CAPACITY BUILDING IN MARINE RESEARCH AND OCEAN OBSERVATIONS - A PERSPECTIVE ON WHY AND HOW

This paper relates the need for international cooperative actions to s upport the development of the ocean science and observation capabiliti es to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which enter ed into force in November 1994, and the results of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992. Parti cularly, the framework for the presentation is the mechanism provided by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The goals of these activities should be the strengthening of national cap acities to deal with the requirements of UNCLOS and UNCED implementati on actions, within the context of national needs and priorities. A clo se linkage and harmonisation between national and international struct ures is desirable for mutual benefit. The related mechanisms of the IO C are discussed. The partnership modality is emphasised. The challenge for marine science to adapt to the changing conditions and requiremen ts is analysed. In this context, the importance of indigenous capabili ties is stressed, as well as the need to give a special attention to p articular areas, e.g. small island developing countries. Some current trends are briefly considered, in particular, the development of opera tional oceanography, This also implies that there is a need for a new professional community of operational oceanographers, The particularly relevant results of UNCED are brought out, and also in relation to EE Zs, a major part of UNCLOS, The need for interdisciplinarity and coope ration between disciplines and society sectors is discussed and exempl ified, Finally, an approach for the future is suggested, involving the IOC as a joint specialised intergovernmental mechanism. (C) 1998 Else vier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.