Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Biennial Report 2014-2015.

Abstract

Most of the activities described in this Report were conducted under the leadership of Dr Wendy Watson-Wright, the Executive Secretary of IOC during the years 2010-2014. Pending the arrival of the new Executive Secretary, Dr Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Natural Sciences served as Executive Secretary ad interim from 12 January to 28 February 2015. Dr Vladimir Ryabinin started his work as the Executive Secretary on 1 March 2015. He is very grateful to Dr Watson-Wright for very ably leading the IOC during her tenure as well for her support during the transitional period. The smooth continuation of the IOC Secretariat work under the interim leadership of Dr Schlegel is also much appreciated by the IOC Secretariat and Dr Ryabinin. Like UNESCO, IOC continued to work in 2014- 2015 under the significantly reduced spending plan for the approved regular UNESCO 37 C/5 Programme and Budget (2014–2015) and with reduced staff. The Secretariat, guided by the IOC Assembly and adhering to the principles of the IOC Medium Term Strategy 2014-2021, has completed all planned tasks for the period and has achieved all assigned targets at the level corresponding to the available reduced budget