SPWG Final Report

1. SPWG Final Report 8th. Meeting at Pusan Korea From 2 to 4 May 2006 VII MACHC Meeting October 4th. 2006 Acapulco, Gro. México

2. SPWG 8 (Final meeting) • Regional Commissions represented: BSHC, EAHC, EAtHC, MACHC, MBSHC, NHC, NIOHC, NSHC, SAIHC, SWPHC and USCHC. • individual countries: Australia, Brazil, China, China Hong Kong, Finland, France, Italy, India, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, South Africa, UK and USA. • IHB represented by the President.

3. Ratification Status from MS • So far Germany, Cyprus, Korea, Denmark, México, Morocco, Norway y Pakistan have ratified the Amendments. • By the end of 2006 it is expected that Australia, Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, South Africa, Netherlands and Japan ratify the Amendments.

4. Revision of the Basic Documents • The main new topics developed were Article 6 dealing with the establishment of subsidiary organs and subordinate bodies. • New Art. 7 to cover inter-organizational bodies. • Article 14 was discussed and some editorial amendments made, dealing with the procedures of selection of Council members. • Article 18 of the Rules of Procedure of the Council regarding official languages. • Minor amendments were made to the texts of the other Basic Documents (mainly editorial)

5. Implementation Strategy and SPWG Work Program • Mechanism of Assembly timing. • Election of the Secretary-General and Directors . • Salary Scheme for SG and Directors. • Re-structuring of IHO bodies proposed by the CBC and CHRIS Chairmen and to take place before the ratification procedure is completed • To present the implementation strategy to the 17th. Conference for approval

6. Reports from the CBC and CHRIS Chairmen • Some details of CHRIS principles have been added to comply with new Articles 6 and 7 of the General Regs. • Decisions made on CBC: General structures for HSSC and IRCCBC were approved. IRCCBC went back to its original IRCC. WEND policy matters under IRCC until the council is established. Inter-organizational bodies will be governed by the new Article 7 of the General Regulations. Amendments to HSSC and IRCC ToR

7. Hydrographic Standards and Specifications Committee (HSSC) Symbols and Data Presentation Standards Sub-Committee (SDPS) Data Acquisition and Transfer Standards Sub-Committee (DATS) Support Services and Special Projects Sub-Committee (SSSP) Working Groups / Sub-Committees Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC) Capacity Building Sub-Committee (CBSC) International Advisory Board (IAB) Committee for the Promulgation of Radio Nav. Warnings (CPRNW) General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans Committee (GEBCO) Working Groups / Sub-Working Groups

8. Legal Advisory Group (LAG) • New Article of General Regs: Article xx - "Legal Advice” When a need arises for legal advice on matters relating to the interpretation and application of the Convention, IHO basic documents and execution of the aims of the IHO as described in the IHO Work Program, a Working Group of legal experts drawn from all Member States may be established by the Assembly or by Member States through correspondence."

9. Report from the IHB on proposals from the SPWG (Salary scheme and acceptance of conversion from D.C. to S.G. and Directors) • A WG has been established to review the salary scheme for SG and Ds. • Clause of acceptance had been included in the application for Directorship.

10. Composition of the future Council • Two thirds of seats on the Council for representatives from Regional Hydrographic Commissions and the remaining one third based on the criteria of “Hydrographic Interest”. • Two countries at present not represented in any RHC: Argentina and Uruguay. • Some SPWG members felt that they could apply within the 1/3 of Hydrographic Interests • SPWG agreed to maintain the system composition of the Council approved at the 3rd. EHC • Encourage MS to establish or join a RHC • MS could make proposals to the 17th. IHC

11. Hydrographic Interests • New models proposed by Brazil, France, México, Portugal and Tunisia. • Tonnage was accepted at the 3rd. EIHC as the initial parameter. • Any alternative model should be presented at least at the second Assembly. • SPWG considered several multi-parameter models without reaching unanimous acceptance. • Lengthy discussions and no consensus. • There are more responsibilities than rewards • Korea stated that EAHC reached consensus on Tonnage.

12. Hydrographic Interests • The majority of SPWG agreed to keep Tonnage as a starting point • The concept of Hydrographic Interests is not specified in the Convention and can be revisited by the IHO at any time. • On-going discussions should consider the following possibilities: - Establishment of a multi-parameter model. - Reduce the model to two parameters, possibly tonnage and charts. - Establish a “make your case” model which would lead to a vote by the Assembly to select the 10 countries occupying a seat in the Council under the one third of “Hydrographic Interest”.

13. Hydrographic Interests • The SPWG agreed : • To report to the 17th Conference that Tonnage seems to be the parameter to allocate Council seats for Hydrographic Interest for the time being and that no alternative model has been found. • That when the new structure is implemented, experience will be gained and the subject may be revisited if needed.

14. Other topics • IHO Working program • Strategic Plan • Performance indicators: SPWG concluded that there was not a strong justification to propose to the Conference the introduction of such Performance Indicators

15. Future of the SPWG • The Chairman noted that there were no new tasks identified that justify the continuation of the SPWG. • He added that the scheduling of an Extraordinary Conference in 2009 made the maintenance of the SPWG superfluous and that this was to be confirmed by the 17th IH Conference.