Intergovernmental Cooperation in Marine Sciences The Role of IOC

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Intergovernmental Cooperation in Marine
SciencesThe Role of IOC
Javier Valladares Chairman Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO
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In the beginning Roger Revell

• International cooperation in research is
  probably best carried out by voluntary agreements
  among participating scientist, backed up with
  founds by governments. In the marine sciences,
  the Special Committee on Oceanic Research of the
  International Council of Scientific Unions
  represents an appropriate mechanism for planning
  and coordination, because it represents the
  scientist who want to carry out the research.

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IOC In the beginning

• Founding father Roger Revelle (1960)
• In considering the needs for international
  cooperation in the marine sciences, it is
  convenient to divide the problem into three
  parts research, oceanic surveys and assistance
  to underdeveloped countries.
• In general, oceanographic research like many
  other kinds of research, is best done by
  individuals or small groups working
  independently. However, there are some research
  problems that require international
  co-operation.

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The establishment of IOC

• IOC was established in 1960 based on the
  recommendation of the Intergovernmental
  Conference on Oceanic Research (Copenhagen 1116
  July 1960)
• It held its first session in Paris at UNESCO
  Headquarters from 19 to 27 October 1961
• At the basis of the establishment of the IOC was
  the recognition that
• the oceans, covering some seventy percent of
  the earths 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.

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Mandate

• Focal point on marine sciences in the United
  Nations system, with the purpose to
• Promote international cooperation and coordinate
  programmes in research, services and capacity
  building,
• in order to
• learn more about the nature and resources of the
  ocean and coastal areas and apply that knowledge
  for the improvement of management, sustainable
  development, the protection of the marine
  environment, and the decision-making processes of
  its Member States

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Medium-Term Strategy 2008-2013

• Four High-level Objectives
• Prevention and reduction of the impacts of
  natural hazards
• Mitigation of the impacts and adaptation to
  climate change and variability
• Safeguarding the health of ocean ecosystems
• Management procedures and policies leading to the
  sustainability of coastal and ocean environment
  and resources

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The cooperation with SCOR working groups

• Ocean and carbon
• IOC-SCOR Ocean-CO2 Advisory Panel
• Ocean Observations Panel for Climate (OOPC)
• Fishery
• IOC-SCOR WG 119 Quantitative Ecosystem
  Indicators for Fisheries Management
• Bathymetry
• IOC-SCOR WG 107 Improved Global Bathymetry
• Ocean thermodynamics
• SCOR/IAPSO WG 127 Thermodynamics and Equation of
  State of Seawater

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The cooperation with SCOR programmes and projects

• HABs
• Global Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal
  Blooms (GEOHAB)
• Ocean observations
• Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)
• Ecosystems
• Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC)
• Capacity building
• POGO-IOC-SCOR Fellowship Programme

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The Future of IOC

• Wide consultation among Member States, UN
  organizations and scientific partners on the IOC
  mandate and future needs, funding opportunities,
  involvement of members and cooperation with other
  organizations key results
• Mandate the current IOC mandate is appropriate
  and the Medium-Term Strategy provides a positive
  starting point for IOC to adapt to emerging
  trends in oceanography and respond to Member
  State priorities in a timely manner
• Programme priorities IOC is delivering an
  important service to Member States and the
  community at large
• Institutional arrangements IOC should look for
  an enhanced role within UNESCO in terms of
  intersectoral cooperation, based on its strong
  technical expertise on ocean sciences, ocean
  services and capacity development
• Financial matters IOC should consider all
  opportunities to find the financial and in-kind
  support needed to deliver its ocean mandate
• Partnerships reinforced cooperation with other
  UN Agencies and to also look for partnerships
  with appropriate private sector organizations

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MLA 2 Oceans and coastal zones improving
governance and fostering intergovernmental
cooperation through ocean sciences and services

• Management of ocean resources and coastal areas
  improved via development of policy-relevant
  information on impacts on climate change and
  variability on marine ecosystems and coastal
  zones.
• Healthier ocean ecosystems and sustainable
  coastal and ocean environments achieved by means
  of development and dissemination of scientific
  research, better information and procedures on
  which policies can be based.
• IOC Biennial Strategy 2008-2009 implemented and
  results reported to UNESCO governing bodies.

Addressing the impacts of climate change and
variability, including sea level rise
Safeguarding marine ecosystem health and
integrated management
Capacity-building, data and information services
and procedures for marine scientific research
General policy and coordination
MODALITIES WHAT
EXPECTED RESULTS

• Coordinating the global assessment of the marine
  environment
• Improving forecasting and managing marine
  environmental problems
• Developing approaches, tools and guidelines for
  coastal management

• Strengthening the development of ocean
  observations
• Improving services for marine safety
• Reducing knowledge gaps with sea level
• Improving understanding the oceans role in
  climate

• Strengthening marine science capabilities
• Providing guidance to develop national
  oceanographic data centres
• Promoting regional platforms for ocean
  observations and data management

• Facilitating intergovernmental coordination on
  oceans and coasts
• Coordinating IOC activities and liaising with
  UNESCO marine programmes, Member States and the
  UN system

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MLA 3 Promoting science, knowledge and
education for disaster preparedness and
mitigation, and enhancing national and regional
coping capacities, including through support for
the development of risk reduction networks and
monitoring and assessment measures, such as
tsunami early warning systems

• Risks from tsunamis and other ocean-related
  hazards reduced through early warning systems and
  preparedness and mitigation measures.

Coordinating regional early warning systems for
tsunamis and other marine hazards
MODALITIES WHAT
EXPECTED RESULTS

• Coordinate the development of regional early
  warning systems for tsunamis and other marine
  hazards within a global strategy
• Enhance disaster preparedness of coastal
  communities at risk through education, training
  and awareness

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Ocean Observations and Services
The IOCs coordination of intergovernmental
cooperation has enabled the global ocean
observation systems so important to climate and
ocean research and management

• Global Ocean Observing System coordinates member
  state oceanographic platforms and resources to
  provide a unified view of real-time ocean
  conditions, including monitoring sea surface
  height and climate variability.
• International Oceanographic Data and Information
  Exchange are enabled through a worldwide
  service-oriented network of data centers and
  management services.
• Implementation of the ocean observing systems is
  guided by joint agency technical commissions and
  expert groups setting standards, best practices
  and coordinating preparation and dissemination of
  oceanographic products and services.

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Marine sciences at IOC in 2008-2009

• International standards and best practices for
  coordinated research
• Guide to Best Practices for Oceanic CO2
  Measurements
• Revision of the 1994 World Ocean Circulation
  Experiment Hydrographic Programme Manual
• Collaboration with SCOR-IAPSO WG 127
• Best Practices for Ocean Acidification Research
  and Data Reporting
• International Nutrient Scale System

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Marine sciences at IOC in 2008-2009

• Integrated coastal area management
• Advice for national adaptation measures to
  climate change in the coastal zones of West
  Africa (Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau,
  Mauritania, Senegal) Experience to be replicated
  in Central Africa
• Demonstration of marine spatial planning in
  biosphere reserves and World Heritage sites
• Development and application of performance
  indicators for coastal management plans and
  programmes
• Bioregionalization of open and deep ocean areas

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Marine sciences at IOC in 2008-2009

• Owned and operated by Member States, Tsunami
  Warning Systems (TWS)
• Collect, distribute and interpret all available
  seismic and sea level data for the existence and
  propagation of a tsunami
• Issue timely and clear warnings for their area of
  operation and exchange these data and information
  with other national and international centres
• Complementary and sustained activities in tsunami
  hazard risk assessment, tsunami warning training,
  emergency response, and preparedness are part of
  the comprehensive tsunami mitigation programs
  that extend the TWSs as end-to-end systems

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Marine sciences at IOC in 2008-2009

• Capacity building for the establishment of
  networks of scientists, managers and other
  practitioners working within regional and other
  cooperative mechanisms, to create demand-driven
  science, enhance protection of the marine
  environment, and provide operational
  oceanographic services
• This strategy is now being implemented with
  emphasis on "self-driven" capacity development,
  with the primary goal of empowering developing
  countries for the sustainable use of their
  coastal and ocean resources
• In a first phase the focus is on the institution
  level, on enhancing leadership skills of
  directors. Implementation has begun in the
  Western Indian Ocean region, followed by the
  Caribbean and Latin American region and other IOC
  regions
• Capacity development at the individual level,
  through training for technical skills, will be
  conducted in a second phase
• A third phase will focus on awareness of marine
  issues and science-based solutions at the
  societal level

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Strategy for action on climate change

• Main focus areas
• Building and maintaining the climate change
  knowledge base science, assessment, monitoring
  and early warning
• Promoting mitigation and adaptation to climate
  change through enhanced education and public
  awareness
• Moving towards a carbon/climate-neutral UNESCO

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Intersectoral platform for action to address
climate change

• Examples of intersectoral deliverables
• UNESCO, together with the World Meteorological
  Organization (WMO), has been charged with the
  role as convenor for UN agencies active in the
  cross-cutting area of science, assessment,
  monitoring and early warning
• Several UNDP-Spain MDG Achievement Fund concept
  papers focusing on climate change have been
  approved under the thematic window of Environment
  and Climate Change

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Reinforced areas of collaboration

• Continuing support to global scientific projects
• Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC)
• Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem
  Research (IMBER)
• Collaboration in research on the marine
  ecosystems of the North Atlantic and North
  Pacific oceans
• International Council for the Exploration of the
  Sea (ICES)
• North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES)

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• Thank you very much for your attention
• javieravalladares_at_yahoo.com