The International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO) and the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) in September 1994 agreed to form a joint Advisory Board to provide advice and guidance and, where applicable, offer expert interpretation of the hydrographic, geodetic and other technical aspects of the Law of the Sea to the parent organistions, their member states or to other organisations on request. This Board would be known as ABLOS. In 1999 the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) was invited to be a member of ABLOS. In 2006 the IOC decided to withdraw from ABLOS.
Download a PDF describing ABLOS and the nature of its work and linkages with other organisations here.
The Board is comprised of three representatives from each organisation and two additional members, one representing the UN Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea Office of Legal Affairs (DOALOS) in an ex-officio capacity, and the other representing the International Hydrographic Bureau.
Download a copy of the terms of reference of ABLOS here.
The formation of the Board follows from the activities of committees within the IAG and IHO which led to their combined work in producing a "Manual on Technical Aspects of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - 1982" (the "TALOS Manual"). This is published by the International Hydrographic Bureau as Special Publication No.51. A "Geodetic Commentary to the TALOS Manual" has been produced and is provided as an appendix to the TALOS Manual.
The 4th Edition of the "TALOS Manual" is now available...download here.
Cdr. Muhammad BASHIR, Deputy Hydrographer, Hydrographic Department, Naval Headquarters 11, Liaquat Barracks, Karachi 75530, PAKISTAN, tel: +92-21-56636151, fax: +92-21-9203246
Mr. Chris M. CARLETON, Head, Law of the Sea, U.K. Hydrographic Office, Ministry of Defence, Taunton, Somerset TA1 2DN, U.K., tel: +44-1823-723404, fax:+44-1823-353075
Dr. Zvonko GRZETIC (Vice Chairman), Director Hrvatski Hidrografski Institut, Zrinsko-Frankopanska 141
2100 Split, CROATIA, tel: + 385-21-361840
Mr. Shin TANI (Chair), Cabinet Counsellor, The Secretariat of the Headquarters for Ocean Policy, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of Japan, 2F, Roppongi 25 Mori Building, 1-4-30, Roppongi, Minatoku, Tokyo 106-0032, JAPAN, tel: +81-3-55751517, fax: +81-3-55750090
Dr. Sunil BISNATH, Dept. of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, CANADA, tel: +1-416-7362100 (ext 20556), fax: +1-416-7365817
Mr. Grame BLICK, Land Information New Zealand, Private Bag 5501, Wellington 6145, NEW ZEALAND, tel: +64-4-4983833, fax: +64-4-4983837
Prof. Chris RIZOS, School of Surveying & Spatial Information Systems, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, AUSTRALIA, tel: +61-2-93854205, fax: +61-2-93137493
Prof. Lars SJÖBERG, Division of Geodesy, Dept. of Infrastructure, Royal Institute of Technology, S-10044 Stockholm, SWEDEN, tel: +46-8-7907330, fax: +46-8-7907343
Mr. Steve SHIPMAN, Professional Assistant (Hydrography), International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB), 4 quai Antoine 1er, BP 445, MC98011, Monaco Cedex, Pincipality of Monaco, tel: +377-93108100, fax: +377-93108140
Mr. Hariharan Pakshi RAJAN, Secretary of the Commission of the Limits of the Continental Shelf, Division of Ocean Affairs & the Law of the Sea (DOALOS), United Nations, New York, NY 10017, USA, tel: +1-212-9631234, fax: +1-212-9634879
Capt. Ravi NAUTIYAL, Director (International Affairs), For the Chief Hydrographer, National Hydrographic Office, 107-A, Rajpur Rd., Dehradun, Uttarakhand, 248001, INDIA, tel: +91-135-2747365, fax: +91-135-2748373
Cdr. Luiz Carlos TORRES, Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Centre, Division of Cartography, Cartographic Database Section, Rua Barão de Jaceguay S/N, Ponta da Armação, Niterói – RJ, CEP 24048-900, BRAZIL, tel: +55-21-21893248, fax: +55-21-21893242
An international conference on TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF MARITIME BOUNDARY DELINEATION AND DELIMITATION, INCLUDING UNCLOS ARTICLE 76 ISSUES was organised by ABLOS, in Monaco, at the International Hydrographic Bureau, on 9-10 September 1999.
Download a copy of the conference report here.
Download conference papers (PDF files) here.
1999 conference participants photographed on the roof of the building housing the IHB, beside Monaco Harbour.
An international conference on ACCURACIES AND UNCERTAINTIES IN MARITIME BOUNDARIES AND OUTER LIMITS, was organised by ABLOS, in Monaco, at the International Hydrographic Bureau, on 18-19 October 2001.
Download a copy of the conference report here.
Download conference papers (PDF files) here.
2001 conference participants photographed on the roof of the building housing the IHB, beside Monaco Harbour.
An international conference on ADDRESSING DIFFICULT ISSUES IN UNCLOS, was organised by ABLOS, in Monaco, at the International Hydrographic Bureau, on 28-30 October 2003.
Download a copy of the conference report here.
Download tutorial & conference papers (PDF files) here.
2003 conference participants photographed on the roof of the building housing the IHB, beside Monaco Harbour.
An international conference on Marine Scientific Research and the Law of the Sea: the Balance between Coastal State and International Rights, was organised by ABLOS, in Monaco, at the International Hydrographic Bureau, on 10-12 October 2005.
Download tutorial & conference papers (PDF files) here.
2005 conference participants photographed on the roof of the building housing the IHB, beside Monaco Harbour.
An international conference on DIFFILCULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROVISIONS OF UNCLOS, organised by ABLOS, in Monaco, at the International Hydrographic Bureau, on 16-17 October 2008. Note deadline for submission of abstracts is 30 April 2008.
Programme here.
Abstracts here.
Download the conference announcement here.
Download the registration form here.
Download the abstract format here.
Download the final paper format here.
Download the hotel booking form here.
Try this accommodation website for teachers/students.
Past and forthcoming meetings: