PTWS-XXIII - International Co-ordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific, Twenty-third Session, Apia, Samoa 16-18 February 2009

The Twenty-third Session of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/PTWS) was held in Apia, Samoa, 16–18 February 2009 under the Session Chairmanship of Mr Giorgio de La Torre, a.i. Chairman of the ICG/PTWS. It was attended by 61 participants from 21 ICG/PTWS Member States and representatives from three organizations, and observers.

The Session reviewed progress during the intersessional period from October 2007 to February 2009 as reported by the Regional Working Groups of the South East and South West Pacific and the Working Group on Sea Level Information and Data Exchange. The ICG reviewed the report of the Warning and Advisories providers, discussed the results of the Pacific-wide exercise, Exercise Pacific Wave ’08 and planned for the next Pacific Wide Exercise in 2010.

The ICG approved nine recommendations on (1) Enhancing Tsunami Warning Products, (2) PTWS Exercises, (3) Official Contacts and Sharing of Information, (4) Request for IOC Review of GLOSS Terms of Reference, (5) PTWS Medium Term Strategy 2009-2013, Working Group Structure and Implementation Plan 2009-2011, (6) Steering Committee of the ICG/PTWS, (7) Seismic Data Exchange in the South West Pacific, (8) Pacific Emergency Communications and (9) Appreciation to the Government of Samoa.

The ICG re-structured its Working Groups into three Technical Working Groups on (1) Risk Assessment and Reduction, (2) Detection, Warning and Dissemination and (3) Preparedness and Readiness. To these technical groups the ICG added four Regional Working Groups (Central American on the Pacific, South East Pacific, South West Pacific and South China Sea).

The ICG approved a PTWS Medium Term Strategy 2009-2013 that describes the basic directions towards continuously improving the Pacific Tsunami Warning & Mitigation System to meet stakeholder requirements during the period 2009-2013. The three main pillars of the new strategy are:

• Risk Assessment and Reduction: hazard and risk identification and risk reduction
• Detection, Warning and Dissemination: rapid detection and warning dissemination down
       to the last mile
• Awareness and Response: public education, emergency planning and response.
  
  

The ICG elected new Officers for the inter-sessional period, welcoming Lt. Giorgio de La Torre of Ecuador as Chairman and Mrs Filomena Nelson from Samoa and Mr Yohei Hasegawa of Japan as Vice-Chairs.

The ICG decided to organize its Twenty-fourth Session between October 2010 and March 2011 and noted the expression of interest of the Russian Federation to host the 25th Session of the ICG/PTWS and highlighted the commemorative aspects of this Session.

 Informational Documents