ESTABLISHMENT OF A FRAMEWORK FOR THE GLOBAL TSUNAMI AND OTHER OCEAN-RELATED HAZARDS EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission,
Recalling the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation adopted at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development; the Mauritius Strategy for the further implementation of the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States adopted in Port Louis on 14 January 2005; the UNGA Resolution 59/279 adopted in New York on 19 January 2005; and the Hyogo Declaration and Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction adopted in Kobe on 22 January 2005 ; the Communiqué of the International Coordination Meeting for the Development of a Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System for the Indian Ocean within a Global Framework adopted in Paris on 8 March 2005; and the Mauritius Declaration on the Second International Coordination Meeting for the Development of an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System adopted in Grand Baie on 16 April 2005,
Noting:
(i) the Communiqué of the Third Earth Observation Summit adopted in Brussels, Belgium, on 16 February 2005, which supports ''the coordinating activities of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and related national and regional initiatives to realize effective tsunami warning systems in the Indian Ocean and other regions of the world, as an integral part of a multi-hazard approach supported by GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems)”,
(ii) that the purpose of the International Coordination Group for the Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific (ICG/ITSU), established by the Fourth Session of the IOC Assembly (3-12 November 1965) through Resolution IV-6, is to provide or improve all aspects of tsunami warning and mitigation in the Pacific including hazard assessment, warnings, preparedness and research through a system of international cooperation and coordination of activities,
(iii) the ongoing process establishing regional warning systems for tsunami and other ocean-related hazards,
Further noting the Mauritius Declaration of 16 April 2005 that stated "all regional efforts should serve the purpose of strengthening international cooperation aimed at the creation of a global multi-hazards warning system",
Acknowledging the achievements and effectiveness of existing ocean observing systems, mechanisms of international real-time data and information exchange, and progress in ocean data assimilation, modelling, forecasting and capacity building,
Recognizing that a global tsunami and other ocean-related hazards early warning system should:
(i) build on existing mechanismsand capabilities and should address all the necessary components for an integrated end-to-end system, which are hazard and risk assessment, warnings, and preparedness, and recognizing the IOC’s comparative advantage in ocean-related observations, data management, forecasting, dissemination of forecasts and warnings and capacity building;
(ii) improve our understanding and forecasting of ocean hazards to reduce their impact through focused scientific research and technological development;
(iii) utilize and work to improve durable global observational capabilities, particularly through the transfer of marine technology, taking into account the IOC Criteria and Guidelines on the transfer of Marine Technology (CGTMT); (iv) make available the information to the entire world;
Decides to establish an ad hoc Working Group to prepare a framework for a global tsunami and other ocean-related hazards early warning system, Instructs the IOC Executive Secretaryto:
(i) invite Member States and Chairpersons of relevant IOC subsidiary bodies to participate in this ad hoc Working Group;
(ii) invite the WMO, ISDR, GEO and relevant intergovernmental and other organizations to participate in the work of the ad hoc Working Group;
(iii) submit the report of the ad hoc Working Group to the 39 th Session of the Executive Council.
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Identified funding: US$ 30,000 from Extra-budgetary resources for one meeting of the ad hoc Working Group in 2006.
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