<-- Back Annual Session 2006-Solomon Islands







INFORMATION CIRCULAR

The 35th Annual Session of the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) will be hosted by the Solomon Islands in Honiara from Wednesday 20th to Thursday 28th September, 2006.

The purpose of SOPAC Annual Sessions is to bring together member country representatives, advisors from supporting governments, organisations and institutions and, scientists and technicians working in the Pacific Islands region. It provides an opportunity to review the progress and directions of the SOPAC Work Programme, and to stimulate and plan new, emerging initiatives needed in the region.The Official Opening of Governing Council is scheduled to begin at 0900am on Monday 25th September.

The Official Opening will be preceded by a 3 day meeting of STAR (Science, Technology and Resources Network) to be held from Wednesday 20th to Friday 22nd September and a one day field trip on Saturday 23rd September 2006. During Council a 2-day combined meeting of Council and its Technical Advisory Group (TAG) will be held Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th September. The purpose of this combined meeting is for member countries and other delegates to discuss the SOPAC Work Programme.

Space will be provided for poster displays, maps and other material relevant to the SOPAC Work Programme. Slide and overhead projection facilities will be available for STAR presentations

Daily sessions will be held during the hours 0900 - 1230 and 1400 - 1730. Time will be made available in the evenings for presentations that may be longer than can be fitted into the main programme, or are on topics not directly related to the SOPAC Work Programme.

Annual Session documents and STAR Abstracts will be provided to all delegates at the start of the Annual Session. In addition a summary record of proceedings will be produced and provided to all delegates at the close of the Annual Session.

REGISTRATION

Early registration is highly recommended. Please indicate your intention to attend the 35th Annual Session by completing and returning the attached Preliminary Registration Form to the SOPAC Secretariat as soon as possible but no later than Friday 4th August 2006. At the time of responding please indicate your proposed travel and hotel accommodation arrangements.This will ensure that you will be met at the airport on arrival.If you have special needs please advise laisa@sopac.org

ANNUAL SESSION DOCUMENTS

During the Annual Session, substantive matters which participants may wish to raise under each appropriate agenda item may be outlined in a brief written Annual Session Document. These will be bound together and provided to delegates at the start of the Annual Session.

Annual Session documents should be sent to the Secretariat by Friday 4th August. They should be no more than two pages in length, with a separate document for each topic. Other papers may be presented by participants, but will not be included as formal Annual Session documents. In this regard delegates should bring a minimum of 80 copies for distribution at the Annual Session.

COUNCIL WORKING GROUPS

Working Groups of Council may be established at the start of the Session to consider issues of particular importance that may be raised in the Agenda, including work programme and budgetary matters. Some Working Groups may be established during the Session as issues arise in discussions. Reports from the Working Groups will be presented and considered at appropriate times during the Session and will be included in the Annual
Session Proceedings.

STAR

All delegates are invited to make STAR presentations and participate in STAR Working Groups. It is the responsibility of the STAR Chair to report to Council on the STAR presentations in so far as they indicate new science and technical directions or have implications for the SOPAC work programme.

Those delegates who wish to make a presentation should indicate their intention on the Registration Form. Details of STAR themes and guidelines and working groups for the submission of STAR abstracts are available as a separate circular from the Chair of STAR, John Collen (john.collen@vuw.ac.nz) / or visit the the SOPAC Secretariat website Annual Session 2006. Abstracts should be sent to John Collen no later than August 4th 2006.

This year, the major theme of STAR will be ‘Natural Resources Governance’ particularly with respect to minerals, energy, ocean and water resources in the SOPAC region. That said papers on any aspect of Pacific geoscience are welcomed, for consideration.:

FLIGHT DETAILS

There are international flights in/out of Honiara from Australia, Papua New Guinea Vanuatu and Fiji.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation must be pre-booked. A special circular containing details of the range of available hotel accommodation for Honiara and related information will be communicated in June 2006.