International Cooperation 



Following consideration of these reports, ECOSOC unanimously adopted 

 three Resolutions concerning marine science and technology calling for 

 continuation and expansion of the studies of the Secretary General, urging 

 international cooperation in strengthening education and training in marine 

 science and technology, and inviting General Assembly endorsement of 

 expanded cooperation including the International Decade of Ocean Ex- 

 ploration.^ 



Similarly, after debate in the Economic Committee the General Assembly 

 welcomed the reports of the Secretary General and adopted two Resolutions 

 which 



— endorse the concept of a coordinated long-term oceanographic re- 

 search program and request the U.N. Secretary General to consider 

 a comprehensive program based on recommendations of the IOC 

 and other interested international organizations; and 

 — call for increased international cooperation in developing, exploiting, 

 and conserving living marine resources. 

 Central to the recommendations of the Secretary General was the recog- 

 nition of the need to intensify the activities of the IOC to enable it to serv^e 

 as a focal point for coordinating international marine science activities, in 

 cooperation with other interested international organizations, and particu- 

 larly the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteo- 

 rological Organization (WMO). The United States and other nations have 

 made specific suggestions for increasing the resources available to the IOC 

 and for restructuring the organization, and these proposals will probably 

 be acted on in 1969. 



The IOC, with U.S. participation, expanded its activities significantly in 

 1968 and improved working relations with a number of organizations. 

 Planning began for several new ocean surveys: an International Coordina- 

 tion Group for the Southern Ocean study was formed ; the first meeting of 

 the International Coordination Group for the Cooperative Investigation 

 of the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions was held in Curacao; procedures 

 were developed for cooperating with the International Council for the 

 Exploration of the Seas and the International Commission for Northwest 

 Adantic Fisheries; and planning began for study of the Mediterranean in 

 cooperation with the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean of 

 the FAO and the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration 

 of the Mediterranean Sea. New IOC Working Groups considered legal as- 

 pects of oceanographic research including a draft resolution to advance 

 fundamental scientific research for consideration by the IOC m 1969 and 



*The text of the U.N. and ECOSOC Resolutions of 1968 are presented in .Appen- 

 dices C-1 and C-3. 



55 



