- Electronic UN Interactive Atlas of the Oceans -
Following on the FAO initiative to develop a world electronic interactive Atlas of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 1997, the members of the ACC/SC on Oceans and Coastal Areas considered favourably a proposal to develop in cooperation between them, and in synergy with the FAO Atlas, an electronic Atlas for the oceans and their watersheds to be presented at EXPO'98 within the framework of the 1998 International Year of the Ocean.
* Objectives
The central objective of the Ocean Atlas is to assemble selected information and data on CD-ROM, accessible on computer and Internet. The Atlas is to be built from existing documents (statistics, maps, texts, reviews, images...) available in the UN Agencies as well as in other centres of excellence and NGOs, and seen as part of the more general effort to the UN to improve the elaboration and distribution of strategic information.
* Intended users
Within the UN the Atlas will complement the existing information systems accessible (on CD-ROM and through Internet) to staff members, regional and sub-regional offices, permanent representatives as well as member countries delegates to the various Committees and Councils.
Outside the UN system, the Atlas could be used (on CD-ROM and through Internet) by national and regional policy makers dealing with oceans, as well as their analysts, technical assistants, economists and advisors. it would be used also by technical advisors to bilateral and multilateral agencies for development cooperation and aid, development banks; NGOs; UN Agencies; scientists, scholars, students, libraries, universities; media: press, radio, TV; the public at large and the private sector (consultants); other information sources (e.g. statistics services, cartographic agencies, etc.).
* Contents
The 3 main axis of the Atlas structure are: