MULTINATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
UNESCO/IOC
The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO was founded in 1960 on basis of the recognition that the oceans, covering some seventy percent of the earth's surface, exert a profound influence on mankind and even on all forms of life on Earth... In order to properly interpret the full value of the oceans to mankind, they must be studied from many points of view. While pioneering research and new ideas usually come from individuals and small groups, many aspects of oceanic investigations present far too formidable a task to be undertaken by any one nation or even a few nations. The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO provides Member States of the United Nations with an essential mechanism for global co-operation in the study of the ocean. The IOC assists governments to address their individual and collective ocean and coastal problems through the sharing of knowledge, information and technology and through the coordination of national programs. Website: "http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/index.php" [Summary provided by UNESCO.]