1. Questions to the Organisation:

a. Paragraph 4 of СММ 1.01 provides that the Commission take into account the Interim Measures when adopting its conservation and management measures, while the Interim Measures themselves are not legally binding. In this context, what is the legal effect of paragraph 4 of СММ 1.01?

b. The Organisation has clarified in its written submissions that the Executive Secretary does not enjoy his full competence and authority before the Convention’s entry into force. Despite this, it appears that in 2010, the Executive Secretary requested that the government authorities of French Polynesia inspect the Lafayette, which was at the time fishing under the flag of the Russian Federation. In 2010, the Russian Federation was not yet a member of the Commission under the Convention, and the Convention itself had not entered into force. In light of this, would you say that your orders to inspect the Lafayette exceeded your authority at the time and were in violation of international law?