OceanExpert | Document

Author(s)	IOC
Summary	A draft Strategy for Capacity-Building was presented to the Executive Council at its 37th Session, in June 2004. By Resolution EC-XXXVII.9, the Council instructed the IOC Executive Secretary to produce a final draft Strategy for Capacity-Building for consideration by the Assembly at its 23rd Session, based on inputs from Member States. Following instructions of the Executive Council, a revised draft document incorporating comments from Member States, (made during the discussion at the 37th Session of the Executive Council, and through their written responses to Circular Letter no. 2119 inviting further comments) was developed and uploaded to the IOC website for further review from January 2005 on. This revised draft was discussed and further improved at the IOC Expert Workshop “Drafting an Implementation Plan for the IOC Strategy for Capacity-Building” held at UNESCO, Paris, 9–11 March 2005 (see Annex I for tabulation of various inputs). Special attention has been paid to drafting the mission and vision statement that sets the Medium Term goals for the Capacity-Building Section of IOC. These statements were the initial steps in formulating the Principles and Strategy for Capacity-Building at IOC. The mission of the IOC Capacity-Building Section is: “to help Member States, through international cooperative mechanisms, identify and address capacity-building needs to contribute to improved management and decision-making processes, sustainable development, and protection of the ocean and coasts”. The vision of IOC Capacity-Building is: “to establish networks of scientists, managers and other practitioners working within regional and similar cooperative mechanisms, to create demand-driven science, enhance sustainable development and protection of the marine environment, and provide operational oceanographic services for the benefit of all humanity”. Inherent in the vision statement is the concept of ‘self-directed capacity-building’ that leads to autonomous development cycles. This key strategic principle is also reflected in the key funding strategy of making ‘business proposals’ to sponsors with clear deliverables against identified performance indicators. This in no way diminishes the responsibilities of sponsors as long-term partners in building capacity in developing regions. It asks instead for a change of strategy, from both sides of the partnership — a business-like approach to building safer lives, sustainable livelihoods, and deriving economic gains from healthy ocean and coasts. These concepts have guided the development of this strategy document.
Doc Type	Information Document
Status	Published on 01 Jan 2005
This document is in the list(s):	IOC Capacity Building IOC documents

IOC/INF-1211

IOC PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGY FOR CAPACITY BUILDING