PH Hosts 12th Session of Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission for the Western Pacific
Representatives to the 12th Session of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Sub-commission for the Western Pacific pose for a photograph during the opening ceremony. (DFA MOAO photo)
MANILA 05 April 2019 — The Philippines is hosting the 12th Intergovernmental Session of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission for the Western Pacific (IOC-WESTPAC), from 02 to 05 April 2019 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.
The hosting is a joint project of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission of the Philippines, in cooperation with the University of the Philippines-Marine Sciences Institute (UP-MSI).
At the opening ceremony, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Generoso D.G. Calonge welcomed the delegates and recognized the role of IOC-WESTPAC in ocean science and ocean management.
He said that through the IOC-WESTPAC, the region is able to contribute to the global effort to better understand the oceans research and development, science-based policy guidance, capacity-building, and models of cooperation.
A mini-symposium on the UN Decade of Ocean Science was also organized, featuring IOC Executive Secretary Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin and UP-MSI Director Dr. Fernando P. Siringan. A signing ceremony for the letter of intent on the hosting of a regional training and research center between IOC and UP-MSI was also held on the sidelines of the meeting.
The IOC-WESTPAC was established in 1989 to promote international cooperation and to coordinate programs in marine research, ocean observations, and services, as well as capacity-building in the Western Pacific and adjacent seas. There are done with the aim of learning more about the nature and resources of the ocean and coastal areas, and applying that knowledge for the improvement of governance, sustainable development and protection of the marine environment.
The organization currently consists of 22 member states mainly in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Pacific and the eastern Indian Ocean. END
Left photo: Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office Generoso D.G. Calonge delivers his welcome remarks. Right photo: Signing ceremony for the letter of intent between the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and the University of the Philippines, represented by IOC Executive Secretary Dr. Vladimir Ryabinin and UP Chancellor Dr. Michael Tan, respectively. (DFA MOAO photo)