The ICG/PTWS (formerly ITSU) is subsidiary body of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It has been in operation since 1965, and is currently comprised of 30 Pacific Member States who have officially designated Tsunami National Contacts (TNC) and Tsunami Warning Focal Points (TWFP). The ICG/PTWS acts to coordinate international tsunami warning and mitigation activities, including the issuance the timely understandable warnings in the Pacific. Comprehensive tsunami mitigation programmes require complementary and sustained activities in tsunami hazard risk assessment, tsunami warning and emergency response, and preparedness. Stakeholder involvement and coordination is essential, and community-based, people-centred mitigation activities will help to build tsunami resiliency.

The International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC) and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) serve key roles as the PTWS's capacity building and system implementation resource and assistance centre, and as the international operational tsunami warning headquarters, respectively.

For further information or questions, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PTWS Information Sheet - (PDF 41.6 KB)  [February 2008]

ITIC Brochure - (PDF 2.03 MB)

PTWS Brochure - (PDF 1.93 MB)

ICG/PTWS Organizational Structure Diagram

• Intergovernmental Coordination Group (ICG)
  The ICG is an IOC subsidiary body that reports to the IOC Assembly or Executive Council. The ICG/ITSU was established by IOC Resolution IV-6 in 1965 as a regional international body, and has met every two years since 1968. The ICG/ITSU renamed itself to be the ICG/PTWS intergovernmental body in 2005 through Resolution IOC/ITSU-XX.3 endorsed by IOC/EC-XXXIX.8.

  Official delegates to the ICG's have the responsibility on behalf of their governments to speak and comment on ICG Agenda Items, announce initiatives, make and support recommendations, and commit to actions that improve and enhance the effectiveness of the PTWS. The ICG activities are member state driven according to the needs of the region taking the advice of experts contributing to Working Groups and other tertiary bodies. As a regional subsidiary body, the ICG Terms of Reference specify that it is comprised of Member States in that region. Other countries outside the region, and organizations are considered Observers to the ICG.

  In addition to the Pacific, ICGs were formally established in 2005 for the Caribbean (ICG/CARIBE-EWS), Indian Ocean (ICG/IOTWS), and North East Atlantic and Mediterranean and Connected Seas (ICG/NEAMTWS), and have met frequently starting in 2005. The development of these systems is based on a basin-focused strategy and approach that considers the communities at risk and the characteristics of the region. It acknowledges a region's unique oceanographic, geophysical, technical, educational, cultural, and political interests.
  

  
  
• Member States / Tsunami National Contact (TNC)
  Each Member State is represented by a Tsunami National Contact that serves ICG contact and as the country's coordinator of its international tsunami warning and mitigation activities. The person is usually part of the main stakeholders of the national tsunami warning and mitigation system programme.
  
  
• Tsunami Warning Focal Point (TWFP)
  7x24 contact person, or other official point of contact or address, designated by an ICG Member State government for rapidly receiving and issuing tsunami event information (such as warnings). The Tsunami Warning Focal Point has the responsibility of notifying the emergency authority (civil defense or other designated agency responsible for public safety) of the event characteristics (earthquake and/or tsunami), in accordance with the procedures of the Tsunami Response Plan. The Tsunami Warning Focal Point receives international tsunami warnings from the PTWC, WC/ATWC, JMA NWPTAC, or other regional warning centres.

  TNC and TWFP for each country are officially-designated through high-level processes.
  

• Tsunami Coordination Unit (TCU)
  The IOC TCU presently coordinates the four tsunami warning and mitigation systems and works to identify the commonalities in terms of specifications, guidelines, standards, procedures and processes including developing synergies with existing technical groups dealing with related matters. The TCU is based at IOC headquarters (Paris, France), and composed of the Unit Head, the Secretariats of the regions, ITIC, and technical and professional staff. The TCU provides guidance for the final integration of ICG’s basin-driven work that occurs at the IOC Governing Bodies level.
  

• ICG/PTWS Officers
  PTWS leadership is guided by Member State elected Officers (Chairperson, 2 Vice-Chairpersons) along with the ITIC and PTWC as the operational centers for the end-to-end PTWS. The ITIC and PTWC are ex-officio non-voting members. The Officers meet during the inter-sessional period to review progress, identify new priorities, and plan for the upcoming ICG.
  
  
• ICG/PTWS Regional Secretariat
  The IOC provides the Secretariat for the ICG/PTWS. The Secretariat coordinates and facilitates the activities of the ICG interacting directly with Member States and regional organizations, oversees in coordination with the PTWS Officers the arrangement, conduct, and reporting of the ICG's sessions and other meetings, and facilitates the ICG's Action Plan working with Member State Tsunami National Contacts for overall international activities, with Tsunami Warning Focal Points for issues directly related to tsunami alerts and warnings, and with the international warning centres (PTWC, WC/ATWC, JMA) and the ITIC.
  
  
• International Tsunami Information Centre (ITIC)
  The ITIC serves as the operational capacity building and system implementation centre assisting all PTWS Member States to develop new or strengthen existing national and sub-regional warning and mitigation systems. ITIC information services cover warning centre operations, training and technology transfer, education and public awareness, mitigation and countermeasures, historical tsunami catalogues and post-tsunami surveys.
  
  
• Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC)
  The PTWC serves as the international operational tsunami warning headquarters for the PTWS. Sub-regional centres in Alaska, USA and Japan work closely with the PTWC. The centres issue timely tsunami alerts to designated national authorities who then take action to protect their populations.
  
  
• ICG Working Groups
  PTWS work is enabled through Working Groups (WG) established as tertiary subsidiary bodies by the ICGs. Intra-sessional (or sessional) WGs work during an ICG and report back to the ICG in which they were established. Inter-sessional WGs work between ICGs and report at the next ICG. Inter-sessional WGs may decide to meet, or may carry their work out through e-mail, teleconferences, in-person meetings, or other means. Terms of Reference for WGs are stated through Recommendations endorsed by the ICG. The Recommendation may also state the WG members. A WG Chair may be designated by the ICG, or elected by WG members. The Chair provides leadership for the WG and is responsible for written reports summarizing its work. Working Group members are nominated by Member States according to their individual abilities to contribute to the tasks of the WG. A WG should dissolve after its tasks have been completed.
  
  
• IOC decisions on PTWS
  PTWS Resolutions and Recommendations are developed by Member States in coordination with the Secretariat. These are reported to the next IOC Governing Body for endorsement and official adoption.
  
  
• Cooperation with other organizations
  The PTWS, through its ITIC and PTWC, has established many cooperations with international agencies in order to support, sustain, and coordinate its operational tsunami warning and mitigation system. The PTWS's goal is to save lives and property, and as such, seeks to work in partnership with all appropriate agencies. The IOC’s United Nations partners include, for example, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Specialized and regional organizations include the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics Tsunami Commission (IUGG-TC), Pacific Applied Geosciences Council (SOPAC), Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Centro de Coordinación de la Prevención de Desastres Naturales en América Central (CEPREDENAC).
  
  
• PTWS Users Guide - (PDF 2.48 MB)  (formerly Communications Plan)
  The Guide is intended for use by National Tsunami Warning Focal Points as customers receiving the advisories from the (interim) tsunami warning centres. It includes a summary of the operational procedures, instrument networks used, criteria for the reporting and issuing of tsunami alerts, recipients of the information, and the methods for message transmission, as well as a number of Annexes that provide explanatory and background information on technical evaluation methods and other guidance in order to assist customers in understanding the products that are issued. The Users Guide is updated at least annually, and will next be updated in August 2007.