During its first Planning Session held in Melbourne (1994) the I-GOOS Committee clearly recognized that GOOS can only be successfully implemented through the combined efforts of all Nations. Several factors are hampering the participation of developing countries to GOOS such as:

• shortage of trained manpower
• inadequacy of ocean observing systems and infrastructure
• lack of data management, information and communications systems
• unclear identification of national needs and benefits that can accrue from GOOS

The Planning Session therefore recommended that an I-GOOS Panel on Capacity building should be established to assist in the global implementation of GOOS through enhancement of the capacities of Nations in the above-mentionned domains.

 

At its following Session (Paris, June 1995), the I-GOOS Committee discussed the practical ways to achieve this goal and agreed on the fact that a regional approach would be the most appropriate. It therefore decided to implement, as a first step, a series of regional workshops in order to sensitize developing countries to the benefits of GOOS, as well as helping them specify their capacity building requirements. An ad hoc Workshop Steering Group was established to organize and synthesize the results of these workshops. It happened that, in fact, it was made up only of Dr Jan Stel (Netherlands) and a representative of the IOC Secretariat (Mr Bill Erb).

 

At its 2nd session (Beijing, April 1999), the GOOS Steering Committee (GSC) developed a new strategy for GOOS Capacity Building, which encompassed a new GOOS Capacity Building Panel.  At its 4th session, I-GOOS endorsed this development.

 

Terms of reference of the GOOS Capacity Building Panel

 

Composition of the GOOS Capacity Building Panel

 

current activities

 

Meetings and reports