ICES Full Form: History, Functions, Structure etc.

The oldest intergovernmental science organisation in the world is the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea which is the ICES Full form. ICES is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, where its 51 multinational secretariat employees provide the ICES community with scientific, administrative, and secretarial services. On July 22, 1902, it was founded in Copenhagen.

History

ICES was founded on July 22, 1902, in Copenhagen, Denmark, by eight founding nations: Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and the United Kingdom. At the time, there was growing concern about the health of fish stocks in the North Sea, and these concerns were combined with efforts made by various scientific groups in neighbouring countries to promote and encourage international scientific marine cooperation. Over time, as a result of wars and political decisions, several nations have joined, left, and re-joined the council at various points.

The first eight member countries sent letters, which was enough to create the council in 1902. This kind of arrangement persisted until the early 1960s when the United Nations and its satellite organisations as well as other international organisations made this informal status intolerable. The host nation, Denmark, took action to secure the council’s complete worldwide recognition. A formal convention was signed at a conference held in Copenhagen on September 7, 1964. It was later ratified by the then-17 member countries, and it entered into force on July 22, 1968.

The eight founding members of ICES are still represented among its current membership of 20, which also includes twelve new countries. These new members are Belgium, Canada, Estonia, France, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. Additionally, it is affiliated with institutions from Australia, Chile, Greece, Peru, and South Africa that have observer status. Two non-governmental organisations, the Worldwide Fund for Nature and Birdlife International have been granted official observer accreditation.

ICES Overview

ICES Functions

1. ICES is a premier multidisciplinary scientific forum for the exchange of knowledge and viewpoints on all marine scientific topics related to the North Atlantic, including the nearby Baltic Sea and the North Sea, as well as for the promotion and coordination of marine research by scientists in its member nations.
2. When it was founded and still its primary duties now are to promote, stimulate, develop, and coordinate maritime research.
3. Research findings should be published and distributed in different ways; and
4. It counsels member nation governments and international regulatory commissions that are impartial and free of political influence.

Secretariat

The ICES Secretariat, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, has been serving the organization since its establishment in 1902.

Inside the Secretariat, you’ll find various departments including Advice and Science, Data Centre, IT, finance, administration, publications, and communications.

Our dedicated team at the Secretariat offers logistical, administrative, scientific, and data handling support to the ICES community.

Leading the Secretariat is Alan Haynie, the General Secretary of ICES.

Structure

The council is the primary ICES decision- and policy-making body. A president and two representatives from each of the 20 member countries make up the council. The bureau or executive committee is made up of the president, first vice-president, and five more vice-presidents, each of whom is elected for a three-year term. The bureau is in charge of carrying out the decisions made by the council, organising and arranging council meetings, creating council budgets, hiring secretarial staff, and carrying out other duties as given by the council.

Five delegates make up the finance committee, which oversees the council’s financial affairs. The general secretary, who acts as the council’s chief executive officer and is in charge of overseeing the council’s finances, meetings, reports, publications, and communications, is also chosen by the delegates.

Conclusion

Since its start in 1902, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has been a model of how people around the world can work together on marine science. ICES helps scientists from 20 different countries talk to each other and gives governments and regulatory bodies unbiased advice. Its dedicated Secretariat, which is based in Copenhagen, Denmark, makes sure that the ICES group gets help without any problems. We are all working together to keep the marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic and the seas nearby safe and healthy for future generations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)