The Court then analyses the relationship between Article VIII and the object and purpose of the Convention. Taking into account the preamble and other relevant provisions of the Convention referred to above, the Court observes that neither a restrictive nor an expansive interpretation of Article VIII is justified. The Court notes that programmes for purposes of scientific research should foster scientific knowledge; they may pursue an aim other than either conservation or sustainable exploitation of whale stocks. This is also reflected in the Guidelines issued by the IWC for the review of scientific permit proposals by the Scientific Committee. In particular, the Guidelines initially applicable to JARPA II, Annex Y, referred not only to programmes that “contribute information essential for rational management of the stock” or those that are relevant for “conduct[ing] the comprehensive assessment” of the moratorium on commercial whaling, but also those responding to “other critically important research needs”. The current Guidelines, Annex P, list three broad categories of objectives. Besides programmes aimed at “improv[ing] the conservation and management of whale stocks”, they envisage programmes which have as an objective to “improve the conservation and management of other living marine resources or the ecosystem of which the whale stocks are an integral part” and those directed at “test[ing] hypotheses not directly related to the management of living marine resources”.