Director of the IHO

IHO File No. S1/6100/2020 ASSEMBLY CIRCULAR LETTER N° 2 bis 2 22 May 2019 2nd SESSION OF THE IHO ASSEMBLY (A-2) Monaco, 21-24 April 2020 ______ NOMINATION OF CAPTAIN (RET) ALBERTO PEDRASSANI COSTA NEVES BY BRAZIL FOR THE POSITION OF IHO DIRECTOR References: A. Assembly Circular Letter No.2 dated 03 May 2020 – Call for nomination of candidates for the position of IHO Director. B. General Regulations of the IHO, Article 21 Dear Hydrographer, 1. Reference A invited IHO Member States to nominate candidates for the position of IHO Director and indicated that the names of candidates and their nomination forms will be published as soon as they are received. 2. Brazil has nominated Captain (Ret) Alberto Pedrassani COSTA NEVES to stand for election at the 2nd Session of the IHO Assembly for the post of Director of the IHO. The nomination form is enclosed. 3. As required by Reference B, the Secretary-General will collate all the nominations received and present a consolidated inventory as part of the documentation for the consideration of the Assembly. Yours sincerely, Dr Mathias JONAS Secretary-General Annex: Nomination Form from Brazil Hydrographic information driving marine knowledge  Annex to ACL 02 Nomination Form Candidature for a post of Candidature à un poste de Director Directeur (Article 20 of the General Regulations) (Article 20 du Règlement général) GENERAL - GENERALITES 1. Nominating Member State - Etat membre qui présente le candidat : Brazil 2. Name - Nom : Alberto Pedrassani COSTA NEVES 3. Nationality - Nationalité : Brazilian 4. Date of birth - Date de naissance : 9 August 1962 5. Titles and décorations - Titres et décorations : Brazilian Navy Captain (Ret.), Brazil: Silver Military Medal, Brazil: Tamandaré Merit Medal, Brazil: Mariner Merit Medal, Brazil: Cartographic Merit Medal, Brazil: Comandante Vital de Oliveira Medal Colombia: Distinguished Service Medal of DIMAR. EDUCATION AND LANGUAGES - ETUDES ET LANGUES 6. Education (periods, including specialized or special qualifications) - Etudes (durée, y compris les qualifications spécialisées ou particulières) : Warfare Superior Course (postgraduation), Naval War School, Brazil, 2002, Meteorology and Physical Oceanography (master's degree), with distinction, Naval Postgraduate School, USA, 1994-1996, Warfare Basic Course, Naval War School, Brazil, 1991, Hydrography and Navigation Course (postgraduation), with distinction, Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation, Brazil, 1988, Naval Sciences (graduation), Naval Academy, Brazil, 1981-1984. 7. Languages (speaking and reading capacity) - Langues (niveau oral et écrit) : Portuguese (native language), English: fluent (speaking, reading, writing), French: fluent (speaking, reading, writing), Spanish: fluent (speaking, reading, writing), Italian: fluent (speaking, reading, writing).  SERVICE AND EXPERIENCE1 - SERVICES ET EXPERIENCE1 8.a. Hydrographic service - Services dans l’hydrographie : Assistant Director, IHO Secretariat (2011 - present): my portfolio of work in the IHO Secretariat includes the following areas where I provide support and act as a facilitator: - IHO Assembly (and previously the I. H. Conferences), as its Assistant-Secretary and as the Assistant Director in charge of organization and logistics, - Inter-Regional Coordination Committee (IRCC), as its Assistant-Secretary. Provide support to the IRCC Chair and Secretary, and to the subordinate bodies in their relationship with the IRCC and with other IHO bodies, - Capacity Building Sub-Committee (CBSC), as its Secretary and the supervisor of the Capacity Building Work Programme (CBWP) and of the Capacity Building Fund (CBF). Maintain relationship with the IMO/Technical Cooperation Committee, the IALA World-Wide Academy and with contributors (Member States, Organizations, Academy and Industry) to the CBF and the CBWP. Support is provided to raise hydrographic awareness and to attract new IHO Member States and to reintegrate suspended Members, - FIG/IHO/ICA International Board on Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors and Nautical Cartographers (IBSC), as its Secretary and the supervisor of the IBSC Fund. Maintain close relationship with institutions holding IBSC recognized programmes and in the process to submit to the IBSC, - Marine Spatial Data Infrastructures Working Group (MSDIWG), as a member (since 2015) and as its Secretary (since 2019). Maintain relationship with the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) and its Working Group on Marine Geospatial Information (WGMGI) and with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Marine Domain Working Group, - Regional Hydrographic Commissions with respect to Capacity Building, and in particular representing the IHO Secretariat at the following commissions: Meso American - Caribbean Sea (MACHC), South-West Atlantic (SWAtHC), South-West Pacific (SWPHC) and South-East Pacific Regional (SEPRHC) Hydrographic Commissions, - Joint Staff Consultative Committee (JSCC), as the representative of the managerial members of the Staff, with the objective to promote cooperation between the Administration and the staff and to keep under review the welfare and working conditions of the staff, - Publications related to IHO Bodies and additionally P-1 (International Hydrographic Review, new editions and the repository), P-5 (IHO Yearbook) and C-55 (Status of Hydrographic Surveying and Nautical Charting Worldwide), including support to link their geographic content to the IHO Geospatial Information System (GIS) and to online services, - Other international and regional organizations in their relationship with the IHO, including funding agencies, donor organizations, etc. - Other areas, including the maintenance of website content, support to the annual celebration of the World Hydrography Day and work assigned by the Secretary-General and Directors on topical issues, - Work was done in the past with the following bodies and areas: WENDWG, DIPWG, MBSHC and IHO Strategic Plan. Technical Director, PCN Projects and Consultancy for Infrastructure (2009-2011): I founded this company to provide high-end solutions for port operations, ranging from specifying hydrographic surveys, controlling dredging operations, designing channels and improving maneuvering parameters for ships, including under-keel clearance. Safety of Navigation Superintendent, Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center (2007-2008): the superintendence is responsible for processing hydrographic surveys, nautical charting production and the operation of the NAVAREA V navigational warning system. During this period, I led the efforts to conform the chart production to obtain the ISO 9001 certification, helped to consolidate ENC production and established numerous agreements with academy and industry to conduct joint survey operations. 1 All service and experience relevant to the nomination and which provide an indication of the extent to which the candidate is qualified to serve as Director. Tout service et toute expérience en rapport avec la candidature donnant une indication de la mesure dans laquelle le candidat est qualifié pour occuper le poste de Directeur. Commanding Officer, Brazilian Navy Ship "Sirius" (2005-2007): vessel engaged in hydrographic and oceanographic surveys, offshore, along the coast and in port areas. Executive Officer, Brazilian Navy Ship "Barão de Teffé" (1999-2001): vessel engaged in hydrographic and oceanographic surveys and in logistic support to remote lighthouses. Division Head, Brazilian Navy Ship "Barão de Teffé" (1990-1991): vessel engaged in hydrographic and oceanographic surveys in Antarctica. Division Head, Brazilian Navy Ship "Almirante Álvaro Alberto" (1989-1990 and 1991-1992): vessel engaged in hydrographic, oceanographic and seismic offshore surveys, mostly devoted to the extension of the continental shelf program. Additional experiences include: Membership of The Hydrographic Society of America (THSoA) since 2007 and a founder member of its Latin American Chapter, where I serve on a volunteer basis as a member of the Capacity Building Committee. I am also a founder member of the Brazilian Hydrographic Society, established in 2018. Membership of the International Hydrographic Review (IHR) Editorial Board and peer reviewer (2009-2011); and peer reviewer of the International Journal of Remote Sensing (IJRS) (2008-2011). Computing skills: programming (Fortran, Matlab, Visual Basic and shell scripts); administration (networks, Internet, computer architecture, data warehouse); high performance computing; and use of MS Office applications. Research: Amazon River Mouth Research Project, in cooperation with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (2005-2008), on aspects related to hydrography, fluid mud characterization and currents and water level modeling. 8.b. Non-Hydrographic service - Services autres qu’hydrographiques : Numerical Weather Prediction Division, Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center (2001-2005 and 1997-1999): division is responsible for generating weather, waves and ocean circulation forecasts for METAREA V. Brazilian Naval Academy, Midshipmen Company Commander (1992-1994): company commanders provide leadership to the future leaders of the Brazilian Navy. Operations Division Assistant, Brazilian Navy Frigate "Defensora" (1985-1988): vessel is an anti-submarine platform, where the knowledge of the marine environment is paramount. I was the navigator of the ship, when my contact with hydrography, nautical charting and environmental factors started. CANDIDATE’S POSITION - POSITION DU CANDIDAT Hydrographic services provide the knowledge backbone for all human activities taking place in, on or under the sea. These services are required for the safety of navigation, the protection of the marine environment and the social and economic development of each coastal State. Among the prominent activities affected by Hydrography are maritime transportation (more than 90% of international trade is carried by sea), coastal zone development and management (nearly 2.4 billion people live within 100 km of the coast), exploration and exploitation of marine resources (60% of the world seabed lies beyond national jurisdictions), environmental protection and management (safe navigation protects the environment), ocean modeling (bathymetry is a major controlling parameter in ocean dynamics), maritime boundary delimitation (nautical charts are central to the process of delimitation) to name some. While the above activities are evident, a closer look to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) shows that Hydrography is indeed connected to most of the 17 SDGs: supporting the social and economic development in many distinct levels. Working together with the UN system is key to place the IHO at the appropriate level in the decision-making process and to ensure that resources will be available to build and strengthen hydrographic services, maximizing the impact of Hydrography in each of the IHO Member State and beyond. The IHO was created nearly 100 years ago to address technical and coordinating matters involving the safety of navigation and the safety of lives at sea. One hundred years with the continuous support of the Government of Monaco, from Prince Albert 1st to Prince Albert 2nd, a nation with a view to the world's oceans, seas and waterways. The Organization came a long way dealing with a world in transformation and the progress is notable and commendable, thanks to hard work of hydrographers and nautical cartographers around the world. The rate of changes in the world is thought growing fast and poses challenges to the IHO but also presents opportunities. In order to cope with these changes and challenges, many hydrographic services are transforming their strategies from product to service providers, moving away from products towards data, to build knowledge. However, the preparation for changes are not the same everywhere and some nations are facing difficulties to be fit for these modern times. Most IHO Member States are striving to cope with a complex and fast changing world and this poses a real challenge for the IHO and my vision to address this matter is delineated below. I would like to start with the IHO Secretariat, where I will take responsibility as an IHO Director if elected by the IHO Member States. The IHO Secretariat consists of 20 permanent Staff Members and currently three project officers from IHO Member States. The Secretary-General relies on the Staff to properly manage the limited resources available in the IHO Budget and to coordinate the very valuable resources from the IHO Member States, organizations, industry and academia (the triple helix) towards the objectives of the IHO. I believe in team work and team building at the IHO Secretariat for the effective delivery of the expected outcomes. I will strive to respect the Staff and to provide them with opportunities for continuous professional development, so the Staff can better serve the IHO Member States and the wider Hydrographic Community. The IHO Secretariat is a key element for the work of the IHO and needs to be properly equipped with the tools to support its work and the work of the Member States and Stakeholders. I will focus energy to improve existing document system, communication framework, region and country information databases, geospatial information system and the underlying information technology (IT). In addition to the existing aforementioned tools, the IHO Member States and the Hydrographic Community can benefit from an efficient publication system (store, manage, develop, track-change and distribute standards and publications in a standardized and auditable manner) and from a capacity building management system (ensuring that the efforts of the IHO will turn into human resources at the appropriate level, including databases to support the work of the capacity builders and to allow assessment to inform decisions). Other tasks that need to be addressed by the Staff are the transformation of nearly one hundred years of paper documents in a live searchable digital database, to preserve historical paper charts, maps and documents, to streamline processes, to enhance project management and to build a knowledge base to support the IHO Member States. It is achievable to make a transition from the existing PDF version of publications to a real-time access to the IHO Databases and Services by the Member States (e.g. Yearbook, Status of Surveys and Charting Worldwide and other elements only available to the IHO Secretariat). The IHO Secretariat is also of prominent importance to support the implementation of the IHO Strategic Plan, currently under construction. The management of the performance indicators established by Member States for the monitoring of the strategic goals and targets is to be achieved by the IHO Secretariat using the office infrastructure. On the coordination and capacity building side of the IHO, I believe my experience and professional skills can be useful to address big challenges: to attract new Member States to enlarge the IHO Membership, to increase the relevance of the IHO and of its Member States worldwide, to further develop the hydrographic capacity of all coastal States and any other State where Hydrography should be part of the national infrastructure and to attract more resources from donor agencies, industry, academia and other Stakeholders. Resources are needed not only to capacity building but also to technical developments and every single task of the IHO Work Programme. The increase in resources in a sustainable way is a priority. Enlarging the Membership and building the relevance of Hydrography go together and can be achieved with coordinated and targeted efforts of the IHO. These efforts need to be supported by a solid communication strategy that is being built at the IHO Secretariat under the leadership of the IHO Secretary-General, a long and continuous investment is required. Energy and time will be devoted to identifying key people and organizations that can help to promote Hydrography at all levels, as the keystone element of national maritime and marine infrastructures. Capacity Building is a strategic objective of the IHO and the IHO CB Strategy and its principles are of paramount importance to achieve its objectives, in particular the long-term objective to enable all states which have navigable waters to achieve Phase 1 of development (timely collection and promulgation of hydrographic information for their national waters), and to develop a national plan to put in place appropriate elements of Phases 2 (creation of coastal and offshore surveying capability) and 3 produce paper charts, ENC and publications independently) or alternative cooperative regional or bilateral arrangements. Working with IHO Member States and other States will be always done respecting their own pace, culture and national legal frameworks. I firmly believe that the Standards of Competence for Hydrographic Surveyors and Nautical Cartographers are the fundamental mechanism to increase the capacity of professionals in our Member States, strengthening human component at all levels and maintaining competencies by means of recognized professional certification (individual recognition) schemes established in these Standards. The competence framework is a potential element to empower women in Hydrography and to reduce inequalities in gender. Education programmes for Hydrographers and Nautical Cartographers need to be complemented by short courses and awareness raising activities, in accordance with the IHO CB Strategy. The IHO bodies, Assembly, Council, Committees and all subordinate bodies will also benefit from coordination, capacity building and communication in order to prevent isolation, duplications and to make best use of resources. The IHO Secretariat is key to the process of integration and promotion of all the IHO bodies, working in syntony with and providing support to them. Continuous support is to be provided to the current IHO efforts to increase the knowledge of oceans, seas and inland waters with more hydrographic surveys and other data collection enterprises, with better charting and mapping worldwide. While these efforts will support the fundamental aspects of safe navigation, they will also provide the background information for the safety of live, protection of the marine environment and social and economic developments. Modern and updated charts and maps will increasingly be used for decision-making related to coastal zone management, governance of the waters beyond national jurisdiction and management of inland waters. Users of hydrographic information outside the mariner community will continue to grow, including government agencies, scientific communities, industry and other Stakeholders. Modern and updated nautical charts will continue to provide the knowledge for the establishment of routing system, delimitation of maritime boundaries, port developments, cable laying, among others. Hydrographic information of all kinds will support and facilitate further development of e-Navigation, smart vessels, autonomous vessels (maritime transport, surveillance and hydrographic surveys). These are being accelerated with better sensors, sensor integration, enduring and flexible platforms, artificial intelligence, quality assurance tools, automated processes, big data, near-real time data processes, Internet of Things (IoT) and other developments. In order to ensure that hydrography and related services will be available, the marine component of National Spatial Data Infrastructures needs to be operational. Hydrographic Services are the key agents of Marine Spatial Data Infrastructures (MSDI), a fundamental enabler of economic and social developments and of environmental protection. Existing hydrographic information should be accessible for use by the widest possible community of users, primarily but not limited by Geographical Information Systems and by web services. If honored with the IHO Member States' approval to be an IHO Director, I will support and promote the work of the IHO in developing standards and guidance to ensure that hydrographic information is available and accessible to the wide range of Stakeholders through harmonized and interoperable products and services. This means to endure to facilitate the IHO work on the S-100 framework, the work of partners in other S-xxx Standards and the consolidation of the IHO Geospatial Information Registry as the reference for standards on the marine environment for all relevant partners. Further development of the Registry and its Registers will require strong support from the IHO Secretariat and Member States to review documentation and to establish guidelines, conventions and procedures. Support will also be provided to ensure the appropriate relationship between the Registry Concept Register and the IHO Hydrographic Dictionary database, to strengthen the infrastructure to host the Registry, to build the associated tools and to maintain the whole system. As an IHO Director, I will be committed to work closely with the Regional Hydrographic Commissions in accordance with the objectives and resolutions of the IHO, ensuring that coordination is in place for surveys, charting, maritime safety information, capacity building and responses to disasters, among others. This includes the facilitation for Member States to comply with the WEND Principles and the expansion to include other services, in line with the discussions on the draft Worldwide Electronic Navigation Services (WENS). Special attention will be devoted to the continuation of the support to the UN-GGIM and its WGMGI, to ensure the IHO has access to the highest levels of decision-making processes and to funding for the IHO Capacity Building Work Programme for regional projects. Cooperation with relevant international and regional organizations are also central to strengthen the IHO's work, including capacity building and the very important integration of country maritime profiles, so the IHO can continue working with sister organizations under the United Nations "Delivering as One". In order to ensure the relevance of the IHO and of its Member States' Hydrographic Services, I will contribute to highlight the links of Hydrography and the UN SDGs and the UN Decade of the Oceans, supporting the work of the IHO Member States and of the IHO Secretary-General. This will ensure that Hydrography will be understood as indispensable to the world's efforts to reduce poverty, end hunger, ensure access to energy, reduce water pollution, ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources and guarantee access to water and sanitation for all, just to mention some. Hydrography has the potential to contribute to reduce inequalities and to promote social and economic development, in many different ways, including by providing direct input to Blue Economy Stakeholders. I am confident that my experience as a Hydrographer and Mariner, working at the IHO Secretariat (and its predecessor, the International Hydrographic Bureau) since 2011, has provided me with the skills and competences to serve the IHO and its Member States as an IHO Director, moving one step up from my current role as an IHO Assistant Director. I will work seriously towards the objectives and goals of the IHO, in line with the IHO Convention, rules and resolutions, as I have always done. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION - RENSEIGNEMENTS COMPLEMENTAIRES (if any) (le cas échéant) Capt Alberto Costa Neves had a prominent career in the Brazilian Navy and in its Hydrographic Service (DHN), where he completed his hydrographic education in 1988. He served in several different positions at sea and ashore, where he always contributed to improving service conditions and infrastructures of the organization. He always demonstrated sense of responsibility, leadership and commitment to the service. Always engaged in continuous professional development, he was able to perform his duties at high level. His ability to work in matrix mode inside the hierarchy system always brought very positive impact in the quality of the work of the organization. Capt Costa Neves was instrumental in the implementation of the Quality Assurance System and ISO 9001 certification for the production of nautical charts, facilitating the production of the first 100 Brazilian ENCs under his leadership. Capt Costa Neves also led the transition of inland paper charts to the digital world, allowing fast updating of nautical documents, the establishment of numerous agreements with industry and academia for joint operation of ships and survey equipment, the Navy participation in the Cartographic Project of the Amazon, the participation of DHN in research projects with universities and other high-profile projects. I am confident that Capt Costa Neves will be a valuable IHO Director and will serve the IHO Member States with his usual energy, enthusiasm and professionalism. With more than eight years of experience working in the IHO Secretariat as an Assistant Director (Coordination and Capacity Building), he is surely prepared for the position of IHO Director. His communication skills, speaking fluently five languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian and the native Portuguese) are an asset for an international organization. Date: 15 May 2019 Signature of Candidate - Signature du candidat : Forwarding Authority - Autorité qui transmet : Brazilian National Hydrographer and Director of Hydrography and Navigation, Vice Admiral Antonio Fernando Garcez Faria Signature of Forwarding Authority - Signature de l’autorité qui transmet : BRAZILIAN NAVY DIRECTORATE OF HYDROGRAPHY AND NAVIGATION Rua Barão de Jaceguay, s / n 2 , Ponta da Armação CEP: 24048-900 - Niterói - RJ 55 (21) 2189-3014 - [email protected] Letter No 43/DHN-MB 01/151.2.2 Niterói, RJ, 29 May 2019. Lady Mrs Kaidi KATUS Acting Head of Aids to Navigation and Hydrography Division and Deputy Director General of EMA Valge 4, TALLINN, 11413 Email: [email protected] Subject: Brazilian candidate appointment to the position of Director of the IHO M VS iC aucL t ' c a j-tcf In April 2020 the 2nd Assembly of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) will be held in Monaco. During this unique event, a new IHO Director will be elected. Therefore Brazil presented Captain (Retired) ALBERTO PEDRASSANI COSTA NEVES as a candidate, as stated in the attached IHO ACL02bis2 dated 22 May 2019. The purpose of this letter is to introduce Captain Alberto Costa Neves and affirm our conviction that he is the right person to be part of the IHO Secretariat. 2. Captain Alberto Costa Neves, due to his personal and professional qualification built on almost 30 years of Service at sea and on land and another 9 years in IHO, has been fully involved in hydrographic matters. His experience, as Assistant Director at IHO, has allowed him to contribute, directly or indirectly, with numerous activities of the Committees, Working Groups and Regional Hydrographic Commissions (RHC), in particular to capacity building and trainings as Secretary of both the CBSC and the IBSC. In addition to these facts, Captain Alberto Costa Neves was chosen by the Brazilian Navy, for his attributes of creativity, negotiation skills and tenacity, which contribuited to the success achieved throughout his career, which includes the participation in the Brazilian Hydrographic Service, as well as in the world hydrographic scenario. We believe those differentials will enable him, as Director, to contribute even more effectively to the achievement of the IHO objectives. 63009.001186/2019-72 - 1of2-  Continuation of DHN Letter No 43/2019. 3. Thus, reaffirming my conviction of the outstanding abilities of Captain Alberto Costa Neves, I request your support and I take the opportunity to wish fair winds and following seas, as well as to strengthen the ties of professionalism and friendship that has been joining our Hydrographic Services. 63009.001186/2019-72 - 2 of 2 - Saatja: <[email protected]> Saadetud: 31.05.2019 00:28 Adressaat: VA_hnt <[email protected]> Teema: A Brazilian Candidate for the post of Director of the IHO Manused: Carta43-2019-Brazilian- Candidate-Apointment-to-the-position-of-director-the- IHO-151.2.2.pdf; ACL02bis 2_2019_EN_v1.pdf Dear Mrs Katus, Please find attached a letter presenting the Brazilian candidate, Captain Alberto Costa Neves, to the position of Director of the IHO, for which I would like to request the support of this Hydrographic Division. Best Regards, Antonio Fernando GARCEZ Faria Vice-Admiral DHN Telephone: +55 (21) 2189-3001 Mobile: +55 (21) 99681-4530