Forty Years Of The Coordinating Committee For Geoscience - CCOP

Box 4
Accolade for an Acronym.
In 1994, recognising the broadening of the CCOP work programme, the Steering Committee
considered that the time was ripe for an adjustment to the name of CCOP and also rewording
of its mandate. The latter was amended to read, “The purpose of CCOP is to carry out joint
applied geoscience programmes for sustainable development of the coastal and offshore areas
of East and Southeast Asia”. This acknowledged the fact that the work programme was
encroaching on the coastal zone, marking the first tentative steps by CCOP on to dry land.
The question of a new title provoked lengthy debate as there was a great desire amongst
members to retain the now well-known acronym CCOP so that words starting with those
letters should at least appear somewhere in the title. The new title therefore became
“Coordinating Committee for Coastal and Offshore Geoscience Programmes in East and
Southeast Asia”. There were to be further slight changes in the future but CCOP remained as
the well-loved acronym to take the organisation into the new Millennium.
Acronyms, though undoubtedly useful, do however have their drawbacks. C Y Li once
related how, when he worked for ECAFE, he was paged in an airport by the loudspeaker
announcing a message for “Mr Silly of NESCAFE”! Also, when occupying the offices at the
Offshore Mining Organisation, the ‘CCOP’ sign at the front gate (Figure 14) was often
mistaken for that of the Russian Embassy (CCCP) which was situated in the adjacent
building.
Figure 14. The CCOP acronym at the gate of the Offshore Mining Organisation Building,
frequently mistaken for the Russian Embassy (CCCP) which was situated next door.
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A World of Difference