Amendments to the Statutes of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
Source: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001609/160968eb.pdf, downloaded 20120215
The General Conference,
Recalling resolution 2343 adopted at its fifteenth session,
Considering that by its Resolution 2467D(XXIII) the United Nations General Assembly requested Unesco that its Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission intensify its activities within its terms of reference and in co-operation with other interested agencies in particular with regard to co-ordinating the scientific aspects of a long-term and expanded programme of worldwide exploration of the oceans and their resources
Considering further that it is desirable to take further measures toward broadening the base of the Commission and to facilitate such co-operation with the interested organizations of the United Nations system, particularly through their contributing; to its Secretariat sustaining its work through relevant parts of their programmes using it as appropriate for advice and review in the area of Marine Science and as an instrument for discharging certain of their responsibilities in that area.
Having taken note of the report of the sixth session of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission,
Being desirous of giving effect to the recommendation contained in resolution VI-3 of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission
Noting the proposals of the Director-General, set forth in document 16 C/31 for the amendment of the Statutes of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission adopted by it at its eleventh session
Decides to amend the Statutes of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission as follows:
Article 1
1. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, hereafter called the Commission, is established within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
2. The purpose of the Commission is to promote scientific investigation with a view to learning more about the nature and resources of the oceans through the concerted action of its members.
3. The Commission shall seek to collaborate with all international organizations concerned with the work of the Commission and especially closely with those organizations of the United Nations system which are prepared to contribute to the Commission's Secretariat, to sustain the work of the Commission through the relevant parts of the programmes of such organizations, and to use the Commission for advice and review in the area of marine science.
Article 2
The functions of the Commission shall be to:
(a) Define those problems the solution of which require international co-operation in the field of scientific investigation of the oceans and review the results of such investigation;
(b) develop, recommend, and co-ordinate international programmes for scientific investigation of the oceans and related services which call for concerted action by its members;
(c) develop, recommend, and co-ordinate with interested international organizations in international programmes for scientific investigation of the oceans and related services which call for concerted action with interested organizations;
(d) make recommendations to international organizations concerning activities of such organizati:"1f1s which relate to the Commission's programme;
(e) promote and make recommendations for the exchange of oceanographic data and the publication and dissemination of results of scientific investigation of the oceans:,
(f) make recommendations to strengthen education and training programmes in marine science and its technology;
(g) develop and make recommendations for assistance programmes in marine science and its technology;
(h) make recommendations and provide technical guidance as to the formulation and execution of the marine science programmes of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization;
(i) promote freedom of scientific investigation of the oceans for the benefit of all mankind, taking into account all relevant interests and rights;
(j) take such other action as may be necessary or desirable to achieve its purpose, as mentioned in paragraph 2, Article 1.
In carrying out its functions, the Commission shall bear in mind the special needs and interests of developing countries, including in particular the need to further the capabilities of these countries in marine science and technology.
Article 3
The Commission shall give due attention to supporting the objectives of the international organizations with which it collaborates and which may request the Commission to act, as appropriate, as an instrument for discharging certain of their responsibilities in the field of marine science. On the other hand, the Commission may request these organizations to take its requirements into account in planning and executing their own programmes.
Article 4
1. Membership of the Commission shall be open to any Member State of anyone of the organizations of the United Nations system.
2. States covered by the terms of paragraph 1 above shall acquire membership of the Commission by notifying the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, either directly or through the executive head of any organization of the United Nations system. :Membership will take effect from the date of receipt by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of such notification.
3. Any member of the Commission may withdraw from it by giving notice of its intention to do so to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Such notice shall take effect at the end of the first session of the Commission which follows the date on which notice has been given or, if notice has been given during the course of a session of the Commission, at the end of that session, unless withdrawn prior to that time.
4. The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall inform the Chairman of the Commission, the executive heads of the organizations of the United Nations system and Member States of the Commission of all notifications received by him under the present Article.
Article 5
1. The Commission shall consist of an Assembly, an Executive Council, a Secretariat, and such subsidiary bodies as it may establish.
2. The Assembly shall be the principal organ of the Commission, and shall make all decisions necessary to accomplish the purpose of the Commission.
3. The Executive Council shall exercise the responsibilities delegated to it by the Assembly and act on its behalf in the implementation of decisions of the Assembly; for these purposes the Executive Council shell provide guidance to the Secretariat of the Commission. It shall convene as is laid down in the Rules of Procedure. It shall, in any case, convene when five of its members or the Chairman so request.
4. During the course of each ordinary session, the Assembly, taking into account principles of geographical distribution, shall elect:
(a) A Chairman and four Vice-Chairmen who shall be the officers of the Commission, its Assembly and its Executive Council;
(b) Member States of the Commission who shall each designate a representative of that State to serve on the Executive Council; the number of Member States to be elected to the Executive Council shall be fixed by the Rules of Procedure.
5. The Chairman, the four .Vice-Chairmen and the representatives of the Member States so elected shall constitute the Executive Council.
(a) Each member of the Executive Council shall represent his State.
(b) Each member of the Executive Council shall have one vote.
(c) Members of the Executive Council may be accompanied by alternates and advisers at the expense of their States.
(d) The Executive Council may not include among its members more than one national of a Member State. 6. The term of office of the members of the Executive Council shall commence at the end of the session of the Assembly during which they have been elected and expire at the end of the next ordinary session of the Assembly.
Article 6
The Commission may create, for the examination and execution of specific projects, committees or other subsidiary bodies composed of Member States interested· in such projects, or of individual experts. Committees or other bodies composed of Member States or individual experts may also be established or convened by the Commission jointly with other organizations.
Article 7
1, The Assembly shall be convened in ordinary session every two years. Extraordinary sessions may be convened under conditions specified in the Rules of Procedure.
2. Each Member State shall have one vote and may send at its own expense such representatives, alternates and advisers as are required to sessions of the Assembly.
3. The Assembly shall determine the Commission's Rules of Procedure.
Article 8
Subject to provisions in the Rules of Procedure regarding closed meetings, participation in the meetings of the Assembly, of the Executive Council and subsidiary bodies, without the right to vote, is open to:
(a) Representatives of Member States of organizations in the United Nations system which are not members of the Commission;
(b) representatives of the organizations in the United Nations system;
(c) representatives of such other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as may be invited subject to conditions to be determined in the Rules of Procedure.
Article 9
1. With due regard to the applicable personnel rules and regulations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Secretariat of the Commission .shall consist of personnel provided by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, as well as such personnel as may be provided by the-United Nations the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Meteorological Organization: and the Intergovernmental Maritime Consultative Organization, and other organizations of the United Nations system at their expense.
2. The Secretary of the Commission shall be appointed by the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization following consultation with the Executive Council of the' Commission.
Article 10
1. The programmes sponsored and coordinated by the Commission and recommended to its Member States for their concerted action shall be carried out with the aid of the resources of participating Member States, in accordance with the obligations that each State is willing to assume.
2. The expenditures of the Commission shall be financed from funds appropriated for this purpose by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as well as from such additional resources as may be made available by other organizations of the United Nations system and .by Member States and from other sources.
3. Voluntary contributions may be accepted and established as trust funds in accordance with the financial regulations of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization and administered by the Director-General of that Organization. Such contributions shall be allocated by the Commission for its programmes.
Article 11
The Commission may decide upon the mechanism through which it may obtain scientific advice.
Article 12
The Commission shall prepare regular reports on its activities, which shall be submitted to the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, These reports shall also be addressed to the Member States of the Commission as well as to organizations within the United Nations system which provide support to the Commission.
Article 13
An amendment to these Statutes shall enter into force, following the recommendation by the Assembly of the Commission, on the date of its adoption by the General Conference of Unesco.
Article 14
The present statutes shall enter into force immediately following the closure of the seventh session of the Commission.
