27th Session of the IODE Committee

Right after the conference started the 27th Session of the IODE Committee that was held 22-24 March 2023, Paris, France as an in-person event.

During the session a report was given on the past intersessional period bringing into focus the status of IODE network, revision of the IOC Strategic Plan for Oceanographic Data and Information Management, revision of the IOC Oceanographic Data Exchange Policy along with progress report on 15 IODE global projects. Among other projects AquaDocs and ASFA were presented. The IODE Committee recommended further collaboration of ASFA and AquaDocs and their joint promotion. Further cooperation of IODE and IAMSLIC was also recommended. 

One of the important activities that was highlighted was the IODE contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

The Committee noted with regret the continuing small number of IODE Associated Information Units (AIUs) and requested a concerted recruitment effort be made to increase the number before IODE-XXVIII in close collaboration with ASFA and IAMSLIC, which included EURASLIC members as well.

During the session suspension of ODINs was announced. The recommendation for former ODINs is to get involved directly in other projects or through IOC representatives for the region. ODINECET Group already directed its activities into the joint project AquaDocs Repository.

Work plan and budget showed that funding provided to IODE’s regular programs decreased therefore there was less allocation to the current IODE projects. Action paper and future of IODE was discussed together with a proposed work plan for the next intersessional period.  Co-chairs for the next inter-sessional period were announced (Ms Lotta Fyrberg (Sweden), Ms Paula Sierra (Colombia)). The session was closed after decisions, recommendations and summary report were adopted.

The evening the conference ended and before the session started a reception was held. During the reception IODE achievement awards were granted to nine award recipients: Mr Francisco A. Arias-Isaza, Ms Paula Cristina Sierra Correa, Mr Jay S. Pearlman, Mr Johannes Karstensen, Ms Cláudia M. Neves Delgado, Ms Kristin de Lichtervelde, Mr Sergey Belov, Mr Taco De Bruin and Mr Peter Pissierssens.

The 27th Session of the IODE was attended by 112 participants from 38 IOC Member States and 16 organizations. EURASLIC was represented at both events by Sofija Konjević, president at the time. Apart from IODE staff and other representatives there were also representatives from IAMSLIC (Jennifer Walton) and ASFA (Tamsin Vicary).

Full final Report of the session is available at IODE OceanExpert page: https://oceanexpert.org/document/32021 

During the session Colombia offered to host the next session of the IODE Committee in 2025.