Forty-first Session of the Executive Council UNESCO, Paris, 24 June 1 July 2008

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1 Restricted Distribution IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 Paris, 14 May 2008 Original: English INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION (of UNESCO) Forty-first Session of the Executive Council UNESCO, Paris, 24 June 1 July 2008 Item of the Provisional Agenda FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE IOC: PRELIMINARY PLAN AND SCHEDULE OF INITIATIVES Summary: Through Resolution XXIV-2, the IOC Assembly at its 24 th Session requested the Chairperson of the IOC, in cooperation with the Vice-Chairpersons and the Executive Secretary, to prepare a preliminary plan and schedule of initiatives to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the IOC to be brought to the next Executive Council, in 2008, for discussion and adoption. It also urged Member States and Regional Subsidiary Bodies to consider national and regional initiatives and ideas to be communicated to the Executive Secretary for inclusion in the overall plan. This document presents a tentative plan and schedule of initiatives especially proposed to celebrate the 50th anniversary as well as initiatives that could be associated to the celebration. Decision required: The Executive Council is invited to: (i) adopt the plan and schedule of initiatives proposed for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC; (ii) adopt Draft Resolution EC-XLI.(4.1.2) calling on Member States to pledge funds for this initiative (para. 17); and (iii) submit a Draft Resolution on the 50th anniversary of IOC for the consideration and adoption by the 35th General Conference of UNESCO in (SC-2008/CONF.203/CLD.4)

2 IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 Background 1. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) was established by resolution 2.31 adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its eleventh session, and in conformity with the recommendation of the Intergovernmental Conference on Oceanic Research (Copenhagen July 1960) met for its first session in Paris at UNESCO Headquarters from 19 to 27 October At the basis of the establishment of the IOC was 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. 2. It is worthwhile to note that in Article 2, point 1 of the present Statutes of IOC, which came into force through adoption of 30 C/Resolution 22 on 16 November 1999, it is stated that: The purpose of the Commission is to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programmes in research, services and capacitybuilding, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge for the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decision-making process of its Member States. 3. In addressing the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC ( ), the 24th Assembly noted the sense of the debates summarized in Section of its report (IOC- XXIV/3) and recognized through Resolution XXIV-4 that future plans for the IOC will depend largely on the programmes, structure and experience built up within the organization over the previous years and that the 50th anniversary will provide an opportunity to demonstrate to governments and to the public, the value and importance of the Commission s achievements. The Assembly recognized also that the present need for an intergovernmental presence in coastal and ocean understanding and management in terms of science, observations and capacity-building has never been stronger and that political and public awareness of the Commission will be an important factor in financing its future mandate and programmes. 4. The Assembly requested the Chairperson of the IOC, in cooperation with the Vice- Chairpersons and the Executive Secretary to prepare, taking into account the views expressed by Member States and referred in Section mentioned above, a preliminary plan and schedule to be brought to the Executive Council at its 41 st Session in 2008, for discussion and adoption. IOC Plan of Action 5. The initiatives to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the IOC will start on 15 June 2009 and will last until 10 December These initiatives are divided into two categories: (a) those specifically designed for the 50th anniversary, which will be financed either by extrabudgetary resources or, possibly, by the IOC parent organization, UNESCO, as well as other organizations concerned with ocean affairs, with a special contribution; (b) those included in adopted programme and budget for (34 C/5) and (c) those that could be included in the future programme and budget (Draft 35 C/5) and that could be placed under the banner of the 50th anniversary.

3 IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 page 2 6. The initiatives contribute naturally to three types of expected benefits: (i) planning and committing to the future of the IOC; (ii) recording the scientific and international context as well as the achievements and perhaps limiting factors and failures of the first 50 years; (iii) widely promoting the current work of the IOC. Each of these may have several components; (iv) paving the way for the future role and functions of IOC as the competent organization in the UN system to deal with Ocean Research, Ocean Services, Observation Systems and Capacity-building. 7. A provisional timetable and an estimated cost of initiatives especially proposed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the IOC are presented as an appendix to this document (Appendix I). A. Initiatives especially proposed to celebrate the 50th anniversary (see also Appendix I) 8. As noted in Section of the report of the 24th Assembly, the 50th anniversary of the IOC presents an opportunity to both take stock of the many achievements of the Commission in advancing marine sciences and their applications for protecting the marine environment and manage its resources and plan for the future mandate and programme of work of the Commission in response to present needs and emerging challenges. To this end, three major initiatives are proposed: The publication of a book on the first fifty years of the Commission (2010) [A.1]; The holding, if possible, of a special session of the Executive Council at the United Nations headquarters in New York (2010) [A.2]; The organization of a World Ocean Conference to synthesise a global consensual view of the importance and risks faced by the oceans (2011) [A.3]. 9. The book on the history of the Commission [A.1] may be developed under two possible scenarios: (i) co-authored and edited under the guidance of a small editorial board constituted by qualified personalities from the main regions with profound knowledge of and experience within the Commission, so as to reflect in a balanced way the relevant aspects of the history of IOC; and, (ii) as an integrated text based on received contributions from marine scientists and other experts familiar with the history of the IOC and prepared under the guidance of the editorial board by one or two selected writers. Accounts will emphasize the human elements, including both successes and challenges, but the book will also contain perspectives on the future role of the Commission, possibly written by a group of young, active marine scientists. The book will be published in the four official languages of the Commission and widely disseminated. 10. In 2010, the 43rd session of the IOC Executive Council could be held in New York as a special session [A.2] in conjunction with the 11th meeting of the Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP) or relevant sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, with a view to reaffirm, possibly through a resolution of the General Assembly, the role of IOC as the specialized body on oceans in the United Nations system. The meeting could also be directed towards the establishment of a United Nations year of the ocean or International Ocean Day; such possibility will be evaluated by the Executive Secretary also in relation to examination of ocean issues by the by the 23rd session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which in 2014 will address oceans and seas, marine resources, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), disaster management and vulnerability. 11. In 2011 a global conference on oceans, encompassing scientific and policy aspects can be organized by IOC in collaboration with UNESCO and other organizations cooperating with the Commission [A.3]. The conference could be held in conjunction with the 36th General Conference of UNESCO (October November 2011) and be complemented by a forum of ocean

4 IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 page 3 ministers and an exhibition on the subject of the history of oceanography, with exhibits possibly provided by the major oceanographic institutions. Regional conferences could also be held based on the interested of concerned Member States. 12. In addition, initiatives directed at increasing public awareness of the importance of the oceans and the role of IOC [A.4] are proposed that may require further support and contributions by Member States: The creation of an IOC logo for the 50th anniversary; The adaptation of IOC policy briefs (e.g., on oceans and carbon, or sea level) for the general public; The production of short media messages on the importance of the oceans; The production of IOC pins, ties and other promotional materials; The issuance of an IOC commemorative medal and national commemorative postal stamps; The use of the IOC and other appropriate websites for public awareness. 13. It should be noted that no dedicated funds are currently available for carrying out the proposed initiatives. Therefore, Member States are invited to consider pledging funds towards the organization of such initiatives as well as to call on the Director-General of UNESCO to associate UNESCO and invite other organizations cooperating with the Commission to the celebrations and provide a special contribution to IOC in the programme and budget for (Draft 35 C/5). Proposals from Member States to celebrate the 50th anniversary 14. At the 24th Assembly, several Member States (Argentina, China, Cuba, Germany, Greece, India, Nigeria, Portugal and Spain) expressed their strong support for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of IOC, noting that the celebration presents a great opportunity to direct public attention to the Commission s legacy and to take stock of its achievements. Besides the proposals referred to in the report of the 24 th Assembly (Section 4.1.3), those Member States also made a number of proposals for the 2010 celebrations: International conference on tsunami issues (Germany); Global ocean policy conference (China); United Nations International Year of the Ocean (Spain); Celebrations at the regional level (Argentina, Cuba, India); 15. As recommended by Resolution XXIV-4, Member States and organizations cooperating with IOC are invited to communicate to the Executive Secretary details on these proposed initiatives, including leading entities and possible sources of funding. B. Initiatives that are already foreseen and that could be linked to the 50th anniversary 16. A number of initiatives are already planned for that could be linked to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC. These initiatives concern priority issues in research, services and capacity-building in marine sciences that could be reinforced by being associated with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC at virtually no additional cost.

5 IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 page 4 Proposed Draft Resolution 17. In the light of the above, the Executive Council may wish to adopt a resolution along the following lines: The Executive Council, Underlining the significance of the 50th anniversary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as an occasion to take stock of advances in marine sciences and related international cooperation, both at the global and regional levels, and plans for future directions in this area, Recalling Resolution 2.31 adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 11th session in conformity with the recommendation of the Intergovernmental Conference on Oceanic Research (Copenhagen, July 1960), Recalling also the experience of the celebrations for the 1998 International UN Year of the Ocean, Reaffirming the role of IOC in promoting and facilitating international cooperation and coordinating programmes in research, services and capacity-building, at the global and regional levels, in order to learn more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas and to apply that knowledge to the improvement of management, sustainable development, the protection of the marine environment, and the decisionmaking processes of its Member States, Emphasizing the role of IOC as an intergovernmental commission with functional autonomy within UNESCO to address the problems within its mandate that require concerted international action, Having considered the draft IOC plan of action for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC, Adopts the revised draft IOC plan of action for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC [to be] annexed to the Resolution; Urges Member States, public and private institutions within the Member States, civil society, including nongovernmental organizations, educational institutions, National Oceanographic Committees, National Commissions for UNESCO and other appropriate bodies of the organizations cooperating with the Commission, to contribute to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC by undertaking initiatives to further promote marine sciences and the Commission; Requests the Executive-Secretary to take the appropriate steps to implement the IOC plan of action in cooperation with UNESCO and other UN organizations cooperating with the Commission; Establishes a small guiding group for the 50 th Anniversary of IOC, to be composed by former Officers and Secretaries of the Commission, and that will function by , with a view of broadening the source of ideas and the mobilization of support; Invites the Director-General of UNESCO to consider allocating targeted financial resources to IOC in the draft programme and budget for (Draft 35 C/5) to organize a World Ocean Conference and associated forum of ocean ministers as well as an exhibition on the history of oceanography in conjunction with the 36th General Conference;

6 IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 page 5 Invites Member States and other funding sources to consider making extrabudgetary contributions in this regard; Further requests the Executive-Secretary to establish a dedicated account for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the IOC to be financed by voluntary contributions.

7 IOC/EC-XLI/2 Annex 3 Appendix I APPENDIX I A. Indicative proposed initiatives to be considered by the Executive Council to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the IOC Timetable and indicative cost estimate Initiative Date Estimated cost Funding source IOC logo [A.4] 2008 US$ 1,500 Regular programme: US$ 1,500 Dedicated session on the IOC website 2008 [A.4] Promotional materials (ties and pins) [A.4] 500 ties 500 pins Book on the first fifty years of IOC [A.1] Editorship Production and shipping of 500 copies Special session of the 43rd Executive Council at the United Nations headquarters in New York [A.2] Six-day meeting Preparation of papers Interpretation Miscellaneous Additional cost of relocating temporary the Secretariat Updating of IOC policy briefs (ocean and carbon, sea level) [A.4] Editorship Production and dissemination of 5000 copies Production of media message [A.4] One-minute video in English Commemorative IOC medal under UNESCO series [A.4] 500 Global ocean conference in conjunction with the 36th General Conference of UNESCO and associated forum of ocean ministers and exhibition on oceanography and international cooperation, coordinated with the 25th session of the IOC Assembly [A.3] Three-day conference Approximately 250 participants, of which 30 supported by IOC Eminent personalities Preparation of papers Interpretation Miscellaneous Portable displays 2009 US$ 6,000 Regular programme or trust fund: US$ 6,000 (expected cost recovery for ties) Release in June US$ 50, June 2010 US$ 200,000 Regular programme: US$ 150, US$ 5, US$ 5, US$ 10,000 October 2011 US$ 250,000 Some of the costs, especially travel, may be reduced if the 25th Assembly is held in conjunction with the 36th General Conference Total US$ 527,500 US$ 157,500