| Summary: | The IOC Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange held its Eighteenth Session (IODE-XVIII) at the Kursaal, Ostend, Belgium between 26 and 30 April 2005. The Session was attended by 59 delegates from 31 Member States, 15 representatives of organizations, programmes and projects, and 5 observers. The Session was preceded by the official inauguration on 25 April 2005, of the IOC Project for IODE, based in Ostend, Belgium which was attended by Mr. Jean Vandecasteele, Mayor of the City of Ostend, Mrs Fientje Moerman (Vice-Minister-President of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Economy, Enterprise, Science, Innovation and Foreign Trade), Dr Patricio Bernal (on behalf of Mr Koichiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO), Mr. Johan Vande Lanotte, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Budget and Public Enterprise and Minister of the North Sea, Mr. Paul Breyne, Governor of West-Flanders and President of the Board of Directors of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Dr Lesley Rickards, Chair of the IOC Committee on International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange (IODE), and Mr. Yves Leterme, Minister-president of the Flemish Government and Flemish Minister for Institutional Reform, Agriculture, Sea Fisheries and Rural Policy. The IODE Committee, during its 5 day Session, reviewed the work of the past inter-sessional period. Considerable attention was given to the IODE Review that had taken place during the inter-sessional period. The Committee reviewed all recommendations by the Review Team and made several fundamental and structural change decisions in response to the Review. These included the re-composition of the IODE Officers, the abolishment of the RNODC and IODE Regional Co-ordinator systems, and further review of the IODE Groups of Experts during the next inter-sessional period. The Committee established an inter-sessional working group on ocean data quality control, thereby re-emphasizing the important role of IODE in this area. The Committee further welcomed the increased collaboration with other organizations, programmes and projects such as JCOMM, GOOS, ICES, SCAR, CDIAC, GCMD, CEP, OBIS, IAMSLIC, EURASLIC and others. The Committee noted the success of the ODINAFRICA and ODINCARSA projects, established the ODINCINDIO project and recommended the establishment of an ODIN for the WESTPAC region. The Committee further endorsed an outline and timeline for the development of the IOC Data Management Strategy. The Committee prepared 4 Resolutions and 8 Recommendations.
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