International Ice Charting Working Group
Terms of Reference and Charter
Adopted October 7, 1999
Recognizing the ongoing interest of the nations influenced by ice covered
seas in the use and protection of these seas; and further recognizing the value
and economics of cooperative activities in operational ice services supporting
maritime navigation; the ice charting nations of the world hereby form the
International Ice Charting Working Group.
The International Ice Charting Working Group provides a forum for coordination
of ice matters, including icebergs, and offers non-binding recommendations
to senior management as appropriate, working under the following Terms of Reference:
Data and Product Exchange
- Coordinate ice information, data exchange, supporting research, and communications
for operational analysis and forecasting of sea ice and icebergs.
- Propose, and establish procedures for, data and product exchange agreements
for the enhancement of services at all ice centers.
- Coordinate collection, maintenance, and distribution of archived sea ice
and iceberg information, including climatological information, and recommend
common practices where appropriate.
Terminology, Data and Mapping Standards
- Identify established standards at ice centers governing data and product
format, data transfer, metadata, and other geographic information such as
attributes and coastlines.
- Recommend adoption of common methodologies among ice centers where practical.
- Develop recommendations for possible changes to standards for forwarding
to appropriate international organizations for consideration.
Operations and Customer Support
- Develop an understanding of each ice center's unique customer base and
its impact on operations.
- Monitor customer requirements for ice services and make recommendations
for generic strategic development that will allow ice centers to meet evolving
customer needs.
- Identify and provide a mechanism for coordinating customer feedback to
the operational process.
- Examine information dissemination processes within the ice centers and
recommend efficiencies and new technologies where appropriate.
- Recommend the establishment of customer education initiatives that serve
to enhance the ice centers' collective operational effectiveness.
Training
- Encourage exchange of technical knowledge through shared training initiatives,
personnel exchange programs, and the loan of applicable equipment and tools.
Technology for Analysis and Forecasting
- Monitor development and implementation of advanced information technology
as applied to new digital sea ice analysis and production techniques.
- Identify technology applications supporting efficient dissemination and
exchange of data, products, and ice information services.
- Recommend areas of potential common interest for technology sharing.
- Identify emerging capabilities supporting sea ice and iceberg analysis
and forecasting and recommend their integration into operations as appropriate.
Applied Science, Research and Development
- Identify research priorities for improved analysis and forecasting capabilities,
and communicate and promote these priorities within national and international
funding agencies.
- Identify research technologies available for transition to operations,
and coordinate efforts to encourage their transition and validation through
funding, logistical support, and cooperative verification and validation
processes.
- Report on operational initiatives, and research and field programs, of
broad interest across the ice charting community.
- Encourage and facilitate coordinated efforts in supporting ice research
and development, including numerical ice prediction models, remote sensing
applications, and digital image processing capabilities.
Rotation of Co-Chairs
A. International Ice Charting Working Group Co-Chairs
- The International Ice Charting Working Group (IICWG) will be chaired by
two Co-Chairs.
- For the purpose of designating Co-Chairs the IICWG members will be divided
into two geographic groups. The first group is Eurasia, which is made up
of those members in Europe and Asia. The second group is the Americas, which
is made up of those members in North and South America, and Australia.
- Each geographic group will determine the Co-Chair for the group through
consensus of the members of the geographic group.
- The Co-Chairs will be at a higher organizational level then the Director/Head
of the represented ice services.
B. Responsibilities of the IICWG Co-Chairs
- Ensure the organization of the IICWG meetings,
- Chair the IICWG meetings,
- Represent the IICWG in national and international forums,
- Guide the IICWG in the response to international requirements.
C. Rotation of IICWG Co-Chairs
- Each Co-Chair will serve for a term of three years.
- In order to insure the greatest continuity for the IICWG the Co-Chairs
should offset the rotation of their terms of office.
- If a Co-Chair leaves before the end of their term that Geographic group
will chose a successor.
D. International Ice Charting Working Group Meetings
- The IICWG meetings will be chaired by the two Co-Chairs plus the Director/Head,
or their designee, of the hosting institution.
- The meetings will be held at a regular basis at the call of the Co-Chairs.
Typically the meetings are held every 12 to 18 months.
- The organization of the IICWG meeting including:
- Developing organizing committees,
- Sending out meeting invitations,
- Developing the meeting agenda,
- Determining location and logistics for the meeting,
- Ensuring meeting reports and action items are recorded and distributed.
IICWG Charter
Charter of the International Ice
Charting Working Group, 2007 (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Attachment One to the Charter
of the International Ice Charting Working Group (Word, 36 KB)
