international hydrographic organization 2003 - IHO

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hydrographic and nautical cartography activities need to be addressed, and therefore the IHB was
represented by Captain GORZIGLIA, at the XXVIth ATCM, held in Madrid, Spain from 3 to 20 June,
who attended the meeting only on 16 June, when the Agenda covered operational matters, as well as
an IHO presentation.
On this occasion there were over 40 Working Documents and over 120 Information Papers, out of
which the following are directly or indirectly related to IHO objectives:
Arctic Shipping Guidelines.
Advice to Mariners and Vessel Operators on the Environmental Protocol‟s Obligation.
Status of Hydrography and Nautical Cartography in Antarctic and Proposals for its
Implementation.
International Polar Year 2007-08.
Antarctic Treaty Secretariat.
In conclusion, it is clear that the IHO Antarctic activities are well known and appreciated by the
ATCM. There was particular interest in what would be the outcome of the 3 rd HCA and the progress of
S-59. Also, there was strong support for the recommendations included in the paper submitted by IHB
entitled “Status of Hydrography and Nautical Cartography in Antarctic and Proposals for its
Implementation”.
This recommendation resulted in a Resolution adopted by the XXVIth ATCM, highlighting the
importance of cooperation in Antarctic waters.
UNICPOLOS
UNITED NATIONS (UN)
The fourth meeting of the UN Informal Consultative Process on the Law of the Sea (UNICPOLOS)
was held from 2-6 June 2003 at the United Nations in New York. Of particular note is that one of two
topics specifically cited for discussion was safety of navigation and capacity building for the
production of nautical charts. After one day of plenary session, a panel discussion began with the
focus of nautical charts and capacity building for their production. Rear Admiral Richard WEST,
former Navigator of the U.S. Navy and currently the Director of the Consortium for Oceanographic
Research and Education (CORE), provided an introduction on the benefits of transitioning to
electronic navigational charts. Next Rear Admiral Kenneth BARBOR provided an overview of the
International Hydrographic Organization and its capacity building efforts for the production of
nautical charts. Other panel members included Ms Anne Christine BRUSENDORFF of the Helsinki
Commission and Mr. Gaetano LIBRANDO of the International Maritime Organization. IGA Yves
DESNOËS, Director of SHOM provided an overview of nautical charting and its importance for safety
of navigation.
The ensuing discussions probed the many important uses of data collected for nautical chart
production especially for the delimitation of marine boundaries and the monitoring of the marine
ecosystem. The obstacles that prevent effective capacity building were discussed. Many positive
examples of bilateral cooperation were noted along with the multilateral examples provided by the
IHO. Canada addressed the formation of the IHO Capacity Building Committee and the creation of a
trust fund and encouraged States to contribute. Belgium encouraged the partnering with private
industry to further the resources available for capacity building. The disparity between IHO
membership and that of the IMO was noted. A further summary of the discussions can be found at
http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/oceans/icp4/.
The final text of the discussion on capacity building for the production of nautical charts recognizes
that hydrographic surveys and nautical charting are critical to navigational safety, life at sea,
environmental protection, including vulnerable marine ecosystems, and the global seaborne trade. It