Chapter 8 International Organization 



I. INTERGOVERIMMEIMTAL OCEANOGRAPHIC 

 COMMISSION 



As a result of the impetus of the International 

 Geophysical Year in promoting joint scientific 

 attack on the ocean's problems, a resolution was 

 introduced in 1958 at the Tenth General Confer- 

 ence of UNESCO which led to a Preparatory 

 Meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference it- 

 self in Copenhagen in July 1960. Following the 

 recommendations made at these meetings, the 

 Eleventh General Conference of UNESCO in 1960 

 estabUshed a UNESCO Office of Oceanography 

 and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Com- 

 mission. The Commission held its First Session in 

 Paris in 1961, and subsequent sessions in 1962, 

 1964, 1965, and 1967. General Sessions are 

 usually held every two years, at which time the 

 Commission's work is reviewed, and general pohcy 

 for the next two years is established. Sessions also 

 elect the officers and select the Bureau and 

 Consultative Council (BCC) which meets at least 

 those years that the IOC does not meet and other 

 times as required. The BCC carries on executive 

 functions of the IOC. 



The purpose of the Commission is "to promote 

 scientific investigation with a view to learning 

 more about the nature and resources of the 

 oceans, through the concerted action of its mem- 

 bers." The Commission attempts to stimulate 

 national interest in oceanography and ocean- 

 ographic research, both national and cooperative. 

 The Commission fosters international cooperation, 

 and is charged with reviewing the results of 

 scientific investigations, defining the basic prob- 

 lems requiring international cooperation, and 

 recommending the nature, form, and methods of 

 oceanographic data exchange. 



Commission membership is open to all mem- 

 bers of UNESCO, the UN, or other UN agencies, 

 that are willing to participate in oceanographic 

 programs that require concerted action. Its present 

 membership is 58 countries. The U.S. delegation 

 to IOC meetings usually includes representatives of 

 several governmental agencies as well as non- 

 government scientists; the changing character of 

 this representation is a continuing problem. U.S. 



positions are generally developed by the agency 

 members of PIPICO (Panel on International Pro- 

 grams and International Cooperative Organiza- 

 tions), which reports to the CIPME (Committee on 

 International Policy in the Marine Enviroimient, 

 an interagency sub-cabinet level committee); both 

 committees operate under the Department of 

 State. They serve as advisory bodies to the 

 Department of State, which establishes the final 

 U.S. positions. No single Federal agency has the 

 responsibiHty for leading in the estabhshment of 

 U.S. positions, as is customary for many other 

 international organizations such as the Department 

 of Health, Education and Welfare with regard to 

 the International Health Organization and the 

 Department of Labor with regard to the Inter- 

 national Labor Organization. This has caused 

 difficulties from time to time in establishing U.S. 

 positions, as well as in general participation in IOC 

 affairs. 



The Commission Secretariat is provided by the 

 UNESCO Office of Oceanography. IOC has no 

 funds of its own ; UNESCO provides most services, 

 although other agencies or governments may con- 

 tribute. International cooperative programs are 

 coordinated by International Coordination 

 Groups; the chairman of each group is the Inter- 

 national Coordinator for the expedition. Other 

 IOC projects, such as coordination of international 

 oceanographic data exchange and study of various 

 scientific problems, are undertaken by working 

 groups. 



The commission receives advisory services from 

 two bodies designated at its Second Session: 



—The Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research 

 (SCOR) of the International Council of Scientific 

 Unions (ICSU is a non-goverrunental body) advises 

 IOC on broad scientific aspects of oceanography. 



—The Advisory Committee on Marine Resources 

 Research (ACMRR) of the Food and Agriculture 

 Organization of the UN advises IOC on the fishery 

 aspects of oceanography. 



The IOC has sponsored several major inter- 

 national cooperative expeditions, such as the 



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