What is IOC?

History - Objectives - Structure

History

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was founded in 1960 on basis of the recognition that

"the oceans, covering some seventy percent of the earth's surface, exert a profound influence on mankind and even on all forms of life on Earth... In order to properly interpret the full value of the oceans to mankind, they must be studied from many points of view. While pioneering research and new ideas usually come from individuals and small groups, many aspects of oceanic investigations present far too formidable a task to be undertaken by any one nation or even a few nations."

More on the First Session of the IOC Assembly in 1961

Since the oceans are influencing in a very significant way both global environmental changes and sustainable development, it is essential that we understand and are able to predict global and regional ocean conditions and the interaction with the atmosphere, biosphere and land. Our knowledge of the decisive processes is still too limited for us to be able to predict with useful accuracy, the behaviour of a most important part of the global system - the ocean and the related impact on the environment.

It is therefore necessary that we expand our knowledge and improve our capabilities through a renewed commitment to oceanographic research, systematic ocean observations, technology development and transfer, and related education and training. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission will have to play a pivotal role in meeting these needs.

Objectives

The work of the IOC, over the three decades since its inception, has focused on promoting marine scientific investigations and related ocean services, with a view to learning more about the nature and resources of the oceans. This has laid the foundation towards an expanded role of the IOC in meeting new challenges.

In meeting these challenges, the IOC now focuses on four major themes:

• develop, promote and facilitate international oceanographic research programmes to improve our understanding of critical global and regional ocean processes and their relationship to the sustainable development and stewardship of ocean resources;
• ensure effective planning, establishment and co-ordination of an operational global ocean observing system to provide the information needed for oceanic and atmospheric forecasting, for oceans and coastal zone management by coastal nations, and for global environmental change research;
• provide international leadership for education and training programmes and technical assistance essential for systematic observations of the global ocean and its coastal zone and related research; and
• ensure that ocean data and information obtained through research, observation and monitoring are efficiently handled and made widely available.

Structure

The IOC is composed of its Member States, an Assembly, an Executive Council and a Secretariat. The Secretariat is based in Paris, France. Additionally the IOC has a number of Subsidiary Bodies.

on the Structure of the IOC

structure