International Organizations related to the activity of the Hydrographic Institute

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MARINE AIDS TO NAVIGATION AND LIGHTHOUSE AUTHORITIES (IALA)

IALA is a nonprofit, international technical association. Established in 1957, it gathers together marine aids to navigation authorities, manufacturers, consultants, and, scientific and training institutes from all parts of the world and offers them the opportunity to exchange and compare their experiences and achievements.

IALA encourages its members to work together in a common effort to harmonize aids to navigation worldwide and to ensure that the movements of vessels are safe, expeditious and cost effective while protecting the environment.

Taking into account the needs of mariners, developments in technology and the requirements and constraints of aids to navigation authorities, a number of technical committees have been established bringing together experts from around the world.

The Portuguese Lighthouse Authority is the national representative in this Organization.

The Hydrographic Institute is an IALA Associated Member and a participant on the AtoN Requiremenst and Management Committee (ARM) that aims to create a doctrine for the entities responsible for the maintenance, operation and development of AtoN and navigation systems.

Link:http://www.iala-aism.org/

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO)

The International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with the responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Energy efficiency, new technology and innovation, maritime education and training, maritime security, maritime traffic management and the development of the maritime infrastructure: the development and implementation, through IMO, of global standards covering these and other issues will underpin IMO's commitment to provide the institutional framework necessary for a green and sustainable global maritime transportation system.

Link:http://www.imo.org

INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION (IHO)

The IHO, founded in 1921 and of which Portugal is one of the founding members, is an intergovernmental, advisory and technical organization that seeks to ensure that all seas, oceans and navigable waters are surveyed and mapped, aiming to promote the safety and to support the protection and sustainable use of the marine environment. The Portuguese State is represented in the IHO by its national hydrographic office, the Instituto Hidrográfico.

The IHO also intends to support the coordination of the activities of the national hydrographic offices and the standardization of nautical charts and documents production, to increase the adoption of reliable and efficient hydrographic surveying methods and the development of marine sciences in the areas of hydrography and techniques of descriptive oceanography.

The official representative of each Member State in the IHO is usually called "National Hydrographer". The National Hydrographers and their technical teams meet every three years in Monaco, for the IHO Assembly. The Assembly meets with the purpose of promulgating the general guidelines on the operation and work of the organization, as well for technical and administrative decisions.

IHO Member States participate in Regional Hydrographic Commissions and in various technical standardization and technical coordination working groups. In this scope and in the context of the production of nautical cartography, the Instituto Hidrográfico is also the Primary Cartographic Authority for São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Angola. It should be noted that Portugal is a member of the Eastern Atlantic and of the Southern Africa and Islands Hydrographic Commissions (see additional information at the addresses below).

Link:http://iho.int/srv1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=427&Itemid=386&lang=en

Link:http://iho.int/srv1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=431&Itemid=390&lang=fr