IHO 
eral. Furthermore, it changesthe eligibility require- 
mentsfor candidates applying for one of the three 
positions Sb far, candidates needed to prove a 
close relation between their professional career, 
hydrography and practical experience at sea, ide 
ally having worked in hydrographic surveying. 
However, this IHO relevant quali cation doesn’t 
automatically imply the ability to manage an inter 
national organisation. Talented managers with an 
academic, economic or legal background were ex 
cluded from the applications until now, as well as 
candidates older than years seeking a position 
in the Secretariat. These regulations do not exist 
anymore. 
The most important body of the organisation 
was the Hydrographic Conference taking place 
every ve yearsso far. It will be replaced by an As 
sembly of all member states meeting in a three- 
year-cycle. A Council made up of states that 
show highest interest in hydrography will meet 
annually - an entirely new element. One of the 
controversial questions is how to measure this 
interest according to the new convention. In fu 
ture, ten seatswill be given to the stateswith the 
greatest national tonnage; the remaining seats 
will be divided among the regional commit 
tees by means of a still untested procedure. The 
aim of the three-year-cycle meetings of Council 
and Assembly is to provide more exibility in de 
cision-taking processes, choosing topics and use 
of budget. Additionally, the instrument of voting 
by correspondence changed in sofarasdecisions 
will be taken based on a majority of the member 
states that cast a vote, instead of the still exist 
ing arrangement where a majority of all mem 
ber states entitled to vote is required. However, 
it is still unclear whether the Council with its 
members is allowed to take decisions for the re 
porting committees for technical standardisation 
and international cooperation. This IHO working 
level made up of committees and related work 
ing groups had already been restructured in 
with regard to the new Convention. 
The long awaited new organisation has nal- 
ly arrived at the Côte d’Azur. It is now up to the 
Secretary General, the Directors and the Council 
Chairman to live up to the expectations of the 
former generation. The time has de nitely come 
for these changes as processes depending on 
hydrographic information such as sea transporta 
tion, energy production, resource extraction and 
marine conservation speed up globally and call for 
an organisation that works successfully on interna 
tional level. " 
40+ 
YEARS OF 
HYDROGRAPHIC 
Fugro OSAE GmbH 
+49 4212 239150 
info@fosa0.dG 
www.fugro.com 
www.fosao.de 
Fugno’s hydrographic and geophysical 
surveys inform energy, construction 
and mining projects around the world. 
Our high resolution, large area multibeam 
surveys - facilitated by Fugro’s precise 
positioning services - deliver IHO compliance, 
whilst our desktop studies and detailed 
surveys of cable routes, pipelay and subsea 
infrastructure, enhance the safety and efficiency 
of your project. 
GRD