Environment and Natural Resources Management Space Technology Applications Section

1. The Ministerial Conference on Space Applications for Development in Asia and the Pacific, held at Beijing during 19-24 September 1994, after detailed deliberations on on various issues relating to promoting and enhancing the use of space technology applications, launched a Regional Space Applications Programme on Sustainable Development (RESAP) through the Beijing Declaration and the adoption of a Strategy for Regional Cooperation in Space Applications for Sustainable Development and an Action Plan on Space Applications for Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific. The Ministerial Conference recommended the constitution of Regional Working Groups to promote regional cooperation in different themes of space technology applications for sustainable development in the region.

2. In pursuance of the recommendation of the Ministerial Conference and the Regional Strategy and Action Plan, the Regional Working Group on Meteorological Satellite Applications and Natural Hazards Monitoring is hereby constituted as a regional cooperative network under RESAP of the ESCAP secretariat. The Regional Working Group comes into existence on 26 March 1996 with the present terms of reference and the following initial participating members: China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

1. Promote meteorological satellite applications for sustainable development, including the improvement of meteorological and natural hazards monitoring services;
2. Exchange information among member countries;
3. Formulate and implement collaborative satellite meteorological application projects relevant to natural disasters, environment and sustainable development in the region;
4. Promote development and utilization of data collection systems and inexpensive ground receiving stations;
5. Promote dissemination of data and sharing of such data through regional information network infrastructure, including the use of the Internet.
6. Identify and implement specific programmes for human resource development in meteorological satellite applications;
7. Develop links with other appropriate international organizations, particularly the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS);
8. Encourage support for the programme by national governments, international bodies and national meteorological services.
9. Prioritize projects based on general interest to the region and of serious concern to one or several countries, where affordable and supported in the context of the resources available, and where consistent with the framework of the Beijing Declaration, but which may not be effectively handled in existing bodies.

5. Heads of national agencies coordinating meteorological satellite applications/national meteorological departments, or their designated representatives, shall be nominated as national contact points of the Regional Working Group and shall participate in its annual meetings.

6. The national contact point of the Regional Working Group shall act with general coordination of the national focal point for RESAP.

7. The Regional Working Group shall meet at least once a year or as appropriate to discuss common problems and develop cooperative programmes. The agenda may include the following items:

(a) Exchange information;

(b) Review activities and programmes of work;

(c) Formulate collaborative projects;

(d) Propose funding mechanisms and solicit funds for implementing projects;

(e) Endorse annual work plan and monitor its implementation.

8. The Regional Working Group shall decide a coordination office located in a national agency/department situated in the ESCAP region and appoint a coordinator, who will be the nodal point for information flow to and from the Regional Working Group. The term for hosting the coordination office will be two years. It may be extended for one more term only if so decided by the Working Group.

9. United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, representatives of other countries or organizations (NGOs, research institutions, universities) and experts in the field of interest, as the Regional Working Group may deem appropriate, may be invited to participate in the meetings in a consultative capacity.

10. The ESCAP secretariat, through its Space Technology Applications Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Management Division, shall:

(a) Assist the coordinator in soliciting the nomination of members from participating countries;

(b) Assist the Regional Working Group in organizing meetings, seminars and training;

(c) Cooperate with the coordinator of the Regional Working Group and provide assistance in follow-up and realization of its recommendations;

(d) Assist in project formulation, fund raising and implementation;

(e) Facilitate information exchange through newsletters and reports;

(f) Provide professional advice and input;

(g) Provide a clearing house for information flow and interaction between members and the coordinator of the Regional Working Group.

11. Any regional members or associate members who possess centres of excellence in the field of satellite meteorology applications may offer to host the coordination office of the Regional Working Group. The host country, as the nodal point of the Regional Working Group, shall:

(a) Host the coordination office of the Regional Working Group by providing necessary office facilities and operational support;

(b) Designate a coordinator at its own cost and facilitate the coordinator in discharging his/her coordinating functions;

(c) Interface with ESCAP for technical support and programme implementation as well as information exchange matters;

(d) Initiate such activities as exchange of personnel, training, consultancy and technical visits, as requested by members of the Regional Working Group, utilizing technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) and other mechanisms available at the ESCAP secretariat;

(e) Provide coordination in association with ESCAP for conducting regional seminars/conferences and cooperative projects;

(f) Facilitate appropriate coordination with ESCAP (after initial exchange of letters agreeing to host the Regional Working Group) on correspondence related to definition of substantive activities, budget estimation for external funding for programme support of those activities, and exchange of letters for TCDC and other activities.

12. The Regional Working Group shall report its work to the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee on Regional Space Applications Programme for Sustainable Development (ICC on RESAP), which functions under the purview of the Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (Annex). The coordinator of the Regional Working Group shall attend and present the Regional Working Group report at the annual session of the ICC.

13. Any member of the Regional Working Group may propose an amendment to the terms of reference, and the same shall enter into force, if approved by a consensus of the members in attendance.