IORP held its 14th Session in Jakarta

The CLIVAR/IOC GOOS Indian Ocean Region Panel held its 14th Session in the afternoon of March 21, 2018, in Jakarta, Indonesia, alongside the IIOE-2 Steering Committee Meeting, IOGOOS-14 and SIBER-8. Sixteen participants including 11 IORP members, 4 observers and ICPO staff participated in the meeting. The meeting started with a brief orientation to CLIVAR and the terms of reference of IORP, led by Jing Li, ICPO, and Lisa Beal, IORP co-chair. Next, several panel members presented their researches, including Indian Ocean cruise updates and opportunities. Finally, on-going panel activities were discussed, including the panel's workplan for 2018, membership and funding issues. Much discussion was taken up by the need to rejuvenate the important IndOOS Resource Forum (IRF), in collaboration with Nick D'Adamo of IOC, IOGOOS and SIBER, and to strengthen its links with IORP. An active IRF will be paramount when it comes to implementation of actionable recommendations to come out of the IndOOS decadal review, which IORP expects to finalise in 2019. The next IORP meeting will be organized in the first quarter of 2019, back to back with the 3rd IIOE-2 Steering Committee Meeting, SIBER-9, IOGOOS-15 and IRF-9.