Status of Goos Regional Alliances

Abstract

Creation of regional GOOS bodies has substantially increased the number of Member States engaged in GOOS. This is happening through three complementary mechanisms: (i) creation of subsidiary bodies within the intergovernmental structure of the IOC (NEAR-GOOS, IOCARIBE-GOOS, Black Sea GOOS, WIOMAP); (ii) creation of regional groups within alternative intergovernmental structures operating on behalf of IOC (PacificGOOS in SOPAC); and (iii) creation of regional associations (EuroGOOS, MedGOOS) in areas where there was no formal IOC structure. All groups are related closely to the regional intergovernmental structures of UNEP’s Regional Seas Programme and its Conventions and Action Plans, or to pre-existing Conventions (EuroGOOS and OSPARCOM).