ALBERT

Description: The International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE)1 programme of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO2 maintains a global network of National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODC) and Associate Data Units (ADU) responsible for the collection, quality control, archive, and online publication of many millions of ocean and marine observations which are made available to Member States. In addition, it coordinates a network of marine information (library) managers. The IODE Committee has long held the view that there is a need for a quality management framework to ensure that NODCs and ADUs are established and operate according to defined principles, including adherence to agreed standards and the requirements of the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy. This will ensure NODCs and ADUs are able to provide data of known quality to meet the requirements of a broad community of users.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: This report reports on the establishment and working of the Advisory Group during its first session. This working group is a very good opportunity for the WESTPAC experts in the date and communication field to get together to constructively find a way to promote the project.

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Not Known

Description: Through Decisions EC-XLVII/6.2 and XXVIII/5.1, IOC decided to establish an Intersessional Working Group and to support the production of the Global Ocean Science Report, which presents baseline information on human and technical capacities, infrastructure and investment, as well as impacts of ocean science at the global and national level. The Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) was published in June 2017 where the Executive Secretary launched it at the United Nations “Oceans Conference” on 8 June 2017 in six languages. It includes information gathered from Member States via questionnaires, a bibliometric analysis, as well as other published resources. As acknowledged by the Inter-agency Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDG), part of the information provided in the GOSR contains the data needed to report towards the SDG target 14.a for increasing scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, and IOC was decided to be the custodian agency for the indicator 14.a.1. Continued support by IOC Member States would allow assessing the status of ocean science capacities, infrastructure and output in a regular analysis (each 4-5 years). In addition an endorsement by the IOC Assembly will enable and support Member States to submit and access the national data through the development of a GOSR data repository and data portal.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT Restricted Distribution; Item 5.1 of the Provisional Agenda of the 29th Session of the IOC Assembly held at UNESCO/IOC Headquarters in Paris between 21 and 29 June 2017.

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: This document prepared by the Secretariat illustrates the continuous alignment and synergies between the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and relevant programmes and activities of the IOC, in particular the High-Level Objectives and Functions of IOC defined in its Medium-term Strategy and the Outcomes set out in the Decade Implementation Plan. This information is particularly noteworthy as the Ocean Decade has now received endorsement by the UN General Assembly at its 75th session in December 2021.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: For many years now, we have known we were running out of time to stop and revert the decline of ocean health and start managing the ocean in a sustainable way. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development is an initiative of all and for all stakeholders, embracing natural and social science disciplines, local and indigenous knowledge, science policy and innovation interfaces, technology and infrastructure, aimed to achieve sustainable management of the ocean and development. This Decade will be transformative and will create a paradigm shift in the generation of ocean related knowledge, based on the principles of synergies, co design and co development of actions towards the agreed goals in a multi-stakeholder environment From the very outset, data and information have been recognized between the key issues cutting across all other elements and dimensions of the Decade. The Decade will facilitate the exchange of ocean knowledge between generators and diverse users of ocean knowledge through new data, information and knowledge platforms and services. Amongst the identified outcomes, outcome #6 tackles an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information, technology, and innovation, improving access to and quality control of data, knowledge and technology. Data and information is further referred to in two of the challenges identified in the implementation plan, namely Challenge 8: “Through multi-stakeholder collaboration, develop a comprehensive digital representation of the ocean, including a dynamic ocean map, which provides free and open access for exploring, discovering, and visualizing past, current, and future ocean conditions in a manner relevant to diverse stakeholders” and Challenge 9: “Ensure comprehensive capacity development and equitable access to data, information, knowledge and technology across all aspects of ocean science and for all stakeholders”. We have now an opportunity to build together a community of ocean related data and information practitioners that shares resources, experiences, guidelines, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems. In short, a shared practice, so we can address together, efficiently, and effectively, the challenges of the Decade.

Description: For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited as follows: UNESCO/IOC. 2020. International data sharing workshop for non-UN IGOs, Global and Regional organizations and projects, NGOs and private sector, Online meeting, 12 October 2020. Paris, UNESCO, 42 pp. (IOC Workshop Report No. 290) (English).

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: This document was initially prepared in April 2020 by Dr M. A. Atmanand, Chairman of the IOC Regional Committee of the Central Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO), pursuant to IOC Assembly Decision IOC-XXX/3.3.4 (Paris, 26 June–4 July 2019) to consider the transformation of IOCINDIO, an IOC Regional Committee, into an IOC Sub-commission. The document benefitted from inputs from IOCINDIO Vice-chairpersons Faiza Al-Yamani, Kuwait, Mohammad Muslem Uddin, Bangladesh, and Satish S. C. Shenoi, IOC Vice-Chairperson, Electoral Group IV. The document was originally intended as a working document for the consideration of the Executive Council in 2020 before its postponement as a virtual session with a limited agenda in February 2021. Upon further reflection of the authors with the IOC Chair and senior staff of the Secretariat, a broad and inclusive consultation on this subject among IOC Member States was initiated through a virtual meeting (see IOC Circular Letter 2824) and a discussion at the next IOCINDIO session during the first quarter 2021. The progress on this issue will be reported by the Executive Secretary in his report to the Executive Council -53 and through a working document for the consideration of the Assembly in June 2021.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: During the second meeting of the Group of Experts on Capacity Development (GE-CD), a task team was established to conduct a review of the IOC Capacity Development Strategy 2015–2021, which is expiring at the end of December 2021. This information document presents a summary of the task team’s review, articulating the main elements that would justify a revision of the current Strategy: mainly the challenges and objectives promoted by the UN Ocean Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030) and the outcomes of the 2nd GE-CD survey. Feedback from consultations with other global and regional programmes were also considered in developing the recommendations contained in this report. Based on this analysis, the Task Team recommends that the GE-CD continue its work on revising the IOC CD Strategy for the period 2023–2030, extending the current Strategy until 2023.

Description: OPENASFA INUT

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Capacity building is an essential tenet of IOC’s mission: It enables all Member States to participate in and benefit from ocean research and services that are vital to sustainable development and human welfare on the planet. This Strategy’s vision identifies capacity development as the primary catalyst through which IOC will achieve its four high level objectives in the current 2014–2021 IOC Medium-Term Strategy. Over the past 55 years Member States have derived numerous benefits from IOC’s capacity development from the first International Indian Ocean Expedition to the revitalisation of African marine science coordination and establishment of the global tsunami warning network including the monitoring/forecasting networks that save lives (see addendum, section III). Reinforced partnerships between IOC and its Member States, other UN agencies, donors, and the scientific community have been the cornerstone of this success. During this period, the transformation of ocean science capabilities, accelerating threats to ocean health and ecosystem services, and the growing challenge of sustainable development require the IOC and its Member States to accelerate the pace of IOC capacity development. Resource constraints, both staff and funding, limit IOC’s ability to mobilise the necessary partnerships to address Member State science and services that will enhance human welfare and sustainable economic development. In 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted the Oceans and the law of the sea Reso lution   (A/RES/69/245) which reiterated the essential need for cooperation, including through capacity building and transfer of marine technology, “to ensure that States, especially developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as coastal African States, are able both to implement the Convention1 and to benefit from the sustainable development of the oceans and seas, as well as to participate fully in global and regional forums and processes dealing with oceans and law of the sea issues.” 2015 will mark the establishment of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, which is expected to be integrated as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). IOC has a unique international niche in ocean science, services and capacity development: (a) fostering international cooperation for sustained observations of the oceans; (b) generating oceanographic data and information products and services and interaction between research, operational, user communities and decision-makers in order to derive maximum societal benefit from new knowledge to achieve IOC’s High Level Objectives. The IOC will mainstream its natural and social science approach to capacity development in its Member States and, in particular, in Priority Africa, SIDS and Gender Equality. This strategic framework provides six outputs and numerous activities that are elaborated in detail below. These outputs call for investing in people and the institutions of which they are a part, enhancing access to scientific tools and methodologies, reinforcing IOC’s capabilities to provide services to Member States, enhancing the communication between scientific and policy makers communities, expanding ocean literacy in civil society and mobilising resources to accomplish these goals. While this framework provides general guidance on elements of an implementation plan yet to be developed, elevating IOC’s impact to the scale required is contingent on: • Reinforcing and valuing IOC staff at global and regional levels and, where necessary, participating national ocean scientific and governance institutions; • Integrating IOC global and regional mechanisms to rapidly expand Member State participation in IOC programmes: - Empowering IOC regional sub-commissions and other subsidiary bodies o engage with Member States, expanding collaboration and capacity development (including transfer of marine technology) on their coastal and marine affairs priorities - Strengthening global science programmes to increase scientific engagement with Member State coastal and marine priorities; • Recommitting to partnerships through the IOC with its Member States, UN organizations and other agencies, scientific community and civil society; • Mobilizing resources, e.g., personnel, funds, knowledge, and observing networks, to deliver the capacity development on which science, services and human communities depend; and • Continued attention to “enabling institutional conditions” as identified in discussions on “The Future of IOC”. The conclusions identify elements of a draft work plan including conducting needs assessments to establish CD work plans, mobilizing associated resources and enhanced communication and collaboration.

Description: OPENASFA INPUT

Description: Published

Description: Refereed

Description: This report presents a summary of the activities carried out by the Member States and Secretariat since the 29th session of the IOC Assembly (June 2017) up to July 2018. This document and the “Report on Budget Execution 2016–2017 and Outline of 2018–2019 Budget” (IOC/EC- LI/2 Annex 2) support the oral presentation of the Executive Secretary to the plenary session of the Executive Council. Part I provides detailed report by “functions” on the work accomplished since the 29th session of the Assembly in June 2017 up to this session of the Executive Council. Part II of this report provides an analytical overview of the IOC Programme implementation from January 2014 to December 2017 as presented to the Executive Board of UNESCO at its 2018 Spring session. An update on IOC Communication activities completes this report as an addendum. Decision proposed: The Executive Council is invited to take note of this report as in the draft decision EC-LI/3.1 in the Provisional Action Paper (document IOC/EC-LI/2 Prov.)

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed

Description: Established at the 3rd meeting of the GE-CD in December 2021, the Working Group on the revision of the IOC CD Strategy started discussions and noted at its first meeting in January 2022 the need to: (i) capture current CD initiatives by individual Member States, global and regional programmes, and other organizations/institutions; and (ii) make this information available as an ongoing service to Member States. The Working Group proposed the creation of an ocean science related ‘Capacity Development Compendium'

Description: OpenASFA input

Description: Published

Description: Non Refereed