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International Affairs Events Archive

November/December 2006

• The promise of providing worldwide coverage to warn people of impending tsunamis moved a step closer to reality as NOAA joined with Thailand in launching the first Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) buoy station in the Indian Ocean to assist in detecting tsunamis. With funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), NOAA built and provided the DART station on behalf of the U.S. government. The buoy will be maintained by the Thai Meteorological Department and National Disaster Warning Center. The station's data will be available to all nations through the World Meteorological Organization's Global Telecommunications System and will be part of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.
• NOAA will participate in the Second East Asia Seas Congress in Hainan, China, from December 12-15, 2006, held by PEMSEA -- Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia. The Congress brings together more than 800 participants, including ministers and officials from 14 regional nations and ocean ministries. During the Congress, NOAA will sign a letter of cooperation with PEMSEA to promote and facilitate sustainable development of marine and coastal resources and governance of the large marine ecosystems of the Seas of East Asia. For more information see: http://www.pemsea.org/eascongress/.
• The 2006 United Nations General Assembly Sustainable Fisheries Resolution was approved by consensus on December 8, 2006. The Resolution calls upon States to adopt and implement fisheries management polices on issues such as IUU fishing, bycatch and discards from fishing vessels, MCS, and overcapacity, in accordance with the UN Fish Stock Agreement and other principles of international law. The most contentious topic of discussion during negotiations was the issue of destructive fishing practices. The United States delegation, lead by State Department, and supported by NOAA, promoted rules based on sound science to support sustainable fisheries and end destructive fishing practices as outlined in the Presidential Directive on this subject issued October 2, 2006. The final resolution included management provisions for both RFMOs and States to prevent bottom fishing from causing harm to vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) and calls upon the FAO for further technical guidance. This represents the initial stages of significant progress towards greater protection of VMEs on the high seas and the issue will be reviewed again in 2009. The full text of the resolution text can be viewed at: http://www.un.org/Depts/los/reference_files/new_developments_and_recent_adds.htm.