IOC/B-50 (2) -2- 



2. Proposals subnitted by the U.S.A. for the Expanded Prosraome 

 of International Cooperation in the liarine Sciences in 

 Response to IOC B & CC Recoomendation 0.l8. Transmitted 

 witn a covering letter of 8 Januarj^ I969 frora the Office of 

 the U.S. Permanent Representative to Unesco :. 



1. _ The United States valcoioes the IOC Bureau and Consultative 

 Council's endorsement of tae concept of an expanded, accelerated, 

 long-term and sustained program of exploration of the oceans and 

 their resources. llie lAiited States has previously set forth 

 proposals relating to an expended program of international cooperation 

 in the marine sciences in documents such as: 



a) Further Response to the Secretary General's 

 Inquiry of July 6, 1967, on the Views of the United 

 States concerninr; the General Questions of the 

 Secretary General Ptirsuant to Resolution 2172 (XXI ). 



b) International Decade of Ocean Exploration, 



A Report by the National Council on Marine Resources 

 and Engineering Development, Executive Office of the 

 President, May 1963, 



c) U.S. Comments and Sugf-estions to the IOC in 

 Response to IOC B&CC Recommendation 8.5 in Connection 

 with the Report and Proposals Prepared by the U.N. 

 Secretary/- General mder UiIGA Resolution 2172 (eA487) 

 Relating to Broadening and Strengthening of IOC. 



2. As is reflected in tiiese documents, the United States believes 



there is a need for increased cooperative effort in a multitude 

 of international reseexch, education, and engineering activities in 

 the marine sciences. Tlie United States accordingly recommends that 

 multilateral cooperative ■proQra.vs in ocean exploration be encouraged 

 and expanded. This will renuire adequate development of an expanded 

 program by the Intergovemnental Oceanographic Commission, in which 

 the International Decade of Ocean Exploration (IDOE) proposed by the 

 United States would be the key element. Tiie IDOE will provide an 

 umbrella for national and international activities and programs to: 

 (a) increase knowledge of tiie location, distribution and characteristics 

 of ocean resources; (b) increase understanding of fundamental ocean 

 processes; (c) describe long term characteristics of the ocean 

 environment; and (d) increase capabilities to achieve (a), (b), and 

 (c). Ongoing IOC programs, -uch as those for the Caribbean, the North 

 Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Southern Ocean, will serve as 

 building blocks for the expanded program and the IDOE. 



./. 



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