GUIDELINES FOR THE STRUCTURE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUBSIDIARY BODIES OF THE COMMISSION (IOC)
The Guidelines for the Structure and Responsibilities of the Subsidiary Bodies of the Commission are presented in the IOC Manual, Part I, Section 5 and the general Terms of Reference of the IOC Subsidiary Bodies and their membership, in the IOC Manual, Part II, of December 1985 (revised 1989).
Note that this document was superseded by the “IOC Rules of Procedure” (IOC/INF-1166 of November 2001):
IOC RULES OF PROCEDURE (2001)
VII. Committees, subsidiary and other bodies
Rule 24
1. The Assembly or the Executive Council, shall determine the need and terms of reference of the primary subsidiary bodies (committees, subcommissions and regional committees), as well as approve the creation, terms of reference and the expected lifetime of secondary subsidiary bodies (groups of experts and task teams). In exceptional cases the Assembly and the Executive Council may determine the need for, and terms of reference of, the groups of experts. The Assembly and the Executive Council shall take into account the need for broad geographical participation and appropriate expertise in such bodies. At each of its ordinary sessions, the Assembly can review terms of reference and continuing requirement for each of these bodies and make changes and decisions as necessary.
2. The primary subsidiary bodies and those established on exceptional basis shall meet in accordance with the relevant decisions of the Assembly or the Executive Council.
Rule 25
1. Member States of the Commission should be invited to participate in the work of primary subsidiary bodies and shall inform the Executive Secretary of the names of their representatives or nominees. The same procedure is applied to the bodies established on exceptional basis. Composition of secondary subsidiary bodies is determined by primary subsidiary bodies in consultation with the Executive Secretary. Where applicable, the designation of representatives should be continuous for the period specified in the Terms of Reference for subsidiary bodies. The Executive Secretary shall also be informed in a timely manner of any change made in such representation.
2. 2. The Assembly or the Executive Council can establish subsidiary bodies jointly with other organizations as stated in Article 9.2 of the Statutes. In such cases, the Terms of Reference, the membership and the expected lifetime will be established, and any subsequent reviews and changes carried out, in consultation with the other organization(s) involved. No decisions affecting the joint bodies will be undertaken or expected, without such consultations.
3. Unless otherwise designated by the Assembly or the Executive Council or, in the case of joint bodies, otherwise agreed upon, the Chairperson of each subsidiary body shall be elected by the body concerned.
4. The Assembly, the Executive Council, or any subsidiary body may elect Rapporteurs.
5. Whenever feasible, committees, subsidiary or other bodies shall carry out their work by correspondence.
VIII. Representation
Rule 26
1. Member States acting individually should take into account the scientific and technical character of the purposes and functions of the Commission when nominating members to the Commission’s subsidiary bodies.
2. Member States shall make the nominations, when applicable, through the official designated national coordinating body specified for liaison with the Commission.
IOC MANUAL (1989)
In accordance with the IOC Manual (INF-785, Chapter 5) the IODE Committee, as a Technical Committee, has the following basic elements of terms of reference:
Programme Development
Planning
"Prepare a detailed plan of action for implementation of the adopted programmes, projects or activities."
Promotion
"Within its field of responsibility, promote the adopted programmes, projects or activities among the interested Member States and/or in the marine scientific community, as necessary, and make, if appropriate, recommendations to the (name of the parent body in brief) to this effect."
Co-ordination
"Identify the Member States' institutions, the collaborating organizations, or individuals, as the case may be, participating in the implementation of the adopted programmes, projects or activities and ensure that each such entity is made fully aware of the work it is expected to undertake and how it relates to the work of the other participating entities."
Scientific and technical advice and guidance
"(a) Provide advice to the participating entities, as defined above, on appropriate methods, procedures and operations for the optimum implementation of the agreed programmes, projects or activities;
(b) undertake specific tasks (e.g., prepare scientific and technical reports, reviews, guidelines), if appropriate, to help ensure optimum implementation of the agreed programmes, projects or activities."
Standard setting and nomenclature
"Recommend and co-ordinate the development (with other international organizations) of standards, reference materials and nomenclature for use in marine science and related ocean services."
Co-operation
"Co-operate, as appropriate, with other bodies, such as Subsidiary bodies of the Commission or of other international organizations, whether governmental or non-governmental, global or regional, at an equivalent (or approximately equivalent) hierarchical level, as decided by (the name of the parent body in brief) . "
Evaluation
"(a) Examine the results of the adopted programme, projects or activities at regular intervals determined by their nature;
(b) make recommendations to (the name application of these results; and of the parent body in brief) on the application of these results; and
(c) provide advice to (the name of the parent body) on desirable improvements in programme conception or execution."
Other Functions
Programme of work and financial requirements
"Prepare, within its field of responsibility, and with the assistance of the Secretary, proposals for a two-year programme of work and financial requirements, including an indication of priorities, for submission to the Secretary, for his use in the preparation of the Programme and Budget of the Commission."
Overall Policy recommendations
"Make recommendations to (name of parent body in full) on the Commission's overall policy relevant to the (name of subsidiary body, in brief)'s field of activity"
Technical policy-makinq
"Within its Terms of Reference, determine such technical policy as may be required to effect or enhance the implementation of adopted programmes or projects."
Reporting
" Report to (name of parent body in full) at intervals to be decided by the (name of parent body in brief)."
Creation of Secondary Subsidiary Bodies
A Technical or Scientific Committee is entitled to create, as Secondary Subsidiary Bodies, Task Teams and Groups of Experts, but provided no costs fall on the Commission or the necessary costs have been allocated by a Governing Body (in this case the IOC Assembly or Executive Council).
All Secondary Subsidiary Bodies shall be established initially for one intersessional period only (see section on Frequency of Meetings, below). Further extension shall be by specific decision at each session of their respective parent bodies. [note that this was only formally adhered to in the first decade of IODE. Afterwards the continuation of the Secondary Subsidiary bodies of IODE was assumed through the inclusion of their cost in the work plan and budget recommendation]
In general, the Guidelines given above apply also to Secondary Subsidiary Bodies. It is clear, however, that Secondary Subsidiary Bodies have no authority to create tertiary Subsidiary bodies. Nevertheless, informal sub-groups (e.g., Sub-groups of Experts) may be formed to deal with specific aspects of the work of a subsidiary body but shall have no formal status and their activities shall be the responsibility of the Subsidiary body alone.
Membership and Composition
Scientific and/or Technical Committees: Open to all interested Member States
Sub-Commissions: Open to Member States of the region concerned and other interested Member States
Regional Committees: Same as for Sub-Commissions.
Task Teams: Decided by the parent body (normally consisting of a few governmental experts appointed by Member States concerned)
Groups of Experts: Experts acting in their personal capacity and selected for their knowledge and expertise in the subject concerned
The following procedures for the selection of members shall apply:
Following a decision to create a Group of Experts, any Member State may submit to the Secretary, within two months, the names of any experts, with their respective curricula vitae, it may wish to be considered for membership of the Group.
The Chairman of IOC, the Secretary, the Convenor (see section on Officers, below, and, as appropriate, the Chairman(men) of the subsidiary body(ies) mainly concerned with the work of the Group of Experts, after having reviewed the nominees and/or any other suitable candidates known to them by reputation, will select the members of the Group of Experts. Subsequently, they will be appointed by the Secretary who will inform Member States concerned of the final composition of the Group.
The composition of a Joint Group of Experts will be decided in consultation with the co-sponsoring organization(s). Subsidiary Bodies, below.)
Although membership of the Commission's Scientific and/or Technical Committees, Sub-Commissions and Regional Committees is open to all Member States, such membership will not be automatically assumed, but will be dependent upon a formal declaration of wish, by a Member State, to be a member of a particular subsidiary body and to participate actively in a particular programme, and this should be confirmed in practice by the nomination of a specific National Focal Point, to provide liaison between the national activities directly related to the given programme and the subsidiary body itself or the Secretary of IOC. Such declarations and nominations should be renewed at each ordinary session of the Assembly or whenever necessary as a result of a change in the National Focal Point.
This will result in considerable economy and increased efficiency since documents for a session of a Scientific and/or Technical Committee, Sub-Commission or Regional Committee will not, normally, be sent to a Member State that is not a declared member of such subsidiary bodies. Nevertheless, invitations to all sessions of a given Scientific and/or Technical Committee, Sub-Commission or Regional Committee will be sent to all Member States initially.
Officers
For all subsidiary bodies, the following guidelines shall be applied:
(i) Unless nominated by the parent body, the Chairman and a Vice-Chairman shall be elected by the subsidiary body itself. Both shall normally serve for one intersessional period and the next session, if any, of the subsidiary body; if there is no such session (e.g., in the case of a Task Team working by correspondence), the intersessional period shall be that of the parent body. The Chairman and the Vice-Chairman shall be eligible for re-election for only one more intersessional period and subsequent session as just defined; however, on an exceptional basis and in the interest of the Commission, both may be eligible for re-election for one further term.
(ii) In the case of Sub-Commissions and Regional Committees, the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall normally be from Member States in the region concerned.
(iii) The Vice-Chairman shall be responsible for assisting the Chairman by taking over from him in the event of his absence (from a meeting) or indisposition (during an intersessional period or a session). and by undertaking special tasks allocated to him by the Chairman.
(iv) For the first session of a subsidiary body, a Convenor may be designated by the parent body. Subsequently, elections for the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall normally be held at the end of each session of the body.
(v) The Chairman (or the Vice-Chairman acting for him, as provided for in (iii). above) shall be entirely impartial in his conduct of the sessions; if he is also representing a Member State. he should always indicate when he is speaking on behalf of that Member State.
Other Participants
Article 8 of the Statutes Commission shall apply to all subsidiary bodies of the Commission.
It reads:
"Subject to provisions in the Rules of Procedure regarding closed meetings, participation in the meetings of the Assembly, of the Executive Council and subsidiary bodies, without the right to vote, is open to:
(a) Representatives of Member States of organizations in the United Nations system which are not members of the Commission;
(b) Representatives of the organizations in the United Nations system;
(c) Representatives of such other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as may be invited subject to conditions to be determined in the Rules of Procedure."
Responsibilities of Member States
For the intergovernmental bodies (Sub-Commissions, Scientific and/or Technical Committees, Regional Committees and Task Teams), the Member States are expected to: (i) nominate to their delegations to the meetings thereof appropriately qualified persons. as called for in Rule of Procedure No. 26; (ii) cover the cost of the attendance and participation of their delegates in the meetings thereof; (iii) provide the essential means to the individuals delegates) or national institutions concerned to give effect to the decisions/recommendations of a given subsidiary body of which they are a member.
The latter responsibility is particularly important if a national of a Member State is elected Chairman or Vice-Chairman of a subsidiary body. as it is indeed for the Chairman and four Vice-Chairmen of the Commission.
The terms of membership (above) should be borne in mind here.
Frequency of Sessions
The frequency of sessions of Primary and Secondary Subsidiary Bodies depends on several factors. particularly: (i) the developmental stage of the activity with which the body is concerned. it usually being desirable to have relatively more frequent meetings in the early stages; (ii) the disposition (in terms of funding. scheduling. etc.) of Member States vis-a-vis a giver. activity; (iii) the Secretariat workload and meeting schedule; (iv) the desired relationship between the work of the subsidiary body and sessions of the Governing Bodies and/or Primary Subsidiary Bodies.
Nevertheless. in general. Sub-Commissions. Scientific and/or Technical Committees and Regional Committees should meet at least once every two years. the actual frequency being related to the state of development and the requirements of the particular programme or as determined by the Assembly or the Executive Council.
Task Teams, if the Member States concerned are generally agreeable, should not meet more often than once a year nor less often than once every two years (especially if substantial progress can be made by working by correspondence).
Groups of Experts should meet as often as the Secretary decides is necessary under any given set of programmatic and budgetary circumstances.
Decisions and Recommendations
A Decision is a determination to act that is binding upon the body adopting it, and that body only; a Decision by a subsidiary body may be subject to qualification by the parent body or the Governing Bodies.
A Recommendation is normally made to the parent body; if the Recommendation is intended for the IODC Assembly or Executive Council, or, if appropriate, for concerned bodies or other organizations collaborating with the Commission, or to Member States, it rests with the parent body or its Chairman to relay the Recommendation to the Secretary for submission to the entity for which it was intended. Each Decision or Recommendation should, as appropriate, be labelled by the acronym of the originating body linked to the (Roman) number of the Session at which it was adopted, and the ordinal (Arabic) number assigned to it (e.g.,
EC-X.10); note that, exceptionally, the Assembly is identified only by the corresponding Roman numeral (e.g., XII-12), in accordance with the Commission's documentation practices which are applicable to subsidiary body sessions.
The particular features of the Commission's Sub-Commissions, Scientific and/or Technical Committees, Regional Committees, Task Teams, Groups of Experts, and Joint Subsidiary Bodies are given below
SCIENTIFIC AND/OR TECHNICAL COMMITTEES
Scientific and/or Technical Committees are the main subsidiary bodies of the Commission. They are intergovernmental and may be established only by the Assembly. Each such Committee is expected to take Decisions and act as necessary to give effect to the Commission's policy decisions, within its Terms of Reference and allocated budget, and make Recommendations to the Governing Bodies of the Commission on policy matters within its Terms of Reference and on future actions required.
Task Teams
Task Teams are small ad hoc subsidiary bodies formed to carry out specific tasks at no expense to the Commission other than routine Secretarial support, unless specific approval is obtained from the Assembly or Executive Council. Task Teams may be formed by the Assembly, the Executive Council and by Scientific and/or Technical Committees Sub-Commissions and Regional Committees. Task Teams will usually work by correspondence, but meetings may be convened when the necessary costs have been allocated or when no costs fall on the Commission. Task Teams should be disbanded by their parent body upon completion of their assigned task.
Groups of Experts
Groups of Experts are small subsidiary bodies composed of specialists selected in their personal capacity for their scientific or technical expertise. They will undertake detailed scientific and technical studies and/or co-ordination tasks, by subject or region, as identified by the Assembly, the Executive Council, a Sub-Commission, a Scientific and/or Technical Committee, or a Regional Committee.
When the Assembly, the Executive Council, a Scientific and/or Technical Committee, a Sub-Commission or a regional Committee decide that there is a need for a Group of Experts, it will draft appropriate Terms of Reference and decide on the size of the group. A Scientific and/or Technical Committee, a Sub-Commission or a Regional Committee may create a Group of Experts independently only if no costs fall on the Commission for the Work of the Group. If budgetary support is required, the Scientific and/or Technical Committee, Sub-Commission or Regional Committee shall submit the draft Terms of Reference and proposed size of the Group of Experts to the Assembly or the Executive Council with a Recommendation that the Group of Experts be formed and the necessary costs allocated.
In principle, all travel costs and subsistence expenses of members of Groups of Experts will be borne by the Commission (from the most appropriate source of support and budget). The venue of meetings should therefore be planned to keep these expenses to a minimum. Participants in sessions of Groups of Experts, other than those selected under the guidelines given above, shall be deemed to be observers whose travel costs and expenses will be paid for by their government or organization.
Each Group of Experts should maintain a list of additional experts who have been nominated by their Member States and who are considered suitable to be members of the Group, on the basis of their scientific and technical expertise. These lists, which should be updated at each meeting, will be held by the Secretary and used by him and the appropriate Chairmen when selecting new members for the various groups.
Joint Sudsidiary Bodies
Joint Subsidiary Bodies may be formed with other organizations if such bodies are clearly necessary for the successful development and implementation of the programme in question. Co-sponsorship of such bodies by the Commission will only decided upon by the Assembly. The Guidelines above should be used, so far as practicable, in consultation with the Secretariats of the other organizations involved.
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Created on: Friday, 28 November 2008 10:59
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Last Updated on: Monday, 01 July 2013 12:20
