IOC Executive Council 41st Session, June 2008, Resolution EC-XLI.6

 

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Resolution EC-XLI.6

IOC INTERGOVERNMENTAL COORDINATION GROUPS (ICG) FOR TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEMS FOR THE PACIFIC OCEAN (PTWS), THE INDIAN OCEAN (IOTWS), NORTH-EASTERN ATLANTIC, MEDITERRANEAN AND CONNECTED SEAS (NEAMTWS), AND CARIBBEAN AND ADJACENT REGIONS (CARIBE-EWS)

The Executive Council,

Recalling

IOC Resolutions XXIII-12, XXIII-13, XXIII-14 and EC-XXXIX-8, which established the Intergovernmental Coordination Groups and decided that the IOC shall provide the Secretariat support for these ICGs: the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWS), the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS), the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas ICG/NEAMTWS), and the Pacific Tsunami Warning System (ICG/PTWS),

Further recalling:

(i) IOC Resolution XXIV-14, establishing the Working Group on Tsunamis and other Ocean Hazards Warning and Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG)

(ii) IOC Resolution XXIV-13, instructing the IOC Executive Secretary to prepare draft common requirements for regional centres in close co-operation with the ICGs,

Reaffirming:

(i) that the IOTWS, CARIBE-EWS, NEAMTWS and PTWS will be coordinated networks of national systems and capacities and will be part of global early warning systems for ocean-related hazards

(ii) that Member States have responsibilities to issue warnings within their respective territories, and

(iii) the IOC commitment to the free and unrestricted exchange of tsunami-relevant realtime observational data in accordance with the UNESCO/IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy and without prejudice to the sovereignty of Member States,

Noting

paragraph 112 of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/61/222,

Acknowledging

with appreciation the ongoing and dedicated financial and other support provided by Member States and other donors to the operation of the Tsunami Co-ordination Unit,

Having considered:

(i) the Executive Summary of the 22nd Session of the ICG/PTWS (ICG/IOTWS-XXII/3s)

(ii) the Report of the 4th Session of the ICG/NEAMTWS (ICG/NEAMTWS-IV/3)

(iii) the Executive Summary of the 3rd Session of the ICG/CARIBE-EWS (ICG/CARIBEEWS-III/3s)

(iv) the Executive Summary of the 5th Session of the ICG/IOTWS (ICG/IOTWS-V/3s)

(v) the Executive Summary of the first session of the Working Group on Tsunamis and other Ocean Hazards Warning and Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG)

Endorses

the reports and requests the Executive Secretary to support the implementation of the actions contained therein, as appropriate;

Adopts

the Global Ocean-related Hazards Warning and Mitigation System Framework document (Annex IV of the report IOC/TOWS-WG-I/3);

Expresses

its gratitude to:

(i) the Government of Ecuador for hosting the 22nd Session of the ICG/PTWS in Guayaquil, 17–21 September 2007

(ii) the Government of Portugal for hosting the 4th Session of the ICG/NEAMTWS in Lisbon, 21–23 November 2007

(iii) the Government of Panama for hosting the 3rd Session of the ICG/CARIBE-EWS in Panama City, 12–14 March 2008

(iv) the Government of Malaysia for hosting the 5th Session of the ICG/IOTWS in Putrajaya, 4–8 April 2008,

Expresses

its appreciation to NOAA and JMA for providing Interim Tsunami Advisory Information Service for the Indian Ocean, and encourages them to continue to provide this information;

Endorses

with appreciation the Interim Tsunami Advisory Information Service for the South China Sea provided by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC), the West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC) and Northwest Pacific Tsunami Advisory Center (NWPTAC);

Encourages

the Member States around the South China Sea and other regional seas, as appropriate, to actively promote the development, establishment and sustained operation of national and sub-regional Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Systems within the framework of ICGs;

Welcomes

the generous offers of:

(i) the Government of Samoa to host the 23rd Session of the ICG/PTWS in February 2009

(ii) the Government of Greece to host the 5th Session of the ICG/NEAMTWS in November 2008

(iii) the Government of France to host the 4th Session of the ICG/CARIBE-EWS in Martinique in March 2009

(iv) the Government of Thailand to host the 6th Session of the ICG/IOTWS in April 2009;

Reaffirms

the need for common requirements for regional tsunami advisory and watch providers centres of the Tsunami Warning and Mitigation Systems, while recognizing that different ocean regions have certain characteristics that are unique and that require specialized approaches;

Underlining

the important role of the TOWS-WG as defined in its Terms of Reference to further the IOC Strategic Plan,

Noting

the need to harmonize regional ICG structures to create efficiency and facilitate exchange of knowledge and information among the ICGs,

Requests:

(i) the ICG Chairpersons to work with the Member States and the TOWS Working Group towards developing harmonized working group structures that map easily across ICG and provide a foundation for inter-operability and further requests the ICGs and other subsidiary bodies identified in the TOWS report to consider carefully the report recommendations and respond, as appropriate, at the next meeting of the TOWS-WG

(ii) the Executive Secretary to prepare, in consultation with the co-chairs of the TOWSWG and the ICG chairs, a strategy and plan to support implementation of the Global Ocean-related Hazards Warning and Mitigation System Framework and TOWS-WG recommendations, to be provided to the TOWS-WG at least one month in advance of its next meeting

(iii) JCOMM/GLOSS to compile a global core sea level network for tsunami and other ocean-related hazards, building on the requirements of the ICGs, and coastal GOOS sea level measurement and reporting requirements; further building on the existing GLOSS core network for climate wherever possible; and taking into account broad requirements for prediction, detection, and post-hazard assessments, with initial priority given to the Caribbean region and the North African coast of the Mediterranean

(iv) TOWS-WG:

(a) to identify, in close cooperation with the Chairs of the ICGs, common practices and procedures used by each ICG’s tsunami advisory and warning centres in order to promote interoperability, with a view toward preparing recommendations for IOC principles, criteria, and procedures for ocean-related hazards warning and mitigation systems

(b) to prepare a detailed report on the implementation of the actions and recommendations specified in this resolution, as well as on progress in the harmonisation of regional tsunami warning and mitigation systems, for consideration by the Assembly in 2009,

Recommends

to the Assembly to continue the TOWS-WG for the further intersessional period, with the same mandate and membership.

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Financial implications: none