PARIS, FRANCE, June 25, 2012 – Chair of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO stressed working hand in hand would overcome budgetary constraint crisis.
Dr. Sang-Kyung Byun delivered his statement in Paris at the45th Session of the IOC Executive Council.
“It is true that today we have many hardships caused by recent budgetary reduction and also by urgent ocean related issues stated by four IOC’s High Level Objectives. But I am sure that the future of IOC will be promising and prosperous if we can and we have to go forward hand in hand between member states,” Dr. Byun said.
While highlighted a series of key activities IOC has organized and taken an active part in since last year, including the Rio+20, EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea, he also commended the substantial progress of IOC on its regional activities, particularly its two Sub-Commissions. The official inauguration of the IOC Sub-commission for Africa and Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) took place in Nairobi, Kenya, during 2-3 May 2012, and the 9th Intergovernmental Session of the IOC Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific, IOC/WESTPAC was held in Busan, Korea during 9-12 May 2012.
To demonstrate the increasing interests of member states in IOC regional activities, Dr Byun quoted two workshops held in WESTPAC region, namely the IOC/WESTPAC workshop on “the Status of Marine Renewable Energy Technology Development in the Western Pacific” in Malacca, Malaysia during 16-18 February 2012.” and UNESCO/UNU Symposium on “the Great East Japan Tsunami on 11 March 2011 and Tsunami Warning Systems: Policy Perspectives” held during 16-17 February 2012 at United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan.
The IOC/WESTPAC workshop on “the Status of Marine Renewable Energy Technology Development in the Western Pacific” was co- organized by the Malaysian Government through the National Oceanography Directorate (NOD), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia (MOSTI) in collaboration with the IOC/WESTPAC and Republic of Korea in order to exchange information on the current status and future potential of marine renewable energy in the Western Pacific countries.
Even though IOC has been facing various challenges and hardships from the recent budgetary reduction and urgent ocean related issues of the four IOC’s High Level Objectives, Dr. Byun believes that IOC can move forward and achieve the sustainable development and protection of the marine environment and the decision-making process of its Member States.