What is IOCARIBE 
What is IOCARIBE |
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IOCARIBE is a regional subsidiary body of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission(IOC). It
is the IOC
Sub-Commission for
the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions and is responsible for
the promotion, development and co-ordination of IOC marine scientific
research programmes, the ocean services, and related activities, including
training, education and mutual assistance (TEMA) in the Caribbean and Adjacent
Regions. In establishing its programmes, it takes into account the
specific interests and needs of the Member States in the region.
IOCARIBE can be envisaged as an international networking system created
by the Governments of Member States, for the co-ordination and promotion of
marine and coastal sciences and associated operational services in the
region.
Its major objectives are to:
- Foster the generation of knowledge, sharing of information, expertise
and experience on the wider Caribbean and its coastlines;
- Assist Member States to develop their capacity to formulate national
policies and plans to meet their needs in marine science and technology
- Reinforce and broaden scientific co-operation, regionally and
internationally through networking and institutional arrangements with
organizations operating within and without the region, for example, UN
bodies, IGOs, NGOs, the scientific community;
- Provide regional the input to global ocean sciences and observation
programmes; and to
- Promote and facilitate implementation of IOC global science programmes
and ocean services at the regional level.
IOCARIBE is not a funding agency. The Sub-Commission lends its
credibility, and validates and endorses fund-raising efforts.
Moreover, it assists in the avoidance of duplication, waste and inefficient
use of funds and resources emanating from different sources into the region
for scientific projects and initiatives. Most of IOCARIBE's support for
its programmes comes from external sources or is requested from Member
States in the region.
Donor support is also sought through the intergovernmental mechanism and
through IOC. Liaison is maintained with regional organizations (UN,
IGOs, NGOs) and programmes co-operating with the Sub-Commission at the
regional level for example, UNESCO/CSI, CARICOMP, UNDP, UNEP/CEP, IMO,
CARICOM, OECS, ACS, IAI, CMO, IRF.
Brief history
Cooperative marine science activities of IOC in the
Caribbean and adjacent regions have existed for nearly thirty years. Over this period three distinct
stages have marked the evolution of marine sciences in the region.
CICAR - 1968: The first
regional effort in marine sciences in the Caribbean was the Cooperative
Investigations of the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (CICAR) coordinated
by IOC and modeled on the Indian Ocean International Expedition. Its aim
was the understanding of the oceans and related processes in the Greater
Caribbean region.
To achieve its research goals, CICAR had first to
concentrate on developing the capabilities of the participating countries
to carry out marine scientific research. This became its major activity
and the most significant impact of CICAR in the region.
IOCARIBE Association
- 1975: The Member States recognized the benefits of CICAR and expressed
their interest in creating a successor organization. The "Association of IOC for the Caribbean and
Adjacent Regions", using the acronym "IOCARIBE" for the
first time, was approved by the Ninth Assembly of IOC in November 1975 for an experimental
period of six years. After the experimental phase, and at the request of Member States, the output
of the Association was evaluated and presented to the IOC Assembly in
1982.
Despite some shortcomings, the development of national capabilities
reached during CICAR and later the IOCARIBE Association was described as
"impressive and satisfactory". The Association’s most
significant achievement was to provide a mechanism for regular contact and
an international regional forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences
and ideas among Member States.
IOCARIBE Sub-Commission - 1982. The Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent
Regions, of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of
UNESCO, was created in November 1982. It is the first in its kind and its
purpose is to carry out the IOC global programmes on a regional basis for
the Greater Caribbean. It replaced the former IOCARIBE Association and its
predecessor CICAR.
Tasks
The Regional Sub-Commission operates within the
framework of the general policy of the IOC and is an intergovernmental
subsidiary body responsible for the promotion, development, and
coordination of the Commission’s marine scientific research and
technology development programmes, the ocean services, and related
activities including Training, Education and Mutual Assistance (TEMA) in
the wider Caribbean region, through the concerted action of IOCARIBE
Member States.
However, the Sub-Commission’s programmes are not a mere
reflection of the IOC Global Programmes, but reflect the regional
priorities, needs and commitments towards the achievement of regional
sustainable development. The work of the Sub-Commission must be driven
from the region and carried out by the Member States of the region. The Sub-Commission’s
work must provide them with appropriate scientific inputs and
with necessary elements to formulate their own marine policy instruments.
The work of the Sub-Commission should preferably be based on the participation
of national institutions which are committed by their Governments to
participating in the IOC regional activities. In this way, a sustainable
development on the basis of cooperation of national and international
institutions may be achieved.
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