The warning came on the final day of a three-day meeting in Tokyo attended by IWC members who oppose the 1986 international moratorium on commercial whaling.

Most whaling stopped after 1986 under an international moratorium.

He also said ratification would strengthen US efforts urging an international moratorium on the export of anti-personnel landmines.

"We support the international moratorium on commercial whaling and have expressed our opposition to Japan's expanded scientific program," Mr. Boucher said.

Traditionally a whaling nation, Iceland abandoned the practice in 1989 in line with an international moratorium.

Fourthly, it is not realistic to propose an international moratorium on the extraction of Arctic resources.

From this Parliament, we must continue to oppose executions in all circumstances and support an unconditional international moratorium on capital punishment.

All political means should also be brought to bear to support the United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an international moratorium on female genital mutilation.

Together with widespread hunting in California and British Columbia, the species was brought to the brink of extinction until an international moratorium came into effect in 1911.

Lawyers, environmentalists, and civil society groups are calling the dumping a "blatant violation" of two international moratoriums.