugim pogodbenicam, naj se vzpostavi mehanizem za hitro zavarovanje populacije, za katero je bilo ugotovljeno, da je še posebej v veliki nevarnosti.

Za izvajanje sporazuma skrbi Ministrstvo za okolje in prostor.

Ta zakon začne veljati petnajsti dan po objavi v Uradnem listu Republike Slovenije – Mednarodne pogodbe.