IODE Regional Coordinator for WESTPAC

Regional Coordinator:Nobuyuki SHIBAYAMA since April 2002
vacancy Oct. 2001 to Apr. 2002
Toshio Nagai 1997 to Sep. 2001

At the 15th session of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), establishment of Regional Co-ordinator was resolved in order to effectively and more lively utilize the IODE system of IOC regional programmes. Based on the resolution of the session, the system of IODE Regional Co-ordinator was established mainly for the objectives of accelerating infiltration of the IODE activities and policies in WESTPAC Region. The Director of Japan Oceanographic Data Center (JODC) accepted the request from IOC for assumption of IODE Regional Co-ordinator for WESTPAC in1997.

The terms of reference of IODE Regional Co-ordinator has revised, and strengthening of the Regional Co-ordinators Mechanism was recommended at the IODE-XVI meeting held in Lisbon, Portugal,October-November,2000. In this context, we opened this Web-site. The main contents of the new terms of reference are helping in establishing national systems, especially, NODCs, promoting the communication and collaboration between data and information centers, establishing links with the IOC's and other relevant regional and global science and services programmes, and so on.

The web-site offers information on the activities of IODE Regional Co-ordinator for WESTPAC, a mailing list system for the WESTPAC discussion group on the data management, e-mail to regional coordinator, etc, to activate IODE activities within the region.

This Web-site aims to contribute greatly not only to improve IODE activities but also to make good relations between organizations and persons concerned in this region.