07/12/2022 | Rebecca Lahl, head of the Office for Knowledge Exchange at the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), has recently been selected as a member of the Group of Experts on Capacity Development (GE-CD) within the UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). The group consists of 21 members from 21 countries and deals with tasks related to the implementation of capacity development measures.
Aside from assisting in the assessment of capacity development needs and helping to establish and develop work plans based on IOC CD strategy, the group offers support in mobilising resources to implement CD work plans and advise on methods and tools to improve existing CD efforts.
Furthermore the group advises the assembly in matters related to capacity development and the transfer of marine technologies.
Rebecca Lahl is the second addition to the advisory panel hailing from ZMT. Her appointment follows Dr. Werner Ekau who was a member since the group’s inauguration in 2017 and has now retired from ZMT.
A lot has been achieved in the last years since the General Assembly of the IOC adopted its CD Strategy 2015-2021 in June 2015 and suggested the formation of an expert group to accompany and monitor the implementation of the strategy.
The expert group met for the first time in March 2018 and presented a work programme for several task teams, e.g. to define "IOC Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology". In 2021, the group was then given the task by the General Assembly to revise the CD strategy. There were a total of four meetings in 2022 for this purpose. The work was completed at the attendance event in November 2022. The revised version will be presented for adoption at the next IOC General Assembly in June 2023.
Werner Ekau says: “ZMT has been involved throughout the process of creating the capacity development strategy and I am pleased that the ZMT continues to be involved. After all, its involvement at the time was the impetus for the development of ZMT's own capacity development strategy.”
Rebcca Lahl says about her new role: „I am excited to be joining such a high-level advisory group on capacity development as the official German representative and look forward to contribute my expertise in the development of capacity development strategies, funding programmes and trainings and to foster knowledge exchange with civil society and policy for the UN Ocean Decade. I am really excited to work closely with IOC and other international experts in the coming years.”
ZMT managing director Dr. Nicolas Dittert comments: "ZMT is very honoured and grateful to be invited to make an important contribution to the IOC Group of Experts through Rebecca's participation as national representative. We are pleased to be able to pledge support for the coming years."
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