ODINAFRICA Project Document

NEEDS

 8) IODE

IODE-XV (January 1996)

(ref: IOC Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange, Fifteenth Session. Athens, Greece, 23-31 January 1996 - Document available at http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/IOCpub/iocpdf/giode15.pdf )

We refer to the Recommendation IODE-XV.11 (Programme and budget for 1996-1999) items:

-          GODAR-VI for Western Africa

-          RECOSCIX-CEA

-          OceanPC course Eastern Africa

-          OceanPC course Western Africa

-          ODINEA Project

 GODAR-VI (April 1997)

(ref: IOC Regional Workshop for Member States of Western Africa - GODAR VI (Global Oceanographic Data Archeology and Rescue Project. Accra, Ghana, 22-25 April 1997 - Document available at:

http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/IOCpub/iocpdf/w136.pdf )

We refer to the Conclusions and Recommendations where ( a more extensive extract from the report is included as Annex 1)

-          To overcome the problem of communication within the region it was recommended that assistance should be provided to the countries to acquire electronic mail facilities.

-          The Workshop recommended that the IODE Regional Co-ordinator and the GODAR Project Leader discuss and agree on the most effective ways of co-operation with the UNIDO‑UNDP/GEF LME Gulf of Guinea Project.

-          the Workshop recommended that WDC‑A, Oceanography, be invited to help Member States in creation of a CD‑ROM of oceanographic data for the region. This project will include compilation, digitization, evaluation of data and a training component with the involvement of national experts at all stages of implementation.

-          The Workshop strongly supported the decisions of the IOC Regional Committee for IOCEA relevant to the ocean data collection and management and urged Member States and IOC to continue to extend assistance to Western Africa in establishing RECOSCIX‑CEA and not to spare any effort for meeting the communication needs.

-          The Workshop recommended that all necessary actions should be taken for completion and publication of CEADIR and its inclusion in the GLODIR on‑line system

-          The Workshop noted that there are large volumes of oceanographic data in the domain of private industries and recommended that authoritative national institutions take necessary action in pursuing these industries to release data to the public domain.

-          The Workshop recommended that the IODE Regional Co-ordinator and the GODAR Project Leader working in concert with the IODE Chairman should contact the NODCs of the IOC Member States which have conducted research in the Eastern Atlantic and coastal waters of Western Africa, e.g., USA, Russia, Germany, Norway, etc., and invite them to co-operate in the development of an oceanographic databank for Western Africa.

-          The Workshop invited UNIDO and IOC to co-operate in establishing national oceanographic data and information management infrastructure which will create the necessary environment for establishing an effective Regional Oceanographic Data Centre,

-          The Workshop requested the LME of the Gulf of Guinea Project to continue supporting RECOSCIX‑CEA to become fully operational and urged RECOSCIX‑WIO to share experiences with Western Africa in the development of the dispatch centre and assist with training.

-          The Workshop noted an urgent need in providing training to experts from the region in oceanographic data and information management including the use of the IODE tools and procedures, e.g., OceanPC.

-          The Workshop felt a need for a co-ordinated regional training programme which could knit together the needs and resources available in the region.

IOCINCWIO-IV (May 1997)

(ref: IOC Regional Committee for the Co-operative Investigation in the North and Central Western Indian Ocean, Fourth Session. Mombasa, Kenya, 6-10 May 1997 - Document available at http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/IOCpub/iocpdf/gwio04.pdf )

 119              The Regional Committee adopted the [ODINEA] Project Proposal

 126              The Regional Committee recommended that support be secured for the RECOSCIX-WIO project in order to maintain its services and products.

 128              The Regional Committee recommended that e-mail support be provided where necessary

 IOC-XIX (July 1997)

(ref: Nineteenth Session of the Assembly, Paris, 2-18 July 1997 - )

We refer to paragraphs:

 216              The Assembly identified the strengthening of data and information management  in developing countries as a priority and supported IODE's efforts in this area. Particular note was made of the commencement of negotiations by the Flemish Community of Belgium with UNESCO to provide approximately $250,000 in support of developing marine data and information management structure in Africa. The Assembly noted with appreciation the planned framework agreement and looked forward to its signature and implementation.

 221              The Assembly urged the IOC Executive Secretary to continue supporting IODE activities in developing countries specifically with the development of NODCs.  The development of regional networks was encouraged and the success of RECOSCIX was given as an example.  The Assembly also noted that many developing countries have limited access to the Internet and  it was  recommended that for those countries, data and information continue to be provided in more traditional means, including as CD-ROMs.

 303              The Assembly adopted Resolution IOC-XIX-10

 (Resolution IOC-XIX-10: Fourth Session of IOCINCWIO and its recommendations)

 PACSICOM (18-22 July 1998)

 The PACSICOM conference was convened as part of the region-wide efforts to give greater impetus to the management of seas and the coasts in Africa. It brought together ministers and senior officials from 48 African States, as well as from many international agencies, non governmental organizations and from bilateral financial institutions. The Conference offered a unique opportunity for discussing the state of the coastal and marine environment in Africa, with special focus on the need for concerted intergovernmental dialogue

PACSICOM represents a major contribution by Africa to the observance of the International Year of the Ocean, placed in the global calendar of events by the United Nations General Assembly, in recognition of the importance worldwide of the need to protect and sustainably manage of the marine and coastal environment. In that context, PACSICOM and its entire process provide a unique opportunity for African countries to reinforce intergovernmental dialogue on the increasing threats to the marine and coastal environment and on the measures required to meet the complex challenges and bring the crisis emerging in Africa's coastal areas to the widest possible audience.

PACSICOM enabled the ministers and senior officials and other stakeholders to build consensus on common perspectives for policy responses and political commitment. The Conference was organized in three parts: first, technical workshops, from 18 to 20 July, to address specific themes; second, a workshop on cross-cutting issues and interlinkages; and, third, on 21 and 22 July, a Ministerial Conference, which considered political implications and socio-economic factors.

The workshops addressed the linkages between the natural, social and educational sciences, with an emphasis on a culture of peace, community participation and sharing of resources and knowledge. Themes included: global observing systems for sustainable development in Africa, freshwater availability, infrastructure and capacity-building, culture and society and geological parameters for environmental protection and sustainable coastal development in coastal zones and areas influenced by marine and coastal processes in Africa. The technical workshops were opened by a plenary address on the theme: "Science in relation to the social, cultural and educational dimension of sustainable development" and a keynote address: "Diamond mining in littoral zones".

MAIN OUTCOME OF PACSICOM

One the main outcomes for IOC is that the majority of the recommendations by IOC Governing and Major Subsidiary Bodies (as listed above) were restated during the Technical Workshops and endorsed by PACSICOM.

The ministers and senior officials, together with representatives of regional institutions, non governmental organizations and the stakeholders, unanimously adopted, on 24 July 1998, the PACSICOM Statement and resolutions as well as the Maputo Declaration, all aimed at moving the protection, management and development of Africa's marine and coastal environment from the margins to the centre stage of decision/policy-making. Furthermore, they agreed with and endorsed, first, the Portfolio of Action Proposals from the workshop on cross-cutting issues and, second, the summary Statement, as well as specific recommendations from the Technical Workshops.

PACSICOM made the following recommendations directly relevant to the current project proposal:

IOC-XX (29 June- 9 July 1999)

 The ODINAFRICA-II proposal (version 2, March 1999) was discussed extensively during the Twentieth Session of the IOC Assembly in various agenda items such as IODE, the IOC Regional Subsidiary Bodies IOCINCWIO and IOCEA, and Priority Africa. Many Member States expressed their strong support for ODINAFRICA.

 Three sessional meetings were organized by the African Member States to discuss the project proposal and to prepare a draft resolution. The sessional groups requested IOC to translate the draft proposal into French and to distribute it to the African Member States for endorsement.

 The Assembly adopted Resolution XX-22 as drafted by the Sessional Group (see below)

 On 11 August 1999 the IOC Secretariat sent out the Proposal in English and French to 31 African Member States (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia and Tanzania).