THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC COMMISSION AND GLOBAL COOPERATION IN THE STUDY OF THE OCEAN

Stefano Belfiore

Secretariat of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

As the specialized body of the United Nations for coordinating programmes in marine sciences and services, the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) represents an essential arm of UNESCO for the fulfilment of its objectives in the fields of science, capacity-building, and sustainable development for coastal and open oceans. The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) and the International Oceanographic Data Exchange (IODE) programmes are contributing to enhance the observational and monitoring capacities of national agencies to produce and distribute oceanographic data necessary to forecast and mitigate damage from natural hazards and pollution and protect life and property on coasts and at sea. In collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) coordinates, regulates and manages a fully integrated marine observing, data management and services system. The Ocean and Climate and Harmful Algal Blooms programmes are providing scientific inputs concerning climatic and ecological changes that may induce or represent additional marine hazards to coastal communities. The Integrated Coastal Area Management (ICAM) programme is promoting a more proactive approach to marine hazards through mitigation tools such as long-term strategic planning of the coastal zones, the definition of standards for zoning and setbacks, and the improvement of public awareness in this field. Aspects concerning the development of institutional and human capacities in marine sciences, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean region, are addressed by the Capacity Building programme, while a specific programme activity deals with the implementation of the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning marine scientific research and transfer of marine technology. Following the December 2004 tsunami, the IOC was given the mandate by the international community to coordinate the establishment of tsunami early warning and mitigation systems in the Indian Ocean, the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean, which add to a similar system in the Pacific Ocean. The work of IOC in the field of ocean science clearly supports the fundamental functions of UNESCO as a standard setter for sciences, a laboratory for applied interdisciplinary science, a clearinghouse for information sharing and increased public awareness, and an instrument for institutional capacity and international cooperation.