The IOC Regional Committee for the Central Indian Ocean (IOCINDIO) invites Member States and partner Organizations to its Eighth Intergovernmental Session (IOCINDIO-VIII). Due to the current sanitary conditions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this session will be online with a reduced agenda with three-hour daily meetings (09:30-12:30 Paris Time) from 17 to 19 May 2021. These arrangements aim to ensure the needed intergovernmental governance for IOCINDIO while also taking into consideration participants’ health and time zone difference for active participation. The IOCINDIO Officers and the IOC Secretariat are grateful to the Islamic Republic of Iran for organizing and hosting the online session. The working language for the session will be English.

Due to current conditions and time constraints, IOCINDIO-VIII will focus on the implementation of Decision IOC-XXX/3.3.4, by which the IOC Assembly at its 30^th session requested IOCINDIO Chair to prepare, with the help of the IOC Secretariat, a proposal for changing the status of IOCINDIO that would contain the mission, the objectives, terms of references, budgetary implications, secretarial arrangements and other necessary provisions for the consideration of the IOC Executive Council at its 53rd session in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the latter was postponed to February 2021 with a reduced agenda, which did not allow for the review of the IOCINDIO status. The report of the consultation meeting on this issue that was organized shortly after on 16 February 2021 will be presented to this session of IOCINDIO. A revised draft proposal document prepared by IOCINDIO Chair will be submitted to the Committee calling for expressions of interest and support for the proposed transformation of the Committee into a wider IOC Sub commission. IOC Member States beyond the current IOCINDIO membership, especially those bordering the Indian Ocean or with interest in that region, are invited to participate in the session.

The Report of the IOCINDIO-VIII will be presented to the IOC Assembly at its Thirty-first Session, 14–25 June 2021 (online).

Member States and partner organizations are invited to send confirmation of attendance and contact details of delegation (names, official addresses and designations; i.e., Head of Delegation, Alternate, Representative or Adviser) at their earliest convenience, but not later than 30^th April 2021 to the IOCINDIO Technical Secretary, Justin Ahanhanzo (j.ahanhanzo@unesco.org) with a copy to IOCINDIO Chair Dr. Atmanand M.A. (atmanandma@hotmail.com), Executive Secretary (v.ryabinin@unesco.org) and Elena Iasyreva (e.iasyreva@unesco.org). Designated national delegates and representatives of partner organizations will be advised on specific arrangements for their online participation to the session. Rehearsal and connection tests are to be scheduled on 10 and 11 May 2021 from 10:00 to 14:00 (Paris Time).

On 6 May 2021, IOCINDIO-VIII will be preceded by a one-day IOCINDIO Indian Ocean Blue Economy Summit, also to be held online. The results of the summit will be reported to the IOCINDIO-VIII Session. You are cordially invited to this workshop and confirm your participation by 30^th April 2021. The Concept note is attached. Modalities for online connection will be announced soonest.

The meeting will take place through the zoom platform, from Monday, 17^th May 2021 to Wednesday, 19^th May 2021 09:30-12:30 CEST (07:30-10:30 UTC).

Participants are invited for rehearsals on Wednesday, 12^th May from 10:00 to 12:30 CEST (08:00-10:30 UTC) and/or 14:00 to 16:00 CEST (12:00-14 UTC). From the 17^th to 19^th May, the host will open the meeting at 09:00 a half hour before the meeting starts 09:30 CEST (Paris time).