The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO and regional capacity building

Abstract

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) was established in 1960 by UNESCO’s General Conference ‘to promote marine scientific investigations and related ocean services with a view to learning more about the nature and resources of the oceans through the concerted action of its members’ (UNESCO, 1968). Training, Education and Mutual Assistance (TEMA) for ocean science and services is one of the four major objectives of the IOC. A TEMA working committee was established in 1973. Over the past 25 years the activities focused on four levels by: If Providing training to individual scientists through fellowships, seminars, workshops, training on the job, etc., and to technicians. Assisting in the creation of national and regional infrastructure (equipment, research vessels, institutions and organisations, libraries, data, information and communication systems). Initiating and supporting global and regional research projects with a strong TEMA component. Creating public awareness for the importance of ocean science and services for the economical development and social welfare of coastal states. The budget and staff of the IOC is, however, far too limited to be more than a broker and catalyst in the capacity build process.The actual planning and the implementation of the TEMA related programmes and activities rests with national governments, donor agencies, UN organisations etc. In 1980 the third session of IOC working committee for TEMA strongly recommended the establishment of a ‘Comprehensive Plan for a major assistance programme to enhance the marine science capabilities of the developing countries’. The Committee noted with grave concern the ever-widening gap between the need for marine science and technology and the capability for acquiring it in developing member States. The objective of the Comprehensive Plan (IOC, 1985) was to bring about appropriate actions at national, regional, and global levels with a view to ensure that by the end of the century, the majority of coastal States would have attained a sufficient capability for undertaking marine research and ocean services. This would also allow them to resolve such issues as rational management of marine resources, protection of the marine environment and balancing multiple uses of ocean space. The following fields for assistance were identified: Preparation of a marine science country profile. Strengthening of the national marine science infrastructure. Strengthening of regional cooperation including regional centres and cooperative networks.The major technical bodies of the IOC (e.g. Global Investigation of Pollution of the Marine Environment (GIPME), Integrated Global Ocean Services System; and International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE)) were assigned the role to provide general technical guidance relative to their respective programmes. Regional bodies were requested to identify and formulate TEMA requirements and donor organisations were asked to collaborate in regional programmes.The implementation of the Comprehensive Plan over the past seventeen years was partly successful (Haq, 1995) but is far from reaching the goal set for the turn of the century. Substantial contribution from aid-giving agencies was realised directly or in support of ongoing regional programmes of the Commission and the cooperation between the IOC and other UN agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO); International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); World Health Organisation (WHO), etc., has increased on TEMA-related activitities. The deliberations and results of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) as well as the expansion in socioeconomic activities in coastal and marine areas have attracted growing attention of governments to the significance of marine sciences and services in the context of national development. These developments at the national and international level set the stage for increased cooperation amongst the developing countries, between the developing and the industrialised countries and for increased recognition of the importance of IOC programmes providing unique opportunity to foster scientific and technological transfer. The major obstacle to the development of a number of regional programmes has been inadequate funding and support for training and other TEMA-related activities. While the impact of regular training in certain areas was seen in steady progress of related programmes (e.g. IODE, the IOC Group of Experts on the Global Sea-Level Observing System, GIPME, a number of other targeted programmes tended to suffer due to a lack of focused training or to lack of continuity of these activities.