ࡱ> otlmnz 0ǖbjbj 86ccߌ%%%%%0%0%0%8h%t&L0%kf>(''('''N*Z**eeeeeee$j[mf%*,*,*"**f%%''6%fB8B8B8* %'%'eB8*eB8B8vZa'pf5_*e;f0kf_"o7oTaa\o%6b**B8*****ffB8***kf****o*********$ #: Addendum This Addendum provides detailed information on the IOC activities under each function defined in the IOC Medium-Term Strategy since the 47th Session of the Executive Council in July 2014 up to May 2015. Fostering ocean research to strengthen knowledge of ocean and coastal processes and human impacts upon them [Function A: Ocean research] The Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine environmental Protection (GESAMP) WG 40 Sources, fate and effects of micro-plastics in the marine environment: a global assessment has completed its work under the leadership of the IOC-UNESCO. It will now start a second phase with a joint co-sponsorship by the IOC, UNEP, and FAO. The new TORs were agreed by the three organizations plus GESAMP and the kick-off meeting was held in Rome 2123 April. An immediate milestone for this group is to present a report on the impact of microplastics on fish by May 2016. The IOC is also acting as an advisory body on potential plastics projects funded by the European Union Joint Programming Initiative on Oceans (EU JPI Oceans). Together with PICES and ICES, IOC has convened the 3rd International Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change in the Worlds Ocean (Santos, Brazil, 2327 March 2015). The local arrangements and logistics were coordinated by the Instituto Oceanogrfico, Universidade de So Paulo. This Symposium is a regular scientific meeting in the topic of climate change and a flagship symposium for IOC. It attracted 284 participants from 38 countries. The Symposium was a great success and we have had very positive feedback from the participants. The three main organizers (ICES, PICES and the IOC) agreed to work together towards the 4th edition of the Symposium in 2019. Ocean acidification (OA) is a major global concern and a risk to marine biodiversity and ecosystems. It may impact human society in many ways. Addressing the needs for new research and networking, the IOC is co-leading the Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), which aims to coordinate and improve ocean observations to detect the impacts of ocean acidification. The GOA-ON roadmap was published in September 2014 and the most recent development was the establishment of a biological working group, co-chaired and coordinated by IOC-UNESCO, to improve measurements needed to detect the impact of increasing CO2 levels on marine life. Furthermore, together with the support of the Ocean Acidification International Coordination Center of the IAEA, an OA session was organized at the Third International Symposium on the Effects of Climate Change on the Worlds Oceans in in Santos, Brazil. To enhance the awareness about OA among policymakers, IOC contributed to a side event during the UNFCCC COP-20 in Lima, December 2014, and is preparing a number of side events associated with the COP-21. Regarding communication with the general public and permanent delegations at UNESCO, the program of the World Oceans Day included a session on ocean acidification. To address the issue of OA on coral reefs in the region, the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) has initiated, in collaboration with GOA-ON, the development of a joint long-term monitoring program/NETWORK. Given limited understanding about ecosystem responses to OA, against a critical need to develop meaningful projections on ITS future impacts on the marine ecosystem, especially on coral reefs, the WESTPAC organized workshop Research and Monitoring of the Ecological Impacts of Ocean Acidification on Coral Reef Ecosystems (Phuket, Thailand, 1921 January 2015). The workshop provided an opportunity for all countries in the region to consolidate their OA research and monitoring efforts in order to ultimately enable resource, fisheries managers, and policy makers to develop an effective long-term mitigation plan and to arrange adaptation strategies to benefit the region. The workshop stressed the need to build on existing coral reef monitoring initiatives and to develop a joint long-term monitoring program/network on the impacts of OA on coral reefs across the region. To this end, several pilot sites were selected as a starting point for developing the regional monitoring program/network. A table for monitoring capacity analysis was developed and this will be distributed to participants willing to join the program development, with a view to analyzing the current monitoring capacity, identifying common monitoring methods, and providing input into the development of a consistent, comparable and cost-effective Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all pilot sites. IOC support to the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) continued in 20142015 at a reduced level. IOC participated in the review of the membership of the WCRP Joint Scientific Committee and suggested measures ensuring improved geographical and gender balance on the Committee at the same time keeping the oceanography as a core discipline represented on the Joint Scientific Committee. The IOCScientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project (IOCCP) will launch the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) v3 in September 2015. Assembling this dataset has been a major undertaking by sea-going marine carbon scientists from across the world for the last four years. Due to the limited financial resources available, the IOC is providing limited funding support to IOCCP, however the IOC is cooperating with IOCCP in a number of activities such as IGMETS, GOA-ON, and GOOS. These activities are reported in other parts of this Report. IOC is providing leadership and contributing to the international debate on the importance of the ocean dimension in the new climate change regime that could emerge from the UNFCCC COP-21 process (Paris, NovemberDecember 2015). In June 2014, IOC facilitated the launch of an Ocean Climate Platform, which brings together representatives from the research community and civil society with the aim of placing the ocean at the heart of international climate change debate, as well as raising public awareness on these issues. On 8 June 2015, with the support of France, Sweden, Monaco, Flanders (Belgium) and the Ocean-Climate Platform, IOC organized a World Ocean Day (WOD), which was recognized as an official COP-21 event, entirely dedicated to the ocean-climate issues. The programme of the Day included 4 scientific workshops, three roundtables, a UNESCO Open Campus for youth, and a concluding high-level political segment in presence of HSH Prince Albert II Monaco, H.E. President Remengesau of Palau, HE. President Michel of Seychelles, as well several ministers and ambassadors. The WOD provided an opportunity for a dialogue amongst stakeholders on the inclusion of ocean dimensions in the COP-21 process; on the contribution of ocean science to the climate system knowledge, on the human and social aspects of climate induced changes in the ocean, as well as potential solutions; and possible actions and strategies to mitigate climate change. IOC is also contributing to the international scientific Conference: Our Common Future Under Climate Change (710 July 2015), which is organized by France and hosted by UNESCO. Two sessions focusing, respectively, on ocean observation and marine ecosystems will be convened by IOC. Scientific research remains a major driver of ocean observations and a factor of sustainability of ocean time-series. Shipboard biogeochemical time-series programmes provide the oceanographic community with the multi-year, high-quality data needed for characterizing ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystem. Their renewed importance is related to the fact that they represent one of the most valuable tools to characterize and quantify ocean fluxes and their associated links to ecosystem functioning in a changing ocean. Under the auspices of the IOC, the International Group for Marine Ecological Time Series IGMETS compiled data from more than 400 time series sites worldwide. The analysis of these data sets, to be published in November 2015, will help to distinguish between natural and human-induced change in marine ecosystems. The assessment of available data will help to understand marine ecosystem responses to a changing climate. Nutrient over-enrichment of coastal ecosystems is a major global environmental issue, contributing to such problems as harmful algal blooms, dead zone formation, and fishery decline. Yet, quantitative relationships between nutrient loading and ecosystem effects are not well defined. The IOC Nutrients and Coastal Impacts Research Programme (N-CIRP) is focussing on integrated coastal research and coastal eutrophication, and linking nutrient sources to coastal ecosystem effects and management in particular. A key component in the implementation strategy is a four-year Joint UNEP-IOC Global Environment Facility (GEF) Project Global foundations for reducing nutrient enrichment and oxygen depletion from land-based pollution, which was launched in March 2012. The IOC is leading the Project research component that delivers global and local models for impact of nutrient loading. As part of the implementation strategy for N-CIRP, IOC also actively participates in a UNEP-led Global Partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM) executed as a partnership of intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations and governments. GPNM has an online information portal to enable GPNM partners to monitor progress on implementing activities related to the sustainable use of nutrients. The platform provides a knowledge hub, networking opportunities and promotes global discussions on sustainable nutrient management. The IOC Executive Council at its 47th session (Paris,14July2014) accepted the new Global Ocean Science Report (GOSR) proposal ( HYPERLINK "http://ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_oe&task=viewDocumentRecord&docID=13231" IOC/EC-XLVII/2 Annex 8). Following the recommendations of the Open-ended Intersessional Working Group, Executive Secretary sent Circular Letters Nos.2553 and 2560 inviting Member States to financially support GOSR and to fill an adhoc questionnaire. The objectives, outline, and expected outcomes of GOSR were presented at the 16th ICP meeting in NewYork. So far, IOC has received limited in-kind and financial support, however the interest of many countries in the questionnaire is encouraging. Using the limited extrabudgetary support received and the cooperation of other organizations, the Secretariat was able to develop some sections included in the outline. Nevertheless, the full completion of the GOSR requires additional financial support by Member States. The 2nd International Ocean Research Conference (IORC) One Planet, One Ocean, organized by the IOC, the Oceanographic Society and hosted by the Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica, was held in Barcelona (Spain) on 1721 November 2014. The five-day Conference provided an opportunity for the scientific community to come together to discuss international collaboration in marine science and technology for the coming decade. 590 scientists from 69 countries attended the scientific sessions. 450 abstracts were submitted. The gender ratio was 43% of women vs 57% of men respectively, which is quite an achievement. The IOC staff has chaired theme sessions, workshops and intervened in the opening and closing sessions. The scientific quality of talks and posters was excellent. There was strong support to repeat the IORC every 4 or 5 years. The TV corner, which was produced for the Conference received a lot of positive feedback and was used again during other occasions. As result of the MoU signed with the Fundacio Navegacio Oceanica, all of the boats participating in the Barcelona World Race 2014/15 took part in scientific projects coordinated by the UNESCO-IOC. These included the deployment of Argo buoys in the South Atlantic and testing a prototype sensor to sample microplastics in continuous mode. The results collected by the skippers represent an important and pioneering contribution and will play a fundamental role in the Barcelona World Race educational activities. The IOC Sub-Commission for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (IOCARIBE), jointly with IOC/ICAM specialists and in close cooperation with UNDP GEF International Waters, are preparing a project proposal Partnership for Sustainable Management of Ocean and Coasts in Latin America for submission to GEF. The general objective of the project is to enable the Latin American region to collectively protect and manage its coastal and marine environment through inter-governmental and inter-sectoral partnerships. The project will strengthen legal framework and regulations, as well as develop implementation guidelines, decision support tools, and the needed information systems to implement and monitor, step by step, the elements of ICAM and MSP in the region. This will enable the countries and stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive national policy framework and coordinated strategy and master plans for coastal and marine resource management. The GEF contribution amounts to US$ 10 million with US$ 52 million co-financing by Member States. For this purpose an inventory of national, regional and global conventions, protocols, and regulations related to ICAM and of institutions, agencies and experts working on ICAM issues and topics was developed. IOCARIBE acknowledged with satisfaction the successful completion of the Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem and Adjacent Regions (CLME), a US$58 million GEF-funded project, as well as the preparation of the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystems Strategic Action Programme (SAP) and its technical approval by the CLME Steering. By June 2013 the SAP had been endorsed by ministers of 21 countries. The CLME SAP implementation project was approved by the GEF Council in 2013. The project entitled Catalyzing implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of Shared Living Marine Resources in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems was formally endorsed by the GEF CEO on 4 March 2015. This project, for which IOC is the technical leading agency and a cooperating agency together with the UNDP, is a 5-year project that aims at facilitating the implementation of the 10-year politically endorsed SAP for the Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ SAP). The project will serve IOCARIBE GEF eligible countries with partnerships established with non-GEF eligible countries such as the United States of America, UK, France and The Netherlands. The UNDP/GEF CLME+ Project is projecting an overall budget of US$ 124 million including co-financing of US$ 111.8 million and a cash grant of US$ 12.5 million from the GEF. IOCARIBE has strengthened its co-operation with UNEP and other UN agencies, particularly in the GEF-financed Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystems Management in Caribbean SIDS (IWEco) Project, in which the IOCARIBE Project "Demonstrate Approaches for Nutrient and Sediment Reduction at Selected Pilot Study Areas in the Wider Caribbean is one of the key components. GEF IWEco with a total budget of US$ 88.7 million including cash and in-kind co-financing, with a total GEF requested cash allocation of US$ 20.7 million, is currently under a review by the GEF Secretariat. IOC, SCOR, and IOGOOS formed an Interim Planning Committee for the Second International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2), chaired by Satheesh Shenoi (India). The Committee met by teleconference and in person (2021 April 2015 at IOC) and will propose structures for governance, science coordination, data and information management, capacity development, operational coordination, outreach and communications, resources and sponsorship, and transitioning science for societal benefit under Agenda Item 5.3. The launch of the IIOE-2 is planned on the 4th of December 2015 in Goa, India, and benefits from coordination support from the Perth Programme Office in support of the IOC and from India. IOCAFRICA and WESTPAC have both participated in the planning process. Maintain, strengthen and integrate global ocean observing, data and information systems [Function B: Observing system / data management] The Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is co-sponsored by the IOC, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and the International Council for Science (ICSU). As reported to the Assembly at its 27th session in 2013, the full GOOS work plan, focused on sustaining present observations, expanding to new biogeochemical and biological parameters, and developing increased observing and information capacity, is not fully supported by the IOC regular programme budget. Priority has therefore gone to sustaining the ongoing activities of GOOS focused on observation of physical parameters, with fewer resources available for the GOOS Biogeochemistry and GOOS Biology and Ecosystems panel. Nevertheless, some activities have been able to proceed due to in-kind contributions from Member States to the GOOS programme. The Third Meeting of the GOOS Steering Committee (2426 July, Barcelona, Spain) reviewed the GOOS work plan. It adopted a draft GOOS Strategic Mapping to link three major GOOS themes (climate, ocean services, and ocean health) to scientific applications, phenomena to sustainably observe, the Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), and the observing networks that capture these EOVs. The Strategic Mapping captures the work of GOOS in identifying requirements, evaluating the observing system against performance targets, and in promoting standards and best practices in observation and data management and sharing. The Steering Committee agreed to principles for the affiliation of GOOS Projects, which help to focus funding agencies of Member States and the scientific ocean observing community on the development of particular areas of the observing system. It approved two GOOS projects. The first is the Tropical Pacific Observing System in 2020 (TPOS 2020, tpos2020.org) project, which will evaluate, and, where necessary, change, all elements that contribute to the Tropical Pacific Observing System based on a modern understanding of tropical Pacific science. The project aims for enhanced effectiveness for all stakeholders, informed by the development and requirements of the operational prediction models that are primary users of TPOS data. TPOS 2020 embraces the integration of diverse sampling technologies, with a deliberate focus on robustness and sustainability, and will deliver a legacy of improved governance, coordination and supporting arrangements. The TPOS 2020 project is being supported by a distributed project office with nodes in the US and in China. The second new GOOS project is a Deep Ocean Observing Strategy (DOOS), which motivates physical, biogeochemical, and biological sustained observations of the deep ocean, linking it to societal issues and scientific challenges. Collectively the voluntary collaboration of in situ and satellite observing networks operated by individual Member States and contributing to GOOS and the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) has grown stronger since mid-2014. Monitoring statistics of the status of the insitu networks maintained through Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) shows a relatively stable status reflecting continued Member State investment, with full core coverage by Argo floats, the surface drifter network coordinated by the JCOMM Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) edging back to full coverage after a period of problems with short drifter lifetimes, completion of repeat hydrographic stations and continued maintenance of tide gauge stations. The coverage of the Tropical Pacific Ocean by moored instruments, reporting at less than 50% in 2013 and early 2014, has been restored to a sustained 80% capacity. This fulfills a pledge by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain these as a priority while the TPOS 2020 project makes recommendations for an evolution of the observing networks. The GOOS programme through IOC is a beneficiary of and partner in a new European Commission Horizon 2020 funded project, AtlantOS, focused on optimizing and enhancing the Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System. The overarching goal of AtlantOS, which will operate from April 2015 through March 2019, is the integration of the so far loosely-coordinated set of existing ocean observing activities into a sustainable, efficient, and fit-for-purpose Integrated Atlantic Ocean Observing System (IAOOS) contributing to GOOS. The project formally engages with partners in Europe, the USA, Canada, Brazil, and South Africa. GOOS Programme coordination activities have been facilitated through improved communication tools for the ocean observing community, with the launch of a quarterly GOOS Update (ioc-goos.org/update) and a monthly webinar series focused on sharing information with the ocean observing community (ioc-goos.org/webinar). Announcements are being sent out on a dedicated email list (ioc-goos.org/join). The GOOS physics and climate panel (formally the GCOS-GOOS-WCRP Ocean Observations Panel for Climate, OOPC) held two sessions in the past year: its seventeenth session in July 2014 (Barcelona, Spain) and its eighteenth session in April 2015 (Sendai, Japan). The sessions sought guidance on drivers and priorities from sponsors, and progressed major elements of the Panel work plan: reviewing existing and considering new ocean Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) and Physics Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs); developing and evaluating the design of ocean observing systems, considering developments in applications and technologies through workshops and evaluation exercises; and identifying and addressing gaps in the sustained observing system such as boundary currents, the deep ocean, and observations in coastal and shelf seas. The GOOS biogeochemical panel activities are being led by the IOC-SCOR IOCCP ( HYPERLINK "http://www.ioccp.org" www.ioccp.org), which allows for leveraging of additional GOOS funding to perform work more efficiently than with a new panel. The comparability and traceability of nutrient data from sustained observations in the worlds oceans and investigation of temporal and spatial changes due to the oceans response to climate change and increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are key issues for GOOS, and the IOCCP organized a nutrient observation international intercomparison exercise in 2014, led by JAMSTEC (Japan). The IOCCP and GOOS biogeochemical panel met in April 2015 (Sendai, Japan), in parallel with the GOOS physics and climate panel in order to work on common issues related to climate. This led to a clearer definition of the nine biogeochemical Essential Ocean Variables (oxygen, macro nutrients, inorganic CO2, transient tracers, particulates, nitrous oxide, 13C, and dissolved organic matter) required to address the role of global ocean biogeochemical cycles in the climate system, the human impacts on ocean biogeochemistry, and ocean ecosystem health in the context of human impacts. For biological and ecosystem sustained monitoring needs, GOOS continues establishing the work plan for a new panel, cooperating with existing initiatives such as the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observing Network (GEOBON) and IOC's Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS). Australia (specifically, the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Western Australia) appointed Patricia Miloslavich (Venezuela) to an in-kind support position for the GOOS Biology and Ecosystems Panel in March 2015, with a minimum commitment of two years. GOOS Regional Alliances (GRAs) are a major vehicle for the GOOS programme to achieve its goals at the regional level. While meeting physically only at a GOOS Regional Forum about once every two years (next meeting: 2125 September 2015 in Izmir, Turkey), quarterly teleconferences led by the GOOS Regional Council chair (Zdenka Willis, USA) have allowed the GRAs to work actively and independently in the sharing of best practices and in mutual assistance in observations, data sharing and management, the provision of services, and in management and advocacy of sustained ocean observing systems within a national and regional context. The GRAs often have strong coastal ocean observing components, and collectively will work in 2015 to identify projects to maximize mutual benefit. The JCOMM Observations Programme Area (OPA) provides important implementation coordination for GOOS. The JCOMM Observations Coordination Group met on 2730 April 2015 (CapeTown, South Africa), progressing a work plan that revolves around reviewing and evolving observing network goals in response to requirements, deepening common technical coordination through the JCOMM Observing Programme Support Centre (JCOMMOPS), standards and best practice, and measuring and managing performance and risks to sustainability. JCOMMOPS, which provides direct technical coordination to most of the JCOMM in situ observing programmes, inaugurated its new offices on 18 March 2015. It is now hosted by the French Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) in Brest, France, improving opportunities for coordination with European in situ networks, and continuing to benefit from support from Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS). It is entirely funded by voluntary Member State contributions through IOC and WMO. A new technical coordinator for the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel and the OceanSITES time series network, Champika Gallage, joined the team in October 2014. The WMO-IOC-ICSU-UNEP Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) is completing a Status Report which will be presented to the UNFCCC COP-21 in December 2015 in Paris, France, and preparing for an updated Implementation Plan to be delivered in 2016, which will refine the actions needed to implement a global observing system for climate monitoring, research, and projections; and increasingly responding to local concerns on adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. The GCOS Project Office has been hosting the OOPC technical secretariat since early 2013, and has in doing so deepened its cooperation with GOOS. At its 22nd Session in March 2013, through Recommendation IODE-XXII.16, IODE adopted the concept of an IODE Associate Data Unit (ADU). The IODE ADU is intended to bring in the wider ocean research and observation communities as key stakeholders of the IODE network, taking into account the growth of ocean research and observation programmes and projects and the ability of these projects to establish data systems. ADUs can be projects, programmes, institutions or organizations that manage oceanographic data. ADUs will not replace National Oceanographic Data Centres but should contribute to the objectives of NODCs. While only one ADU was established in 2013, eight were established between January and June 2014, and six between July 2014 and March 2015, bringing the total to 15. The second phase of the Caribbean Marine Atlas project (CMA2), funded by the Government of Flanders, was launched in Miami, USA, at a kick-off meeting on 2529 August. The considerable interest of stakeholders in the region was witnessed by the 48 participants including 14 organizations. Dr Francisco Arias-Isaza (INVEMAR, Colombia) was designated as Project Manager during the meeting. The OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) project, funded by the Government of Flanders (Belgium), was launched through the first session of the IODE Steering Group for the OceanTeacher Global Academy (1316 January 2015) and OTGA Train-the-Trainers Course (1923 January 2015), both held in Ostend, Belgium. The first OTGA course (on Marine Spatial Planning) was held, jointly with IOC/MPR in Cape Town, South Africa between 2022 April 2015, while the second (also on Marine Spatial Planning) was held at INVEMAR, Santa Marta, Colombia between 2529 May 2015. Building upon the experience with the OceanTeacher Global Academy, which developed a web-based training system to support classroom and blended training, the OTGA will develop a network of IODE/OTGA regional training centres (RTCs) in Latin America (and Caribbean), Africa, Indian Ocean and Western Pacific regions. OTGA will allow reducing student travel, providing training in local languages and focusing more on local issues. The OTGA network of RTCs will also be available to other IOC programmes, as needed. IODE-XXII established the IODE Quality Management Framework Project (QMF). The objectives of the project are to: (i) provide the overall strategy, advice and guidance to NODCs to establish organizational quality management systems for the delivery of oceanographic and related data, products and services; (ii) initiate and review existing standards and manuals and guides with respect to the inclusion of quality management procedures and practices; (iii) apply the necessary capacity development activities to ensure accreditation of NODCs according to agreed criteria in order to bring all NODCs to a minimum agreed level. A first training course on the QMF was held in Oostende, Belgium, 811 December 2014. IODE-XXIII approved the accreditation and awarded the status of Accredited IODE National Oceanographic Data Centre to the National Marine Data and Information Service (NMDIS), host of the National Oceanographic Data Centre (NODC) of China, and the Belgian federal National Oceanographic Data Centre (BMDC). The IODE community celebrated on 16 March 2015, the 10th anniversary of the IOC Project Office for IODE. The Office was established on 25 April 2005 in Ostend, Belgium with the following objectives: (i) to establish a creative environment facilitating the further development and maintenance of IODE and partner data and information management projects, services and products with emphasis on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the data and product/service stream between the stage of sampling and the user; and (ii) to assist in strengthening the capacity of Member States to manage oceanographic data and information and to provide ocean data and information products and services required by users. The celebration event was held in Bruges, Belgium on 16 March and was attended by 160 guests. The morning session included presentations on IODE, JCOMM and Flanders role in, and contribution to IOC, while the afternoon scientific conference welcomed nearly 20 papers on various topics related to data management as well as the contribution of data management to other IOC programmes. The 23rd session of the IODE Committee was held in Bruges, Belgium on 1720 March 2015. The Session adopted four decisions and five recommendations. The decisions established inter-sessional working groups to (i) propose a re-structuring of IODE; (ii) revise the IOC strategic plan for oceanographic data and information exchange; and (iii) create an IOC communication and outreach strategy for data and information management, and also to formally establish OTGA as an IODE project. The five recommendations concerned ODINBlackSea, the establishment of the OceanExpert project, the establishment of the IODE project for an international quality controlled ocean database (IODE-IQuOD), the establishment of the IODE pilot project expanding OBIS with environmental data (OBIS-ENV-DATA) and the IODE work plan and budget 20152017. The Committee elected MsCynthia Chandler (USA) and MrYutaka Michida (Japan) as IODE Co-Chairs. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) works at the data and science interface. This integrated high-quality and comprehensive database aids scientists in improving our understanding of the oceans living organisms and complex ecosystems. In 2014, OBIS was cited 103 times in the scientific literature (Google Scholar). The new OBIS Science Advisory Task Team met in December 2014. The team is composed of 8 experts in marine scientific research, capacity development, ecosystem services, economy, industry, socio-economics, spatial planning, and ocean governance, and provides advice to OBIS on the science mission and priorities. They suggested that a more thorough market analysis is needed to assess the needs of various stakeholders and how OBIS could specifically support UN activities, such as those from the International Seabed Authority, the International Maritime Organization and the Convention on Biological Diversity. To engage with a broader range of players, OBIS will set up a multi-stakeholder group including NGOs, governments, industries and scientists. A large stakeholder meeting is scheduled for March 2016. Data from the OBIS nodes are harvested every three months, quality controlled and integrated into a single central database and published online. During the reporting period, the OBIS nodes were harvested five times. Not less than 6.34 million records from 603 databases were added, bringing the holdings to a grand total of 42 million marine species observations from 1,733 datasets. Four new OBIS nodes were established in 2014: South-East Asia (SEAOBIS), Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman (PEGO-OBIS), Caribbean Sea (Caribbean OBIS) and OBIS Senegal. Guidelines on the sharing and use of data in OBIS were developed by the OBIS Steering Group and were adopted at IODE-XXIII. The OBIS data scheme (DwC) including its specific marine biodiversity extensions will be published as an OBIS best practice on IODE's OceanDataPractices portal. The OBIS Cookbook or manual for OBIS nodes is available through the OceanTeacher's digital library. The new OBIS data enhancement task team has set up a requirement-driven process for guiding the development of new data standards, best practices and technical solutions building on the expertise within the OBIS community of practice. Related to improved data management practices, the 3rd session of OBIS steering group decided on the use of specific geographic and taxonomic quality control tools, including the Integrated Publishing Toolkit developed by GBIF for easy transfer of data and metadata and for expanding to new data types. The IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) has been promoting the value of sustained ocean observations and services in the region through the coordination and development of the North East Asian-Regional GOOS (NEAR-GOOS) and South East Asian-Regional GOOS (SEAGOOS). NEAR-GOOS has been providing a variety of oceanographic data and products - mainly via its regional real-time data center and delayed-mode data center to serve the needs of a wide range of ocean users. Meanwhile, WESTPAC has been developing the SEAGOOS Ocean Forecasting Demonstration System with the operation of a web-portal based 12.5km resolution Ocean Forecasting Demonstration System (OFDS) for the upper Gulf of Thailand and the Peninsular Malaysia eastern shelf ( HYPERLINK "http://221.0.186.5/IOC-WESTPAC_OFDS/index.jsp" http://221.0.186.5/IOC-WESTPAC_OFDS/index.jsp), which provides 3-day forecast products and downloadable archived data on the surface wave height, wind, current, sea temperature and salinity. Building upon previous accomplishments, all participating countries decided at the recent SEAGOOS workshop on 17 December 2014 to continue the development of the ocean forecasting system in the following key areas of work: extension of OFDS geographic coverage to cover the region of (20S-20N, 80E-145E); development of higher-resolution model in selected sub-domains upon the request of participating countries; and improvement of current OFDS Web Portal on accessibility, model forcing, boundary conditions, and online analysis tools, etc. The IOC Sub-Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) organized a Forum on the Future of Sustained Ocean Observations for IOC Group V (Africa and Arabs States) on 1113 April 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya, with support from the Republic of Korea. The focus of the forum was on reviewing the current status of ocean observations in IOC Group V, identifying ocean observations and forecasting requirements that contribute to environmental sustainability in the IOC Group V countries, elaborating elements of a core observation and forecasting system delivering societal benefits to the region, and enhancing opportunities for collaboration in the development of operational oceanography in the region. IOCARIBE-GOOS was represented at the 5th and 6th GOOS Regional Fora. A database of all IOCARIBE Region coastal water level and meteorological stations has been developed and mapped. IOCARIBE-GOOS produced an inventory of operational and pre-operational oceanographic modelling capabilities, the Essential Observing Variables (EOVs) measured and observing resources and equipment, institutions and marine programmes (B.Sc., M.Sc. Ph.D. post-graduate), and expert groups by country in the Americas and the Caribbean. Model inventory will be posted on the GODAE OceanView website. The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Oceans and IOCARIBE-GOOS coordinator are developing a GEO Coastal Ocean Pilot Project in the IOCARIBE Region. The pilot project plan will be based on the IOCARIBE-GOOS regional observing system following a System of Systems approach, utilizing existing observing systems and programmes with established user bases (like the CLME) which are in need of observing and modelling support. It will be tailored to provide meaningful and sustainable value for Caribbean Region marine ecosystems and the populations they impact. The current version of the IHO-IOC GEBCO Guiding Committee Terms of Reference-Rules of Procedure (TOR-ROP) was last approved by the Executive Council at its 41st session (Paris, 24 June1 July 2008). Since that time, the activities of the General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO) project have evolved, reflecting greater interest in mapping the seafloor by national and international organizations, governments and academia. The methods, procedures and technology to map the seafloor have greatly changed, involving both shipboard methods and satellite remote sensing. In this light, GEBCO Guiding Committee perceived that a revision to the TOR-ROP was warranted. Interactions with IHO and IOC during 2013 also indicated that a revision to the GEBCO Guiding Committee TOR-ROP would be timely as it was recognized that there might be a need for improving the management of the GEBCO project. GEBCO Guiding Committee started the revision process at the 30th meeting (Venice, Italy, 11 October 2013) and finalized the proposal for TOR-ROP revision at its 31st meeting (Monaco, 1315 June 2014), which was then proposed to the Executive Council for consideration at its 47th session (Paris, 14 July 2014) in accordance with the current TOR-ROP of GEBCO Guiding Committee. In its decision EC-XLVII, Dec.3.1 (II), the Executive Council recognized the necessity for IOC Member States to further review the proposed revision contained in document: IOC/EC-XLVII/2 Annex 4 Rev.2 with sufficient time prior to re-examination by the Assembly at its 28th session (Paris, 1825 June 2015). In order to follow-up on decision EC-XLVII, Dec.3.1(II), IOC Circular Letter, 2545, dated 27 October 2014, was issued to invite Member States to provide their inputs on the said document. By the end of 2014, eight Member States responded to the Circular Letter. During period between January and March 2015, the IHO and IOC secretariats conducted a careful joint examination of the document and inputs and/or comments from IOC Member States, paying a particular attention to divergent views that may have been expressed through this consultation. New proposal for TOR-ROP revision was agreed to by the IHO and IOC secretariats and is presented to the Assembly for consideration under agenda item 6.2. Moreover, through communication with IHO secretariat in 2015, it was recognized that it might be a time for IOC to consider whether or not there would be a need for reviewing IOCs role and involvement in the GEBCO project for considering appropriate future governing mechanism of the GEBCO project. A proposal for way forward with regard to GEBCO is presented to Assembly under agenda item 6.2. Develop early warning systems and preparedness to mitigate the risks of tsunamis and ocean-related hazards [Function C: Early warning and services] Since the 27th session of the Assembly, the tsunami programme has continued to progress despite the UNESCOs strained financial situation. The Tsunami Unit managed to keep the Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG) process for the four regional tsunami warning systems going over the past year. The 11th session of ICG of the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/NEAMTWS) was held from 12 to 14 November 2014 in Nicosia, Cyprus; the 10th session of the ICG for Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWS) held in Muscat, Oman, 2426 March; the 26th session of the ICG for the Pacific Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System ICG (ICG/PTWS) was held from 2224 April 2015 in Honolulu, USA, and the 10th session of the ICG for the Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (ICG/CARIBE-EWS) was held on 1921 May 2015, Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, Kingdom of the Netherlands. Several technical working groups under the ICGs met. The Eighth Meeting of the Working Group on Tsunami and other Hazards related to Sea-Level Warning and Mitigation Systems (TOWS-WG) was held on 1213 March 2015 in Morioka, Japan. A complete overview is available at www.ioc-tsunami.org. The intergovernmental coordination process raises awareness about the tsunami threat and provides advocacy for nations investments in early warning systems. In the past 10 years nations have invested considerably towards this aim. It is estimated that the cost of setting up the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System approximately US$450 M over the past 10 years (most of the funds provided by Australia, India and Indonesia), and it is estimated that it costs between 50-100 M US$ annually to maintain the system. The above numbers illustrate the significant national investments that contribute towards the four regional tsunami warning systems, including enhancements of their detection networks (seismic and sea level observations), new buildings that house national tsunami warning centres, as well as education, awareness and preparedness-related activities. Two recent examples also illustrate this. In the NEAM region Italy announced that its national tsunami warning centre became operational as of 1 October 2014 and would be ready to issue tsunami alerts to countries in the region. This announcement follows similar announcements made by France, Greece and Turkey made in July/August of 2012. The first phase of Oman National Multi Hazard Early Warning System project (NMHEWS) will be coming to an end in 2015. Under a 2009 agreement with Oman's Ministry of Transport and Communication, IOC has been providing technical support for the NMHEWS development. The NMHEWS has now started its operational phase and the NMHEWS centre was officially inaugurated on 23 March 2015 back-to-back with an IOC organized scientific conference to conclude the project and the 10th Session of the ICG/IOTWS. The conduct of regular tests is essential to ensure good communication links between the Tsunami Service Providers and the National Tsunami Warning Centres and to maintain the operational readiness of the four regional tsunami-warning systems. Similarly, regular exercises contribute to the maintenance of end-to-end operational readiness including the link from the warning centre to community. Four tsunami wave exercises have been carried out over the past year. The exercises are designed to assess the effectiveness of communication flows among the stakeholders involved, country readiness, and the efficiency of emergency procedures. The exercises also create considerable awareness in the public. The Tsunami Wave exercises (i) IOWAVE14 for the Indian Ocean took place on 910 September 2014; (ii) NEAMWave14 for the North East Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas took place on 2830 October 2014; (iii) PACWave15 for the Pacific Tsunami Warning System took place on 26 February 2015; and (iv) CARIBEWave15 for the Caribbean took place on 25 March 2015. The IOWave14 exercise had a high level of participation and it was encouraging to note the relatively high number of countries (74%) that included their disaster management and emergency response organizations in the exercise. In the preparation of NEAMWave14, an information workshop "Improving Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response in the North-Eastern Atlantic, Mediterranean and Connected Seas" on NEAMTWS and NEAMWave was held in Rabat (2324 September 2014, Morocco). The workshop was organized by IOC together with the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the UNESCO for the Maghreb based in Rabat, and the Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique of Morocco. The summary statement is available at the IOC Tsunami web page. The NEAMWave14 was marked by a strong participation of the civil protection authorities. In comparison to the first test NEAMWave12 organized in 2012, more Civil Protection Authorities (14 vs 5) took part in the exercise. This exercise was also an occasion to test the mainstreaming into the NEAMTWS system of the standard operational procedures of the Emergency Response Coordination Centre of the European Commission for providing international assistance through the Union civil protection mechanism in case of major disasters. The EU DG ECHO supported the coordination of the NEAMWAVE 14 exercise. CARIBEWave15 was the fourth such exercise and 32 Members States and 16 territories participated in it. This represents a participation rate of 100% of all the ICG/CARIBE-EWS Members, for the first time in the history of the exercises. A total of almost 133,000 people participated, including over 98,000 people in Puerto Rico, 10,000 people in Venezuela, 8,600 people in Martinique, and 4,700 in the US Virgin Islands. For the tsunami programme there are many anniversaries in 2015. The three youngest regional tsunami warning systems in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and the NE Atlantic, Mediterranean and connected seas all celebrate their 10-year anniversary. And the Pacific Tsunami Warning System celebrated its 50-year anniversary with large conference titled "Making the Pacific Ready for the Tsunami Threat" on 2021 April 2015. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragic 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, IOC in collaboration with the Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) organized an international conference in Jakarta, 2425 November 2014 with the title: "The Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System 10 years after the Indian Ocean Tsunami: Achievements, Challenges, Remaining Gaps and Policy Perspectives". The conference was attended by 160 participants from 28 countries, 10 UN agencies, 10 media organizations and many NGOs, research institutions, universities and private organizations. The conference reported on achievements of the last 10 years, highlighted gaps in the system and work that still needs to be done, and sought re-commitment of Member States and other partners to continue investing in the IOTWS to ensure its long term sustainability. The summary statement with key highlights and recommendations is available on the IOC Tsunami web-site. New tsunami warning products were introduced in the Pacific on 1st October 2014. The new products issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center have been developed in order to provide greater detail of estimated level of impact. While the old products were provided solely in text form, the new products contain both graphical and text information. The new products, while still conservative, are expected to reduce over warning. This is important because with every hour a tsunami warning remains in effect, a stretch from 500km to 1000km of additional coastline is placed in a warning depending upon where the earthquake occurred. It has been possible to develop these new products due to improvements in numerical modelling, an increase in the number of seismic, coastal sea level stations, and deep water buoys, the improvements in real-time transmission from the detection networks, and due to improvements in internet communication and bandwidth between PTWC and the National Tsunami Warning Focal Points. Introduction of these products has been combined with several training courses for national agencies in the Pacific. Progress has continued on the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) funded project on Tsunami Hazard Assessment in the Indian Ocean and for collecting eyewitness accounts and other information about the 1945 tsunami in the NW Indian Ocean (Makran area). A booklet titled Remembering the 1945 Makran Tsunami Interviews with Survivors Beside the Arabian Sea was published and the booklet captured nearly 100 accounts of the 1945 Makran disaster as told by eye-witnesses and second-generation survivors in Pakistan, Iran, Oman and India. The publication in English is available for download at the IOTIC website (http://iotic.ioc-unesco.org/1945makrantsunami/1945-makran-tsunami-booklet.pdf) and versions in Farsi, Urdu, and Arabic will be available later in 2015. The IOC Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre (IOTIC) was officially launched in Indonesia, Jakarta on 24 November 2014, at the 10-year conference to commemorate the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami organized by the BMKG Indonesia and IOC. To ensure the sustainability of IOTIC, Indonesia, through BMKG, has offered to host the IOTIC for the first five years (20162021) with the support of office space, staffs, and some funds for programme and activity. IOTIC also has received funding from the Malaysian Fund in Trust to implement an extrabudgetary project in 20152016 for south-south cooperation on Fostering Tsunami Preparedness, Response and Mitigation in the Indian Ocean Small Island Developing States and Developing Countries. This project aims to support the capacity building on tsunami preparedness of the Indian Ocean African countries and the Indian Ocean Small Island Developing States. Through extra-budgetary projects and partnerships IOC/TSU has also maintained activities to raise the level of awareness and preparedness in Haiti and Dominican Republic (through EU DG ECHO funded projects). Australia continued its support for the year to the IOTWS secretariat. The Tsunami Unit has as well organized and co-organized a number of training activities. (For a complete list please see the calendar at  HYPERLINK "http://www.ioc-tsunami.org" www.ioc-tsunami.org). The JCOMM Services and Forecast Systems Programme Area has continued coordination, development and introduction of standards in marine meteorological and oceanographic services. The Expert Team on Operational Ocean Forecast Systems met (810 September 2014, IOC) to continue its work on a guide, which will serve as a tool for capacity development for new entrants. The GOOS Regional Alliances have also developed a model inventory for similar purposes. A close relationship is maintained with the GODAE OceanView ( HYPERLINK "http://www.godae-oceanview.org" www.godae-oceanview.org), the research coordination activity for ocean forecasting. The JCOMM Management Committee met on 2023 October 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland, to make adjustments to the JCOMM-4 approved work plan. One particular development was the establishment of a Task Team on integrated marine meteorological and oceanographic services within the WMO Information System, in order to improve the interfaces between ocean data and service providers and meteorological information systems. These JCOMM services activities benefited from the secondment of a professional staff member by China to the IOC. The long-term focus of the IOC Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) programme, is on improved understanding of the factors controlling HAB events and thereby on the improvement of related management and mitigation options. The scientific questions have been addressed through the IOC-SCOR research programme GEOHAB (Global Ecology and Oceanography of HAB), which has seen a productive period leading up to a synthesis. This process included a conference in Paris in April 2013 which evaluated progress in our understanding over a decade and identified the major outstanding research questions in order to mitigate the effects of HABs. GEOHAB achievements have been synthesized and published as special issues of scientific journals and as a Scientific Summary for Policy Makers. Another major outcome of the GEOHAB synthesis is the development of a new global approach to HAB research to meet societal needs in a changing world. This initiative following on from GEOHAB, and entitled GlobalHAB, will be developed and implemented jointly with SCOR. Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) is the most extensive human illness caused by harmful algae. The inability to conduct appropriate tests for the causative toxins leads to extensive closures of fisheries and lack of access to important food resources. Regions beyond those directly experiencing CFP are indirectly at risk via world-wide commerce in seafood. The Intergovernmental Panel on Harmful Algal Blooms (IPHAB) has initiated the development of a global Coordinated Ciguatera Strategy involving the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The active engagement of the World Health Organization (WHO) is being actively pursued and considered crucial for engaging communities across scientific disciplines. The IOC Intergovernmental Panel on HABs (IPHAB) has initiated the development of a Global HAB Status Report with the aims of compiling an overview of HAB events and their societal impacts; providing a worldwide appraisal of the occurrence of toxin-producing microalgae; and assessing the status and probability of change in HAB frequencies, intensities, and range resulting from environmental changes at the local and global scale. Linkages will be established with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting mechanism, which is increasingly focusing on biological impacts of climate change. The Status report will provide the scientific community as well as decision makers with a reference on HAB occurrence and impacts on ecosystem services. The development of the report is intimately linked with compilation of HAB data in OBIS and the IOC Harmful Algal event Database HAEDAT, which is funded by Government of Flanders and cosponsored by IAEA. Through two IPHAB Task Teams on Biotoxins and Algal Taxonomy, two working groups co-sponsored with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and four regional IOC/HAB groups, the IOC is addressing specific needs for coordination, synthesis and advice on HAB observations, management and mitigation. A joint IOC-ICES-PICES (North Pacific Marine Science Organization) conference on HABs and Climate Change was held 1922 May in Gothenburg, Sweden, to develop proactive research strategies that build rigorous, testable hypotheses to guide scientists, managers and the public on projected environmental and HAB changes. Jointly with industry partners an international workshop was held in Muscat, Oman, April 2014, to identify research needs and solutions in relation to HABs and their potential impacts on desalination of seawater. To enhance the capacity in Member States to establish and strengthen warning, forecasting and mitigation of harmful algal events, the IOC series of courses on HAB observations have been continued and are widely recognized as a reference for training in HAB monitoring. 3-4 courses are held annually and there is a close cooperation with the IAEA in this respect. Courses include examination and are making use of the OceanTeacher platform as well as practical hands-on training. As part of the framework for this and other HAB activities, the 1995 agreement with the University of Copenhagen on the IOC Science and Communication Centre on Harmful Algae was expanded in April 2014 to further facilitate implementation of programme activities and projects. The HAB-Algas Nocivas del Caribe (HAB-ANCA) Working Group organized an IOC Regional Science Planning Workshop on Harmful Algae Blooms in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions (Mexico City, 2526 April 2013) with the sponsorship of Mexicos Ministry of Education. The Group published the book Ciguatera: Potential Risk for Humans: Frequent Questions in Spanish and English. The Group is also working on the developing of the Latin American portal on Harmful Algae. During 20132015 HAB-ANCA experts have also published six articles in peer-reviewed journals on harmful algae and participated in nine international conferences and seminars in Austria, Colombia, Mexico, and New Zealand. To improve the Member States capacity on harmful algae analysis techniques, a Toxic and Harmful Algae Workshop was carried out in March 2014 in Colombia. Responding to the recent occurrences of harmful algal blooms and associated massive fish mortalities in Malaysia and Singapore, WESTPAC provided immediate technical assistance through the organization of national training workshops in partnership with the University of Malaya, Malaysia (1215 August 2014) and the National University of Singapore (1822 August 2014) with a view to enhancing national capability for HABs monitoring and to standardizing monitoring approaches used among various agencies. Support assessment and information to improve the science-policy interface [Function D: Assessment and Information for policy] IOC continued to follow closely the preparation of the World Ocean Assessment (WOA) report under the UN Regular Process. WOA will provide a sound scientific basis for decisions at the global level on the worlds ocean and seas and a framework for national and regional assessments and management decisions. Although the UN General Assembly (UNGA) requested the completion of the first WOA by the end of 2014, some delays have been encountered. The Bureau of the UNGA Ad Hoc Working Group that governs the WOA process decided to postpone the review of the text to the period JanuaryMarch 2015. IOC contributed to this review process by providing technical comments to the chapters related to its expertise. An IOC Circular Letter was also sent to IOC Member States in order to inform them on the review process and invite them to participate. As an observer, IOC continued to provide technical information and resources to the WOA Group of Experts. IOC also contributed financial resources to assist the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (DOALOS) with the editorial process of the report. The finalized report of the WOA will be considered by the UNGA Ad Hoc Working Group in September 2015. IOC is leading the implementation of the marine components of the Transboundary Water Assessment Programme (TWAP) funded by GEF. The project started in March 2013 with the establishment of an Open Ocean and Large Marine working groups. A second meeting of the two working groups took place at IOC in April 2014. The project will provide a number of core ecological, socio-economic and governance indicators for the marine environment (64 Large Marine Ecosystems and Open Ocean areas) using globally available datasets. In order to implement this project, IOC has created a partnership with a number of scientific institutions that are providing technical inputs and indicator-based products (NOAA, GESAMP, International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), University of British Colombia, UNEP, World Conservation Monitoring Center (WCMC), Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), among others). These assessment products will be available in June 2015 in the form of printed report and through the One-Shared-Ocean portal, which will be launched at that time. From the IOC perspective, TWAP is the first integrated and global marine assessment that the Commission is leading, and the results produced have the potential to inform a number of ocean governance mechanisms; these include the GEF, other UN agencies with an ocean mandate, other global assessment processes such as WOA and Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), regional seas organizations, and LME commissions as well as Member States. OBIS contributes to the science-policy interface by supporting global and local assessments and providing data for global ocean decision-making. For example, OBIS data are used by Member States national reporting on the status of biodiversity for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Two chapters in the first UN WOA used data from OBIS, and the open ocean component of the GEF TWAP includes a biodiversity baselines chapter entirely based on OBIS. IPBES will organize a set of regional and sub regional assessments. The Platform held its third general assembly in January 2015 (IPBES-3). The proposal to undertake a regional assessment on the open ocean is postponed to IPBES-4, i.e. after the UN WOA is completed. In the current open ocean proposal, OBIS is mentioned as one of the key datasets. UNESCO is one of the four UN agencies that co-host IPBES and provides technical and scientific support to the IPBES task force on data and knowledge. This task force delivered a data management plan, and OBIS is mentioned in Annex I of the plan as one of the key strategic partners of IPBES in the data and knowledge area. OBIS also contributes directly to species conversation policies (e.g. Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the USA and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive). In addition, OBIS contributes to marine spatial planning. The CBD COP-21 again recognized OBIS as a key source of information for the identification of Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) within and beyond EEZs. So far OBIS contributed to eight regional EBSA workshops. OBIS also provides training in the context of the Sustainable Ocean Initiative (SOI) of the CBD (OBIS representatives will attend three SOI Capacity Building workshops in Peru in 2015, Korea in 2015, and Mexico in 2016). In addition, more products supporting ocean assessments will be developed through the new project Development of Information Products and Services for Ocean Assessments (DIPS-4-Ocean Assessments) funded by the Flanders Government (Belgium) through FUST (UNESCO/Flanders Fund-in-Trust for the support of UNESCO's activities in the field of Science (FUST). DIPS is composed of two components: (i) the development of marine biodiversity indicators based on OBIS to serve major global assessments on the state of the marine environment, such as the UN WOA, and those that are planned as part of the recently established IPBES and (ii) the development of the first IOC-UNESCO Global Harmful Algal Bloom Status Report, which will provide an overview of HAB events and their societal impacts; the occurrences of toxin-producing micro algae (via OBIS) and an assessment of the status and probability of change in HAB frequencies, intensities, and range resulting from environmental changes at the local and global scale. The Blue Carbon Initiative established in 2011 by the IOC, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Conservation International (CI) works to develop management approaches, financial incentives and policy mechanisms for ensuring the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of coastal blue carbon ecosystems. The IOC is strongly involved in the Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group, which provides the scientific foundation for the Blue Carbon Initiative by synthesizing current and emerging science on blue carbon and by providing a robust scientific basis for coastal carbon conservation, management, and assessment. Priority research of the Scientific Working Group functions in close partnership with the Initiatives Policy Working Group. Internationally applicable standards for quantifying and monitoring carbon storage, sequestration, and emissions in coastal ecosystems on regional and local scales were identified and the manual Coastal Blue Carbon: methods for assessing carbon stocks and emissions factors in mangroves, tidal salt marshes, and seagrass meadows was published and launched at the last meeting of the Scientific working group of the Blue Carbon Initiative in Rio Grande, Brazil, in October 2014. The distribution of the Manual via internet in its pdf format is ongoing. De-oxygenation is a global problem in coastal and open regions of the ocean. It has led to expanding areas of oxygen minimum zones and coastal hypoxia. In the coastal ocean, the number of reported dead zones has increased exponentially since the 1960s, the latest reported number being 479. The recent expansion of hypoxia in coastal ecosystems has been primarily attributed to global warming and enhanced nutrient input from land and atmosphere. The global extent and threat to human health and marine ecosystem services of ocean deoxygenation are just beginning to be realized, and its social and economic consequences have yet to be determined (but are likely to be significant). Therefore the IOC supports a group of scientists trying to create awareness about deoxygenation among policymakers and the general public by publishing a scientific fact sheet on deoxygenation via the Ocean and Climate platform and as well by helping to establish of a global network of experts within this field. Expanded human uses of the ocean exert tremendous pressures on marine ecosystems. Combined effects of climate change and other stressors were reported in marine productivity, biodiversity, species distribution, bio-invasions and fish stocks. IOC is working to understand and quantify the effects of stressors on the marine ecosystems goods and services and on social-ecological systems at the regional and global scales. The LME programme and the IOC project IndiSeas are developing ecosystem indicators to be used as proxies to evaluate the status of the world's exploited marine ecosystems with account of multiple stressors. This is a necessary step towards efficient ecosystem-based management. The IOC activities aim to identify indicators based on modelling and comparative studies and their potential to inform ocean management. In February 2015 the IOC published the Directory of Atmospheric, Hydrographic and Biological datasets for the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (Technical Series 110) which identified a total of 425 datasets, 27 databases and 21 time-series sites available in the Western African Countries embracing the CCLME area, and in April 2015 IOC published a related review Oceanographic and biological features in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (Technical Series 115). Enhance ocean governance through a shared knowledge base and improved regional cooperation [Function E: Sustainable management and governance] Through the work of the Marine Policy and Regional Coordination (MPR) section, a new set of international guidelines on Evaluating Marine Spatial Plans (IOC Manual and Guide, 70) was published in October 2014 as the outcome of a two-year project funded by the Moore Foundation. A content-rich website on the evaluation of marine spatial plans has also been developed through an effective partnership among IOC and OpenChannels with grant funds from the Moore Foundation. The MSP concept advocated by IOC is based on a process that brings together multiple users of the ocean including energy, industry, government, conservation and recreation sectors to make science-based coordinated decisions about how to use marine resources sustainably. Through the planning and mapping process of a marine ecosystem, planners can consider the cumulative effect of human activities on the ocean. The intended result of MSP is a more coordinated and sustainable approach to how the ocean is used ensuring that while marine resources and services are utilized within clear environmental limits allowing marine ecosystems to remain healthy and biodiversity to be conserved. In January 2015, IOC obtained a new Grant from the Moore Foundation to conduct a project on global assessment and dissemination of MSP. The project will document the international practices of ocean planning or marine spatial planning (MSP) advances through: (1) documentation of ocean planning practice world-wide, (2) a summary of "lessons learned" from over 40-50 global initiatives and an online update of the UNESCO Guide to MSP (2009) including a remodeling of the UNESCO website and a joint publication on the OpenChannels website. This project will also allow IOC to strengthen the international network of MSP practitioners through convening of the second international IOC conference on MSP in 2016 and subsequent documentation and publications. The Southeast Pacific data and information network in support to integrated coastal area management (SPINCAM) project, funded by the Government of Flanders, Belgium (20132015), is coordinated by IOC with the support of the regional coordinator of the Permanent Commission for the Southeast Pacific (CPPS). SPINCAM has lately focused on the development of a harmonized methodology to design a new set of indicators for regional, national and local levels that would demonstrate the progress of work on both the SPINCAM national and regional atlases. The Steering Committee of the project met in Guayaquil, Ecuador (December 2014) and reviewed the common development of indicators on population dynamics, efficiency on traditional fisheries sustainability, coastal infrastructures, key coastal ecosystems, coastal economy and coastal vulnerability to inform the implementation of national and regional coastal management policies. At national level, SPINCAM, through the involvement of local authorities and stakeholders, has reinforced the multi-scale approach to develop a core set of indicators for their own managerial needs. The municipalities of Algarrobo, El Quisco and El Tabo in Chile, Guapi in Colombia, Churute Ecological Reserve in Ecuador, Las Perlas Archipelago in Panama and the Bay of Sechura-Piura in Peru are the 5 pilot case studies at local scale. The SPINCAM Regional Atlas ( HYPERLINK "http://www.atlasspincam.net" www.atlasspincam.net) has become the main pillar of the projects communication strategy together with the social and expert networks. In terms of capacity development, SPINCAM is currently implementing the capacity development strategy approved in December 2014 in Guayaquil. Since July 2013, SPINCAM provided support in the organization of the following training activities in Spanish and English: Ocean Data Portal training course, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 2013; Workshop on indicators, Santa Marta, Colombia, December 2013; Workshop on data/information management and visualization tools, Santa Marta, Colombia, December 2013; E-repository training course, Guayaquil, Ecuador, May 2014; Workshop on SmartAtlas, Coastal and Marine Research Centre University College Cork, Ireland, May 2014; University Expert Course on GIS and Internet Web Tools to support ICAM, MSP and Public Participation, International University of Andalusia, Spain, October-December 2014; Workshop on Data management and visualization tools, Guayaquil, Ecuador, December 2014; Workshop on Communication needs and the communication strategy of SPINCAM, Guayaquil, Ecuador, December 2014; OceanTeacher/MPR training course on marine spatial planning in the context of the 7th International Coastal Atlas Network Conference, Cape Town, South Africa, April 2015; and OceanTeacher/MPR training course on integrated coastal area management and marine spatial planning for local/national authorities, Santa Marta, Colombia, May 2015. In terms of networking, SPINCAM is currently strengthening the institutional and scientific networks in the Caribbean, with participation of Colombia and Panama in the second phase of the Caribbean Marine Atlas. The new Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Project will enhance regional coastal and ocean governance. In the Southeast Pacific with the Humboldt Large Marine Ecosystem Project and the FUST Project BRESEP on coastal biosphere reserves conducted under the auspices of the Man and Biosphere Programme of UNESCO, have high interest to interact with SPINCAM in the Southeast Pacific Region and use the data infrastructure already established. The Government of Flanders (Belgium) has enhanced its support to the Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section of IOC by secondment of MrAlejandro Iglesias-Campos to the programme, for the period 20132015, and is currently evaluating a one-year extension until June 2016. Japan (JAMSTEC) has also extended for two additional years the secondment of MrOsamu Miyaki to the MPR section until January 2017. MPR is participating in the successfully created consortium of AQUACROSS (20152019), European Unions Horizon 2020 project, led by Ecologic Institute Berlin, which aims to support EU efforts to enhance the resilience and stop the loss of biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, including coastal and marine waters, as well as to ensure the ongoing and future provision of aquatic ecosystem services. The project focuses on advancing the knowledge base and application of the ecosystem-based management concept for aquatic ecosystems by developing cost effective measures and integrated management practices. AQUACROSS considers the EU policy framework (i.e. goals, concepts, time frames) for aquatic ecosystems and builds on knowledge stemming from different sources (i.e. WISE, BISE, Member State reporting, modelling) to develop innovative management tools, concepts, and business models (i.e. indicators, maps, ecosystem assessments, participatory approaches, mechanisms for promoting the delivery of ecosystem services) for aquatic ecosystems at various scales. MPR will be in charge of the development of the information platform, the coastal team and the pilot case study related to green and blue water infrastructures of the transcontinental biosphere reserve of the Mediterranean Andalusia (Spain) Morocco. It thereby provides an unprecedented effort to unify policy concepts, knowledge, and management concepts of freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems to support the cost-effective achievement of the targets set out by the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. In the framework of the Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) programme funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the preparation of a new Community of Practice Project for Large Marine Ecosystems, which will be implemented by IOC in partnership with NOAA, ICES, UNDP, and IUCN, has been submitted to GEF in April 2015. Two consultation meetings were held at IOC in July 2013 and January 2014 with partners and LME stakeholders with a view to discuss project strategy, objectives and activities. IOC will provide the Secretariat of the Project and will lead the establishment of a Global network of LME practitioners through enhanced sharing and application of knowledge and information tools. In 2014, NOAA passed on to the IOC the responsibility of organizing the LME Consultative Committee. A new planning committee led by IOC has been established to prepare the LME Committees with NOAA, ICES, IUCN, GEF, and LME project representatives. The 16th Annual LME Meeting took place in Paris (July 2014) and the 17th Annual LME Meeting will also take place in Paris in September/October 2015. The 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/69/245) refers to OBIS under IOC as part of important contributions of marine science to the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. Through international cooperation, OBIS is able to build a shared global marine biodiversity knowledge base for ocean governance. In May 2013, technical experts at the UN Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group to study issues relating to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction (BBNJ) recognized OBIS as an appropriate mechanism for data and information sharing in areas beyond national jurisdiction, for supporting the selection of marine protected areas, conducting environmental impact assessments and strengthening capacity building, benefit sharing and transfer of marine technology. The Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) published a call in June 2014, signed by 85 deep-sea scientists and 14 international initiatives, to develop an international field program in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction and a coordinated data repository in conjunction with the International Seabed Authority and OBIS. Mengerink et al. (Science, 16 May 2014) called for a funding mechanism as part of a benefit-sharing regime in ABNJ to support scientific research and information generation including support for a global deep-ocean data repository, such as OBIS. In the follow-up to Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, IOC has continued to engage in a number of UN processes related to the ocean. With regards to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), IOC is co-leading the UN Ocean Task Support Team (TST) mandated to provide scientific and technical information upon request to the Member States negotiating the formulation of SDGs. The TST provided technical advice on potential ocean targets and indicators that could be integrated in a standalone ocean SDG. In July 2014, the UN Open Working Group led by Member States agreed on a set of 17 draft SDGs, including one goal dedicated to the ocean (SDG 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development). Under SDG 14, several proposed targets relate to the mandate of IOC, and particularly target 14.a that calls for increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacities and transfer marine technology taking into account the IOC Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular SIDS and LDCs. On 21 April 2015, together with the UN DOALOS, IOC organized a side event entitled Building ocean knowledge, technology and capacity towards achieving sustainable development of the ocean and seas on the margins of the SDG negotiations in New York. The event co-moderated by UN Ambassadors of Korea and Fiji was the occasion to highlight the role of IOC in capacity development and ocean sciences. Through MPR section, IOC participated as a panelist in the 16th meeting of the Informal Consultative Process on Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS), which in 2015 was focused on oceans and sustainable development. IOCs presentation was on Technology Transfer and Marine Science as Enabling Measures for Sustainable Development. A new IOC brochure on IOCs contribution to Transfer of Marine Technology was prepared and launched at UNICPOLOS on this occasion. IOC continues to be active in inter-agency mechanisms such as UN-Oceans whose new terms of reference were endorsed by the UNGA resolution 68/70 in December 2013. The UN DOALOS has assumed secretariat function, and members will appoint a chair for each meeting of UN-Oceans. IOC Executive Secretary participated in the annual UN-Oceans meeting hosted by IMO on 20 March 2015, London, U.K. Reports of the UN-Oceans meeting are posted on the UN-Oceans website (www.unoceans.org). The implementation of the project on Integrated Data and Information Products and Services for the Management of Ocean and Coastal Zones in Africa (ODINAFRICA-IV) continued with the development of Coastal and Marine Atlases, African Register of Marine Species, Library catalogues and literature repositories. Workshops were organized on: Coastal and Marine Atlases development; Marine Information Management and Websites development; Marine biogeography; and Ocean Data Portal Development. The ODINAFRICA-IV project, through which most of the IOC activities in Africa have been implemented, ends in July 2015. It is therefore important that mechanisms are explored to ensure sustainability of these initiatives. WESTPAC has been spearheading marine science development and cooperation in the Western Pacific and adjacent regions, despite diminishing financial resources from Regular Budget. In partnership with Member States in the region, WESTPAC has continued its efforts in the development, coordination and implementation of considerable activities across its three key thematic areas, namely: ocean processes in the Indo-Pacific region; marine biodiversity and food security; and ocean ecosystem health. On the occasion of its 25th Anniversary, WESTPAC organized a wide range of commemorative events at regional and national level, including joint cruises, workshops, a symposium, trainings, and publications. These activities convincingly demonstrate the great importance of regional cooperation to the sustainability of marine and coastal resources. To strengthen the science-policy interface, the tenth Intergovernmental Session of WESTPAC took place in Phuket, Thailand, 12-15 May 2015, generously hosted by the Government of Thailand. The session brought together national competent governmental agencies and scientific communities, aiming to improve science-policy interface, advance international cooperation on marine science, observations and services, and to improve institutional capacities to address critical challenges to sustainable development in the Western Pacific and its adjacent regions. The session reviewed WESTPAC strategic directions and associated activities, deliberated on and came up with concrete action plans towards the future strategic and programmatic development of WESTPAC including, interalia, the development of a regional program on the research and monitoring of ecological impacts of ocean acidification, the development of the Indo-Pacific Ocean Observations and Services Network (IPON), and the development of IOC Regional Network of Training and Research Centers (RTRCs) on Marine Science, etc. IOCARIBE is contributing to the UNDESA led Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) which integrates existing assessments, reviews and future predictions by the scientific community on sustainable development. GSDR will be submitted to Third Session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in June 2015. Develop the institutional capacity in all other functions of IOC, as a cross-cutting function [Function F: Capacity Development] The 47th session of the IOC Executive Council (2014) took note of the Draft Capacity Development Strategy, reconstituted the Intersessional Working Group (IWG) for the IOC Capacity Development Strategy, and revised the Terms of Reference and requested the Executive Secretary to include the Draft Strategic Plan for Capacity Development on the agenda of the IOC Assembly at its 28th session in 2015. It also invited Professor Adot Blim Blivi to remain Chair of the IWG. IOC Circular Letter 2531 (21 August 2014) invited Member States to designate members to the intersessional working group by 15 September 2014. This deadline was later extended to 15 October 2014. 37 Member States designated members of the working group: Angola, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote dIvoire, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Mozambique, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Suriname, United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United States, and Venezuela. A first draft of the Strategy was prepared by 1 December 2014 and discussed by email. This resulted in a second version, which was discussed during a meeting of the Group at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, 1618 February 2015. This resulted in two documents: the main strategy document and an addendum. The draft strategy was subsequently presented during IODE-XXIII (March 2015), IOCAFRICA-III (April 2015), WESTPAC-X (May 2015) and IOCARIBE-XIII (May 2015). The IOC addresses the UNESCO Global Priority Africa through actions in the domain of marine sciences and operational oceanography, with a special emphasis on aspects dealing with the impacts of adaptation to climate change in the coastal zones and on enhancement of capabilities to safeguard marine resources. The IOC is developing the project Enhancing Oceanography capacities in Western Africa countries (funded by Spain) in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) area. So far IOC has organized two workshops on Data availability and Upwelling and environmental indices in Dakar (September 2013) and Casablanca (April 2014), respectively. This project has rescued data from 18 different research surveys carried out in the CCLME and also has quality controlled the data from 90 surveys. A first product of this project is the inventory of the existing data-sets: a Directory of Atmospheric, Hydrographic and Biological data sets for the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. A central role for the OBIS secretariat is to enhance Member States capacity to manage, publish, access and use marine biodiversity data. Two training courses related to OBIS were held in 2014, namely the ODINAFRICA Marine Biodiversity Data Management training course and the OBIS nodes technical training. Altogether 31 people from 23 countries were trained. All the training material (Powerpoint presentations and videos) is available through the OceanTeacher classroom. Capacity-development activities are a cornerstone in the IOC HAB activities. The focus of the training courses and their location are demand-driven and the courses have become widely recognized for training of scientists and regulatory agency people carrying out HAB monitoring. The majority of the course makes use of the OceanTeacher web-based learning platform and includes qualification by examination. These activities, at the regional and global level, and their long-term sustainability are greatly facilitated by long-term commitment of a network of Member State institutions. WESTPAC employs adaptive and self-driven approaches to capacity development in the region with guiding principles to focus on regional and national needs, to foster North-South and South-South cooperation, and to link trainings to the attainment of research goals addressing critical challenges to sustainable development in the region. WESTPAC has been endeavouring to develop a Regional Network of Training and Research Centres (RTRCs) on Marine Sciences through the establishment of IOC Regional Training and Research Centres (RTRCs) in national oceanographic institutes or universities, and regular provision in these Centers of training and research opportunities on their domains of focus to young scientists mainly from developing countries within and outside the region. Wide support for this self-driven capacity development initiative was well received as demonstrated in the ASEAN-UNESCO indicative Joint Programme of Action (20142018), the Joint Statement of WESTPAC Research Directors Forum ( HYPERLINK "http://iocwestpac.org/news/392.html" http://iocwestpac.org/news/392.html), and the recommendations of the WESTPAC 9th International Scientific Symposium ( HYPERLINK "http://iocwestpac.org/news/398.html" http://iocwestpac.org/news/398.html). Regular training opportunities on harmful algal blooms, marine toxin analysis, ocean remote sensing, coral reef restoration and conservation, and monsoon science have been developed and organized in WESTPAC Member States on a rotational basis in order to enhance the capacity of its Member States for conservation and sustainable development of their coasts and marine biodiversity and resources. Since the inauguration of the IOC Regional Training and Research Center on Ocean Dynamics and Climate (RTRC-ODC) in 2011 at the First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration of China, the Centre has been organizing regular annual trainings on ocean dynamics, air-sea interactions and numerical modeling, with a total of 204 young scientists from 28 countries having participated. The regular training at the ODC Center attracts great interests of young researchers, which could be demonstrated by the ever-increasing number of applicants from wide geographical coverage. Meanwhile, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand and VietNam are taking efforts to establish Regional Training and Research Centres (RTRC) based on their own scientific specialization and regional recognition. The level of support to these initiatives was shown by the strong attendance at the International Feasibility Study Workshop towards the establishment of an IOC RTRC held in Kashiwa, Japan, 1819 November 2014. Participants positively reacted to Japans efforts to establish an RTRC that will help develop regional capacity and conduct research into coastal and marine sustainability science. They also stressed the need for WESTPAC to continuously develop this regional network, with the aim of strengthening national and regional capacity in a sustainable and systematic manner. Regular training opportunities have been developed and organized in WESTPAC Member States on a rotational basis in order to enhance the capacity of its Member States for conservation and sustainable development of their coasts and marine biodiversity and resources. Those activities over the last intersessional period include: Training Workshop on DNA Taxonomy in the Identification of Marine Organisms in Coral Reef Ecosystems (Bangkok, Thailand, 56 August 2013); Summer School on the Monsoon Onset Monitoring and its Social & Ecosystem Impacts (Terengganu, Malaysia, 1923 August 2013); Training Course on Sustainable Use and Conservation of Marine Ecosystems: Taxonomy of Soft Corals (Phuket, Thailand, 2426 September 2013); Training Workshop on Toxic Marine Organisms and their Toxins Technical guideline for Ciguatera study: experiences from Japan (Tokyo, Japan, 56 November 2013); Summer School on Resilience of Coral Reefs to the Climate Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances (NhaTrang, 1821 April 2014); Training Course on Recruitment Monitoring of Coral Reef Organisms (NhaTrang, 2021 April 2014); Training Course on Remote Sensing for Coastal Habitat Mapping (NhaTrang, 2527 April 2014); Summer School on the Monsoon Onset Monitoring and its Social & Ecosystem Impacts (Jakarta, Indonesia, 913 September 2014); and International Training Course on Basic Oceanography (Phuket, Thailand, 58 May 2015). The Second Sino-Africa Forum on Marine Science and Technology was co-organized by the IOC Subcommission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States and the State Oceanic Administration of China (SOA). It was hosted by the IOCAFRICA on 910 April 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya. Forty-eight invited participants from Angola, Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and China attended the forum. The participants agreed on the establishment of a Joint Coordination Committee to ensure the development and implementation of the China-Africa work programme, based on the priority areas identified at the first forum in 2013. These include: biogeography and biodiversity surveys, development of marine natural products, extreme events, climate change scenarios, marine biotechnology, resource assessment, blue economy, ocean energy, and ocean governance and policy. Other Initiatives implemented by IOCAFRICA include the following. Collaboration is active between the ocean and climate communities with the focus on improving climate prediction through incorporation of ocean data. This work is implemented with the Intergovernmental Authority on Developments (IGAD) Climate Prediction and Application Centre ICPAC and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA). An Ocean forecast workshop was organized for the Western Indian Ocean region to provide input for the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum in August 2014. A marine mammal survey was undertaken with the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem project aboard the RV Fridjhof Nansen. An artwork competition for children and youth was organized to mark the 2014 World Ocean Day and African Day of Seas and Oceans, and the best artwork was published in the book The stories of Africas Oceans and Coasts as told by its children and youth. IOCAFRICA, in cooperation with JCOMM, GOOS, and IODE's OceanTeacher, with the support of the Government of Flanders (Belgium), organized the African Summer School on Application of Ocean and Coastal Data and Modelling products from AprilSeptember 2014. The proceedings of the summer school were published in the IOC Workshop report, 268. The lessons learned from this summer school will inform future capacity develop project proposals. The Third session of the IOC Sub Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States was held on 1315 April 2015 in Nairobi, Kenya. The session reviewed the progress in the implementation of activities in the region and developed a work programme for the Sub-Commission for 20152017. During the last years of high budget constraints, the financial, in-kind contribution and secondment of experts by IOC Member States, donors, and expert networks the backbone of IOCARIBE scientific activity, have been instrumental for the development and implementation by IOCARIBE regional programmes and projects. Other main component that facilitated the Subcommission work was the co-operation with other UN Agencies and Programmes such as WMO, UNEP, UN-ISDR, UNDP, UNOPS, IAEA, the World Bank International, regional organizations (GOs and NGOs), and the work with national agencies and UNESCO National Commissions. IOCARIBE, in close cooperation with the Colombias IOC Focal Point, the Colombian Ocean Commission (CCO), participate in an exhibition promoting IOCs activities in the Caribbean Region under the framework of the International Event Sail Cartagena de Indias 2014 (1519 May, Cartagena, Colombia). Thousands of people visited the Exhibition, and the sailing ships and vessels from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the United States, Holland, Honduras, England, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela gathered in Cartagena in an effort to strengthen international cooperation among nations with interests in the ocean. IOCARIBE SIDS actively participated in the UN SIDS Conference (September 2014, Samoa). UN Member States formally adopted the Small Island Developing States Accelerated Modalities of Action (or SAMOA Pathway). Proper management of the worlds ocean is critical for human well-being in SIDS, as they strongly depend on the ocean for food, livelihoods, economic development and essential ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration. The ocean is also a source of their identity and a foundation for unique island cultures. SIDS nations have identified addressing the gap in ocean science capacity as a prerequisite for sustainably managing the vast ocean spaces and resources under their national jurisdiction. Caribbean SIDS were represented at the Yeosu International Ocean Forum and Roundtable 2014 (Yeosu, Korea, 2124 October 2014). SIDS vulnerability to climate change and its impact on their economies and sustainable development were clearly recognized in the Yeosu Initiative. Partners and stakeholders agreed on the importance of supporting SIDS actions for their sustainable development. Special attention was given to the SIDS Samoa Conference 2014 Declaration. Within the framework of the new IOC OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) project, the Jos Benito Vives de Andris Marine and Coastal Research Institute (INVEMAR) in Santa Marta, Colombia was selected to host an OTGA Regional Training Centre (RTC). INVEMAR has great potential to come a regional hub for ocean science/management related training for Spanish speaking countries in Latin America. The first OTGA Training Course in Spanish on Marine Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Area Management was organized by the INVEMAR, IOC, and SPINCAM with the support of the Government of Flanders and was held in Santa Marta on 2529 May 2015. The Tsunami and Other Coastal Hazards Warning System for the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions, in collaboration with national, regional, UN and international partners, carried out a series of capacity development activities. Within the framework of the project "Consolidating Haitian capacities for tsunami early warning and preparedness" (20132014), several workshops were organized in Haiti to enable full scale tsunami SIMEXs (simulation exercises) with thousands of participants, especially from schools located in tsunami prone areas. In the Dominican Republic, jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNESCO and IOC implemented the DIPECHO project National institutions prepared and communities resilient to earthquakes and tsunamis in urban environments in the province of Puerto Plata (2013-2014). The first Tsunami Safety Course tailored for the Tourism, Hotel and Security industries was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on 2931 July 2013. A workshop on Strengthening Standard Operating Procedures for Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response was held on 48 November 2013 in Barbados as a part of the Enhancing Resilience to Reduce Vulnerability in the Caribbean (ERC) Project. It trained Tsunami Emergency Response organizations in 10 countries in the IOCARIBE Region. A second workshop was held also in Barbados on 1822 November 2013 for 10 additional countries of the southern Caribbean. More than 100 officers were trained in dealing with tsunami emergencies. A Regional Tsunami Training Workshop on Strengthening Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Tsunami Warning and Emergency Response and the Development of the ICG/CARIBE-EWS PTWC New Enhanced Products was held in Bayahibe, Dominican Republic, on 48 November 2013. The Fourth Training Course for Operators of Sea Level Stations in the Caribbean and Adjacent Regions was conducted in Mayagez, Puerto Rico, on 37 November 2014. A Regional Technical Training Workshop on the Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) System took place in Barbados on 2530 May 2015. Appendix: Report on the International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) at ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, India Following the signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India and the IOC, on 4 July 2013, for the establishment of the International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) in Hyderabad, India, the Centre conducted 11 training programmes aiming at capacity development in the areas of operational oceanography. Total of 297 trainees, mainly from the Indian Ocean rim countries and Africa, were trained in the areas of remote sensing and potential fishing zones, ocean state forecasting, processing of ocean colour data and their applications, ocean climate and modelling, Standard Operating Procedure for tsunami warning and emergency response, Ensemble Kalman Filters for ocean data assimilation, ocean information services for cyclone forecasters, advanced statistical concepts in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, etc. Fifty two trainees from Australia (1), Bangladesh (2), Belgium (1), Comoros (2), Ghana (1), Iran (1), Italy (1), Kenya (4), Madagascar (5), Maldives (3), Malaysia (2), Mauritius (5), Mozambique (3), Nigeria (1), Oman (6), Romania (1), Seychelles (3), South Africa (1), Sri Lanka (1), Tanzania (4), Togo (1), Yemen (3) and 245 from India attended the training courses of durations varying from one to two weeks. The training course Ocean Colour Data, Processing and Applications co-sponsored by OceanTeacher Global Academy (OTGA) was attended by 28 trainees from Bangladesh (1), Ghana (1), India (20), Madagascar (1), Malaysia (2), Mauritius (1), Romania (1), and Tanzania (1). The ITCOocean will also act as one of the Regional Training Centre of OTGA. The newly established state-of-art 48 seat e-class room at ITCOocean would allow the participation of trainees in the training programme from distant locations. The list of training programmes to be organised during 2015 is available at  HYPERLINK "http://www.incois.gov.in/portal/ITCOocean/Courses_Conducted.jsp" http://www.incois.gov.in/portal/ITCOocean/Courses_Conducted.jsp.     IOC-XXVIII/2 Annex 1 Add. Rev. page PAGE 4 IOC-XXVIII/2 Annex 1 Add. Rev. page PAGE 5 Restricted Distribution IOC-XXVIII/2Annex1 Add. Rev. 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