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52 | THE BLUE ECONOMY AND FINANCE

MEDITERRANEAN
The IHO and CIESM

renew their agreement

As they both turn 100, the two international organisations have chosen Monaco

to renew the terms of their historic partnership for oceanographic research.

In homage to the House of Grimaldi’s decision to host Director General of UNESCO, promises that “the
two intergovernmental organisations in Monaco, and three intergovernmental organisations focused on
the Prince’s Government’s continued hospitality, the the future of the oceans - IHO, CIESM and IOC - will
International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and work together towards the common objective of an
the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM) improved understanding of the world’s oceans and
decided to sign a new agreement during Monaco their protection”.
Ocean Week, an event which reflects the ethos of
their historic commitments to ocean preservation.
THE MEDITERRANEAN,
A HIGH-RISK REGION
THE SAME GOAL
Frédéric Briand, Director General of CIESM, explains
Signed in Monaco on 23 March 2021, the renewed how the marine and scientific networks of the two
agreement encourages the joint research efforts of organisations in the Mediterranean could combine
CIESM and IHO in the Mediterranean for the next forces to collect oceanographic data linked to global
four years: warming, and marine geo-hazards in particular. The
• monitoring ocean variables directly linked to cli- head of the commission reiterated the unique geo-
mate change; graphy of the Mediterranean region, which has 900
• high-resolution mapping of seabed features in prominent underwater canyons, and is the 3 most
rd
relation to studies on marine geo-hazards; vulnerable sea to tsunamis: “Updated and precise
• helping to obtain international research permits data can be used to try to predict and mitigate the im-
in territorial waters. pact of tsunamis, and thus help populations to better
prepare for this natural hazard”. As part of this active
Four years after defining the initial framework, a new partnership, Mathias Jonas, Secretary General of the
boost has been given to Mediterranean oceanogra- IHO, strongly encouraged “marine research institutes
phy. The renewed partnership between CIESM and and national hydrographic services in all countries in
IHO has reached a convenient point, as it follows on the Mediterranean and the Black Sea to coordinate
from the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science their efforts, where possible, to promote these essen-
for Sustainable Development. The work carried out tial objectives”.
by these bodies “will offer an invaluable set of data
for the Mediterranean region”,summarises Mathias
Jonas, Secretary General of the IHO, whilst Vladimir
Ryabinin, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmen-
tal Oceanographic Commission (IOC) and Assistant