The International Conference on the IODE-WESTPAC 1999 (ICIWP'99) was held in Langkawi, Malaysia from 1st to 4th November 1999 organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO and with support from many organizations.
The purpose of this Conference is to bring together scientists and data managers to discuss new challenges facing the IODE system in the WESTPAC region and to identify measures for increasing the effectiveness of the system.
At the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE) Officers Meeting held in Goa, India in 1998, the progress of many projects in IODE as well as other were discussed including that of the WESTPAC region. IODE regional co-ordinator for W international projects was reported. Among them, the problems of several IODE regional activities ESTPAC felt that it was necessary to hold a meeting to review and discuss the activity of IODE-WESTPAC directing to the future.
Furthermore, at the fourth session of the IOC Sub-commission for the Western Pacific in Korea, the regional Coordinator for WESTPAC proposed the ICIWP'99, and this proposal was later adopted officially by IOC.
The Conference was organized by IOC, in collaboration with the Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) and the Oceanographic Research Coordination Committee of Malaysia, and financially supported by the Nippon Foundation through the Marine Information Research Center (MIRC), Japan, Science and Technology Agency (STA), Japan through the Japan International Science and Technology Exchange Center (JISTEC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The International Organizing Committee, Scientific Advisory Board, Local Organizing Committee, International Secretariat and Local Secretariat were organized to coordinate preparation of the Conference.
With regard to the official records of this conference, which include subjects for conference, outlines of seminar on oceanography and marine science and workshop on IODE activities in the WESTPAC region, list of participants, recommendations of the conference and so on, it is going to be published as one of the Workshop Reports of IOC.
This conference finished in great success and made many outcomes for activating the IODE system not only in WESTPAC region but also in another regions.
In accordance with the recommendations of the conference, JODC established Mailing List as a forum for the Discussion Group on the Data Management for WESTPAC and now is being operated in cooperation with participants in the group.
It will be welcomed to join us to discuss on the marine data management and provide topics. Anybody will be requested personal information to register if they would like joining and have to inform to the mailing administrator : westadm@jodc.go.jp
Furthermore, E-mail address of the Mailing List for the discussion group as follows : westpac-ml@jodc.go.jp
On the other hand, the proceedings of the conference was published and its copies was distributed all of participants and relative organizations. It includes a lot of useful manuscripts for the seminar, workshop and poster session and will be the most valuable for ocean sciences in this region. Abstracts for them submitted to the secretariats can be seen at the following web site : https://www.jodc.go.jp/iciwp99/Abstract.pdf
However, a few presentations were canceled at the seminar, so that not all manuscripts are contained in the proceedings.
By the way, the proceedings will be the most valuable for ocean sciences in the region. Therefore, researchers and data managers who are interested in the ocean data management in the region will be able to request if they think it may be useful. However, although we would like to distribute it as many as we have, there is a limit of number of copies, so that not all requesters may get it. Please request it with your personal information to receive.
With regard to holding the conference, all persons who made cooperation with this conference, especially many stuff of the Coastal & Offshore Engineering Institute, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia as the Local Secretariat, and anyone took part in the conference are cordial appreciated.