1998 Year of the Ocean A Survey of International Agreements 



(f) Protection and restoration of endangered marine species, as well as preservation of 



marine biological diversity, including protection of rare or fragile ecosystems and 

 habitats critical for marine species; 



(g) Coordinated programs of scientific research and systematic observations, as well as 

 data exchange, to improve understanding and management of the marine 

 environment, including implementation of a Global Ocean Observing System; 



(h) Regular review and coordination of activities within the United Nations system 



relating to the protection and sustainable development of the marine environment and 

 revitalization of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Seas 

 Program; and 



(i) Elaboration of programs to address the particular problems of small island developing 

 States, whose economies and very existence is integrally tied to the marine 

 environment. 



Convention for the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) 



The environment of the North Atlantic and adjacent seas has been the prime concern of 

 ICES since its inception in 1902. As the oldest intergovernmental marine science organization in 

 the world, its main focus has continued to be on international cooperative scientific studies. 

 Article 1 of the 1964 ICES Convention formally identifies the Council's principal functions: 



a. to promote and encourage research and investigations for the study of the sea 



particularly related to the living resources thereof; 



b. to draw up programs required for this purpose and to organize, in agreement with the 



contracting parties, such research and investigations as may appear necessary; 



c. to publish and otherwise disseminate the results of research and investigations carried 



out under its auspices. 



Since the 1970s, a major responsibility for ICES has involved the provision of scientific 

 information and advice for fisheries conservation and protection of the marine environment to 

 intergovernmental regulatory commissions, the European Commission, and the governments of 

 ICES member countries. 



ICES works in the broad areas of fisheries, oceanography, and environmental sciences, 

 including the study of marine pollution, and maintains extensive databases on the North Atlantic, 

 in cooperation with other international organizations. The work is organized and carried out by 

 scientists from the 19 contracting parties: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, 

 Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, 



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