VZCZCXRO7171
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #0494/01 1640442
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120442Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1195
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2541
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2473
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2557
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 1676
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000494 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR IO, OES/EGC, OES/IET AND EAP/MTS 
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR NOAA/BRENNAN/DUNNIGAN 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDMA 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: EAID TPHY ECON PREL IOC
 
SUBJECT: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) 
Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC) 
Seventh Intergovernmental Session (WESTPAC VII) 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) At the Seventh Intergovernmental Session of the IOC 
Sub-Commission for the Western Pacific (WESTPAC-VII) in Kota 
Kinabalu, Malaysia, May 26-29, 2008, delegates adopted a revised 
Program Structure to bring the Sub-Commission in line with IOC 
priorities and IOC and UNESCO planning and budgeting cycles, 
established a new advisory group to advise the officers and member 
states on scientific and technical matters, and elected new 
officers.  These are important steps toward revitalizing WESTPAC and 
set the stage for continued -- and expanded -- U.S. involvement. 
U.S. objectives for the meeting were met.  WESTPAC VII was well 
attended, with over 85 delegates from 11 member states. 
 
WESTPAC REVITALIZATION 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The Sub-Commission adopted a series of recommendations 
intended to revitalize IOC WESTPAC, including: 
 
-- New Program Structure and Strategy.  The new structure 
incorporates the IOC's High-Level Objectives as the framework for 
setting WESTPAC priorities. 
 
-- Science Advisory Group.  WESTPAC-VII approved the creation of an 
expert advisory group to provide scientific and technical advice to 
the Sub-Commission through the Chair. 
 
-- New Project Proposals.  WESTPAC VII adopted six new project 
proposals, using the new WESTPAC High Level Objectives. 
 
-- Project Termination Guidelines.  Until WESTPAC VII, no mechanism 
existed for terminating projects that were not viable.  The new 
project termination guidelines set clear criteria for terminating 
WESTPAC endorsement of such projects. 
 
-- Framework for a Regional Training and Research Center Network.  A 
new framework to promote training and research in the region was 
adopted. 
 
-- New Sessional Meeting Schedule.  WESTPAC VII agreed to adopt a 
two year meeting cycle and schedule that would allow its 
recommendations to feed into the IOC and UNESCO planning and 
budgeting process. 
 
These actions are important necessary -- but not sufficient -- steps 
toward making WESTPAC a relevant contributor to the important ocean 
and coastal science and management challenges in the region. 
 
ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS 
------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (U) The Sub-Commission elected Dr. Zhang Zhanhai, Director 
General, Department of International Cooperation, State Oceanic 
Administration of China as Chair; Dr. Yasuwo Fukuyo, Professor, 
Asian Natural Environmental Science Center, University of Tokyo as 
First Vice-Chair; and Dr. Nor Aieni Haji Mokhthar, Secretary of 
National Oceanography Directorate, Ministry of Science, Technology, 
and Innovation, Malaysia as Second Vice-Chair. 
 
U.S. ROLE IN WESTPAC-VII 
------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) Appreciation for the U.S. presence at WESTPAC VII was 
expressed formally in plenary and privately many times during 
WESTPAC VII; the U.S. was invited to serve as Rapporteur of the 
Session and as chair of the recommendations committee.  Working 
closely with Australia, Japan, and the Secretariat in particular, 
the USDEL was able to intervene constructively and to exercise 
appropriate influence over the final recommendations.  The 
objectives described in the U.S. position paper were met.  The U.S. 
delegation was led by David McKinnie, NOAA.  Adam Stein, Russell 
Jackson, and Jessie Huart, NOAA also participated as members of the 
U.S. delegation. 
 
ENGAGING WESTPAC IN THE FUTURE 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000494  002 OF 002 
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The U.S. can play a strong supporting role in WESTPAC even 
without new project investments.  Phasing in U.S. engagement 
benefits WESTPAC by giving it more credibility and new relationships 
are likely to strengthen existing US activities.  Examples of 
appropriate U.S. engagement include: 
 
-- Serve as a guiding and stabilizing force as WESTPAC matures 
during the revitalization; 
 
-- Organize relevant existing bilateral and multilateral activities 
under the WESTPAC rubric to show strong support for the 
Sub-Commission at little or no additional cost or effort; 
 
-- New small-scale activities, especially training and workshops, 
could be offered through WESTAC using existing funds; and, 
 
-- Help link WESTPAC activities and projects to other appropriate 
organizations or efforts. 
 
The USDEL will prepare a separate document for technical agency 
consideration that describes possible implementation approaches for 
these opportunities. 
 
COMMENT: OUTSTANDING ISSUES 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Notwithstanding WESTPAC VII's accomplishments, there is 
much that remains to be done and concerns that remain.  The USDEL's 
impression is that many WESTPAC member delegates, including the new 
officers, are not familiar with the UNESCO/IOC process.  The USDEL 
was unable to persuade the Session of the value of adhering verbatim 
to the IOC High-Level Objectives, for example, or the importance of 
approving only projects that fall within the WESTPAC mandate.  As a 
result, some WESTPAC actions are likely to be questioned at the 
Executive Council meeting in June. 
 
SEVENTH IOC/WESTPAC SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) The Seventh IOC/WESTPAC Scientific Symposium was organized 
prior to the Session in Sabah, Malaysia, 21-25 May 2008.  The 
Symposium registered a total of 367 participants from 19 countries 
out of 20 IOC member states in the region, with 113 oral 
presentation, 120 posters and 20 booths of exhibition presented by 
national agencies, NGOs, industries, research and education 
institutions. 
 
 
KEITH