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International Polar Year 2007–2008 - WMO

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40<br />

IPY 20 07–20 08<br />

the IPY Planning Group including a preliminary list of<br />

its ‘core members’ from several nations. 13<br />

Russian Proposal Advances Through <strong>WMO</strong>:<br />

April–June 2003<br />

Meanwhile, the Russian plan for the ‘third IPY’<br />

obtained its own traction within the Russian science<br />

community and relevant agencies. A special committee<br />

of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Roshydromet<br />

was put in place in March 2003 to develop a concept for<br />

a new IPY program (Kotlyakov to Rapley, March 2003).<br />

On 22 April 2003, a seven-page document “Concepts<br />

of Conducting the 3rd <strong>International</strong> <strong>Polar</strong> <strong>Year</strong>” was<br />

approved by the Academy’s Scientific Council on<br />

Arctic and Antarctic Exploration. The main goals of the<br />

proposed ‘3rd IPY’ were listed as the “determination<br />

of existing and (the) assessment of future climate<br />

and environmental conditions changes in the<br />

polar regions and determination of consequences<br />

of such changes for natural and socio-economic<br />

complexes.” 14 The outline, though advocating a broad<br />

international program, was written with Russia’s<br />

economic interests in mind and argued for certain<br />

‘practical outcomes’ of IPY, particularly for “marine<br />

transport systems; development and exploration of<br />

Fig. 1.2-10. Cover<br />

slide of the joint<br />

presentation by Chris<br />

Rapley and Chris<br />

Elfring (Exploring<br />

Earth’s Icy Domains<br />

Planning for the Next<br />

<strong>International</strong> <strong>Polar</strong><br />

<strong>Year</strong>, 2007– 2008) at<br />

the ASSW in Kiruna,<br />

Sweden, March 2003.<br />

oil-and-gas resources; development of bio-resources;<br />

environmental activities and ecological policy; and<br />

socio-economic problems.” This was a very different<br />

concept from that developed by the ICSU/EPB/SCAR/<br />

IASC/AOSB nexus.<br />

In two weeks, this proposal was approved by the<br />

Russian Academy; it was endorsed by the Russian<br />

Government and was taken to the 14th <strong>WMO</strong> World<br />

Meteorological Congress (supreme body of <strong>WMO</strong>) in<br />

Geneva 5–24 May 2003. 15 It was submitted on behalf of<br />

the Russian Federation by Alexander I. Bedritsky, the<br />

head of the Roshydromet, who was elected the <strong>WMO</strong><br />

President at the same Congress. On 21 May, 2003,<br />

the Congress approved the Resolution 33 calling for<br />

‘launching a third IPY in <strong>2007–2008</strong> under the auspices<br />

of <strong>WMO</strong>’ (Box 3) and requested that a special ad hoc<br />

working body would be established under <strong>WMO</strong> to<br />

prepare a plan of action for the third IPY and coordinate<br />

its implementation’ (<strong>WMO</strong>, 2003). The Congress also<br />

charged the <strong>WMO</strong> Executive Council to examine<br />

the preparation process at its 56th session in May<br />

2004 and put it under the responsibility of the <strong>WMO</strong><br />

Secretary-General. This was a stunning achievement<br />

for the Russian IPY proposal; Eduard Sarukhanian, then<br />

Director of the World Weather Watch-Applications

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