Who Does What ?
The IOC
The Eighteenth Session of the Assembly in its Resolution
XVIII-3: "UN Year of the Ocean 1998" decided that "the IOC shall
participate through its different programmes in activities organized in the framework of
1998 The International Year of the Ocean and in activities initiated within the framework
of EXPO’98", and
"instructed the Executive Secretary IOC to organize the work of an IOC preparatory
task team for 1998 The International Year of the Ocean in close consultation with the
Chairman", and also "instructed the Executive Secretary IOC to report on the
progress and proposals at the Twenty-ninth Session of the Executive Council and the
Nineteenth Session of the Assembly".
Accordingly, progress in formulating the
programme and related inter-agency cooperation efforts were reported to the Twenty-ninth
Session of the Executive Council in 1996 in Documents IOC/EC-XXIX/2 Annex 3 and its
addendum. The
Executive Council, after review and discussion, endorsed the proposals presented in the
documents but emphasized that activities should be based upon the on-going programmes
of the IOC. The Executive Council also encouraged that a logo and a basic theme for the
International Year be developed.
As it was recommended by the Twenty-ninth
Session of the IOC Executive Council the programme outline has been developed and reported
to ACC Sub-Committee on oceans and coastal areas held in Washington, DC, 7-10 January
1997.
The progress in the development of the national
and international contributions to the International Year of the Ocean was considered by
the IOC Nineteenth Session of the Assembly- Paris, 2-18 July 1997.
par. 448 'The Assembly was unanimous in its recognition of the importance of the 1998
International Year of the Ocean as a unique opportunity to respond to national, regional
and international needs in promoting ocean research and monitoring and increasing
awareness on the importance of the ocean, not least for the promotion of peace and equity
which are basic requirements for sustainable development.'
par. 449 'The Assembly was pleased to note that the decision on the UN Pavilion at
EXPO '98 in Lisbon has been settled.'
par. 451 'The Assembly called on Member States to start action and give commitments
for the planned activities and to be more responsive to the calls coming from the
Secretariat for information on, or input to specific actions.'
par. 452 'The Assembly acknowledged information provided by the Delegates on new
initiatives, invited Member States to provide the Secretariat with written information on
planned activities by the end of July, and requested the Executive Secretary of the IOC to
include this information in the webserver and as annex to the Assembly report. The
Assembly recommended that the practice of regular updating of the homepage should be
continued.'
par. 453 'The Assembly endorsed the theme of the IYO: "Ocean, a Common
Heritage", recommended by the IOC Officers and encouraged Member States and other
international governmental and non-governmental organizations to use the IYO logo and
theme on all documents related to the IYO.'
par. 455 'The Assembly strongly supported the establishment of National IYO
Committees by several countries and recommended all Member States to follow this example.
National Committees were considered as an important mechanism for promoting the objectives
of the IYO and increasing awareness among the population.'
par. 457 'The Assembly advised that all the activities organized as a contribution to
the IYO should carry the IYO logo, and suggested that all research vessels sailing during
the IYO might display the IYO flag.'
par. 459 'The Assembly stressed that EXPO '98 will offer an important opportunity to
publicize national and IOC activities in international co-operative research of the ocean,
and reiterated the importance to dedicate exhibits to this co-operative spirit not only in
the pavilion themes but also in the national pavilions. The Assembly noted that the
experience gained in the implementation of EXPO '98 can be very useful to the world
exhibition to be hosted by Germany in Hanover in 2000.'
par. 461 'The Assembly adopted Resolution XIX-18.'
The International Year of the Ocean should not
be considered as an event lying purely within the IOC interests. The cultural, educational
and community dimensions should also be taken into account, in the sense that efficient
ocean management implies that all citizens are aware of the problems and understand the
benefits of management. However, the role of IOC as the flagship programme of UNESCO in
ocean research, monitoring, education, and mutual assistance should be clearly identified,
responsibilities should be assigned and resources made available for the co-ordination of
the UNESCO-IOC Member States efforts related to the International Year of the Ocean.
Inter-agency
cooperation programme
Other international organizations involved in
ocean-related issues, notably FAO, IAEA, IMO, UNEP and WMO have
planned their contributions to the 1998 International Year of the Ocean.
UNESCO as
a leading UN agency in implementing the International Year of the Ocean is making
constructive, specific arrangements with these partners in order to avoid duplication of
efforts, save resources and increase effectiveness of individual contributions.
The inter-agency cooperation programme includes
joint meetings, conferences, regional assessments related to GPA-LBA (Global Programme of
Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities) and
the state of the marine environment, possibly a joint contribution to EXPO’98, and a UN Interactive Atlas of the Ocean. The
results of these activities may also generate joint publications.
The joint scientific programmes, e.g. WCRP (World Climate Research
Programme), GIPME (Global Investigation of Pollution in the Marine Environment) , GOOS (Global Ocean Ovserving
System), GCOS (Global Climate Observing System), will include activities dedicated to the
1998 International Year of the Ocean, e.g. the WOCE (World Ocean Circulation Experiment)
Conference, the Marine Pollution Symposium in Monaco, the High-level Commitment meeting of
GOOS.
At the regional level, joint cooperation
activities are also planned. These include the Pan-African Coastal Zone Conference
(PACSICOM), integrated coastal area management courses, workshops, and conferences
in Korea, China, and Italy.
A meeting of the joint IOC-UNEP-IMO Committee
for GIPME together with a regional scientific meeting is proposed to be convened in the
Seychelles in the fall of 1998, subject to the approval of the Government of the
Seychelles.
The Global Coral Reef Monitoring
Network, jointly sponsored by IOC, UNEP, IUCN,
and supported by ICRI (International Coral Reef Initiative), as well as AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science) and ICLARM (International Centre for Living Aquatic
Resources Management), is expected to generate during 1998 some specific results and
reviews, with related workshops at the regional level.
The specific, dedicated meetings organized
jointly by IOC and the Oceanography Society in May 1998, and by IOC, WMO, Meteo-France and
the American Meteorological Society in spring 1998 are also to be regarded as inter-agency
efforts, pooling together several sectors.
This inter-agency cooperation programme will
generate an increased dialogue between the communities, as well as inter-sectorial
communication. The actions will also aim at increasing public awareness of ocean issues.
Mechanisms
of coordination
The IOC Executive Secretary nominated his
Deputy (Dr. Iouri Oliounine) as the IYO co-ordinator and has established an informal
UNESCO Task Team which is working on an inter-sectorial basis and is helping co-ordinate
many of the inputs from different sectors in UNESCO. A more formal co-ordinating mechanism
at the UNESCO level is under consideration, chaired by one of the ADGs (Assistant
Director-General) who will have the opportunity to report to the Director General
regularly on the progress achieved and problems arising.
At the international level, the sessions of
JUNIC (Joint United Nations Information Committee) and the ACC (Administrative
Committee on Coordination) Sub-Committee on Oceans and Coastal Areas as well as ICSPRO
(Inter-secretariat Committee on Scientific Programmes Relating to Oceanography) provide
for co-ordination of efforts between UN agencies.
The preparation and implementation of the 1998
International Year of the Ocean requires co-ordinated mobilization of means and funds from
a large number of UNESCO sectors and programmes.
The IOC and International Organizations' Member
States agree that the International Year of the Ocean gives a unique opportunity to
increase awareness of the ocean, to demonstrate that the ocean is a vital element of life
on planet Earth, and that there is a need to become constructive participants. The IYO
imposes a special sort of responsibility on the Member States and the Secretariat to bring
knowledge and experience, good will and resources together in focus, in order to meet the
IYO objectives in the most effective way.
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