THIS CIRCULAR LETTER REQUIRES YOU TO VOTE
IHO File No. S3/2513 CIRCULAR LETTER 63/2017
14 November 2017
CALL FOR APPROVAL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF IHO PUBLICATION B-7
- GEBCO GUIDELINES
References:
A IHO CL 47/2012 dated 7 May – New Bathymetric Publication – IHO-IOC GEBCO Cook
Book (B-11);
B. B-11 – IHO-IOC GEBCO Cookbook;
C. IHO CL 70/2015/Rev.1 dated 21 September – IHO-IOC GEBCO Guiding Committee
(GGC) – New IHO Representatives and Approval of Revised Terms of Reference and Rules
of Procedure;
D. GEBCO Guiding Committee Terms of Reference;
E. 1st Session of the IHO Assembly P-6 – Proceedings including List of Decisions;
F. IHO CL55/2017 dated 31 October - Outcome of the First Meeting of the IHO Council.
Dear Hydrographer,
1. A review and revision of IHO Publication B-7 – GEBCO Guidelines – was commenced by the
IHO Secretariat in 2009 and the publication was distributed to members of the GEBCO Guiding
Committee (GGC) for consideration, comment and input. The partially completed publication was
included as a meeting document at GGC31 in 2014, GGC32 in 2015 and GGC33 in 2016, where it was
decided to propose its withdrawal.
2. During this period the GGC Terms of Reference were comprehensively revised and expanded
with the amended version being adopted by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
of UNESCO on 22 June 2015 at its 28th Assembly and then subsequently by the IHO Member States
on 11 September 2015 as announced in IHO CL70/2015/Rev.1. Over the same period work was
completed on the creation of IHO Publication B-11 (IOC Manuals and Guides 63) – The IHO-IOC
GEBCO Cookbook – whose subsequent adoption by IHO Member States was announced in IHO
CL47/2012 and it was approved by the IOC Executive Council in October 2012.
3. The adoption and approval of the new GGC ToRs and the publication of B-11 have resulted in the
fact that the majority of material proposed to be included in the revised version of B-7 was already
available and therefore the GGC considered there was no requirement to continue with the revision and
updating of B-7, in fact it was considered more appropriate to withdraw the publication so as to avoid
duplication of information and material, which would require additional resources to ensure its
harmonization with B-11 and the GGC ToRs.
4. It was agreed by the GGC that a comprehensive check would be conducted to ensure any material
in B-7 which was not already included in either B-11 or the GGC ToRs, and which was considered
current and relevant, would be identified and subsequently included in either document as appropriate.
Mapping our Seas, Oceans and Waterways - more important than ever
5. The withdrawal of B-7 will remove a long standing, but stalled, review from the GGC Work Plan
and allow resources to be focused on the creation of improved GEBCO products and a revised GEBCO
Grid.
6. At its 1st meeting in October 2017, the IHO Council endorsed the decision to withdraw IHO
Publication B-7 – GEBCO Guidelines and tasked the IHO Secretariat to seek consideration and approval
from the IHO Member States (see Reference F – Decision C-1/27).
7. Member States are requested to take into account the endorsement of the IRCC and the IHO
Council and to consider the withdrawal of IHO Publication B-7 by providing their reply on the Voting
Form in Annex A, at their earliest convenience and no later than 30 January 2018.
On behalf of the Secretary-General
Yours sincerely,
Mustafa IPTES
Director
Annex:
A. Voting Form
2
Annex A to
IHO CL 63/2017
IHO File No S3/2513
B-7 – GEBCO GUIDELINES
Withdrawal of Publication
Voting Form
(to be returned to the IHO Secretariat by 30 January 2018)
E-mail:
[email protected] - Fax: +377 93 10 81 40
Note: The boxes will expand as you type your answers.
Member State:
Contact:
E-mail:
Do you approve the withdrawal of B-7 (tick the appropriate box)?
YES NO
If you answer ‘NO’, please explain your reasons in the comment section below.
Comments:
Signature :
Date :
A-1
Dear Hydrographer,
Please find attached herewith :
CL 63/2017 : CALL FOR APPROVAL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF IHO PUBLICATION B-7
- GEBCO GUIDELINES
Kind regards
Lorene Chavagnas
Office Assistant
International Hydrographic Organization
BP 445, 98011 Monaco
Tel : 00377 93 10 81 00