THE MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION COMPENDIUM

BILATERAL / RUSSIA
First Update; pages 884-888


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Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation for Cooperation in the GLOBE Program, Moscow, 1994

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Done at Moscow 16 December 1994
Entered into force 16 December 1994
Primary source citation: Copy of text provided by the U.S. Department of State


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AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION FOR COOPERATION IN THE GLOBE PROGRAM

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation (hereinafter, the sides),

Intending to increase the awareness of students throughout the world about the global environment,

Seeking to contribute to increased scientific understanding of the Earth,

Desiring to support improved student achievement in science and mathematics, and

Promoting students to undertake careers related to environmental studies,

Have agreed to cooperate in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program as follows:

 

ARTICLE 1 - THE GLOBE PROGRAM

The GLOBE Program is an international environmental science and education program that will bring students, teachers, and scientists together to study the global environment. GLOBE will create an international network of children and students, aged 5-18 years (Kindergarten to grade 12 or equivalent) studying environmental issues, making environmental measurements, and sharing useful environmental data with the international environmental science community.

ARTICLE 2 - COOPERATING AGENCIES

Agencies responsible for cooperation and coordination under this agreement are:

On the U.S. side, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting in conjunction with other U.S. Government agencies participating in the GLOBE Program;

On the Russian side, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

 

ARTICLE 3 - RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

I. The U.S. side will:

1. Identify U.S. schools that will participate in the GLOBE Program (details regarding GLOBE schools in Appendix I);

2. Select, in consultation with international scientists and educators, the GLOBE environmental measurements and types of measurement equipment (described in Appendices II and III);

3. Select Principal Investigator Teams for the GLOBE environmental measurements, and support the U.S. members of the Teams;

4. Calibrate, if necessary, measurement equipment that cannot be calibrated by GLOBE teachers and students;

5. Develop, in consultation with international scientists and educators, GLOBE educational materials;

6. Translate GLOBE instructional materials related to measurement procedures and reporting protocols into the six United Nations languages, and provide these plus all broader GLOBE educational materials free of charge to the Russian side for further reproduction as necessary;

7. Conduct annual regional training sessions for GLOBE Country Coordinators and GLOBE teachers who will serve as trainers for additional GLOBE teachers in the Russian Federation, and provide a copy of GLOBE training materials free of charge to the Russian side;

8. Design, develop, operate, and maintain GLOBE data processing and visualization product processing capabilities and other necessary technology and equipment;

9. Provide GLOBE software, as necessary, for use on Russian GLOBE school computers;

10. Accept environmental data reported from GLOBE schools around the world, and develop and provide to the Russian side resultant global environmental images (visualization products); and

11. Evaluate the overall GLOBE Program periodically, in consultation with international GLOBE Country Coordinators, and modify the overall program as appropriate.

II. The Russian side will:

1. Select Russian schools to participate in the GLOBE Program (details regarding GLOBE schools in Appendix I) and provide an updated list of Russian GLOBE schools to the U.S. side at the beginning of each school year;

2. Ensure that Russian GLOBE schools conduct the fundamental activities of GLOBE schools detailed in Appendix I;

3. Name a Russian Government Point of Contact responsible for communications with the Director of the GLOBE Program;

4. Name a Country Coordinator responsible for day-to-day management, oversight, and facilitation of the GLOBE Program in the Russian Federation;

5. Ensure that the Country Coordinator and some GLOBE teachers attend GLOBE regional training and in turn provide GLOBE training to at least one teacher in each Russian GLOBE school;

6. Ensure that GLOBE instructional materials related to measurement procedures and reporting protocols are utilized in Russian GLOBE schools, and that broader GLOBE educational materials are appropriately translated, adapted, reproduced, and distributed free of charge to all Russian GLOBE schools;

7. Ensure that Russian GLOBE schools have the necessary measurement and other equipment to take GLOBE environmental measurements (described in Appendix II);

8. Ensure that teachers and students at Russian GLOBE schools calibrate GLOBE measurement equipment according to procedures provided in GLOBE educational materials;

9. Ensure that Russian GLOBE schools have the necessary computer and communications systems (described in Appendix III) to report GLOBE environmental measurements and to receive and use GLOBE visualization products via Internet; and

10. Evaluate GLOBE operations in the Russian Federation periodically and assist the U.S. side in conducting periodic evaluation of the overall GLOBE Program.

 

ARTICLE 4 - FINANCIAL AND LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS

Each side will bear the costs of fulfilling its respective responsibilities under this agreement. Activities of each side pursuant to this agreement are subject to its respective funding procedures and the availability of appropriated funds, personnel, and other resources. The conduct of activities under this agreement will be consistent with the relevant laws, regulations and procedures of the two sides.

 

ARTICLE 5 - EXCHANGE OF DATA AND GOODS

GLOBE environmental measurement data, visualization products, software, and educational materials will be available worldwide without restriction as to their use or redistribution, unless otherwise agreed.

 

ARTICLE 6 - RELEASE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE GLOBE PROGRAM

Each side may release information on the GLOBE Program as it may deem appropriate without prior consultation with the other.

 

ARTICLE 7 - CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

Each side will, in accordance with its laws and regulations, expedite customs and immigration procedures as required for implementation of this agreement.

 

ARTICLE 8 - ENTRY INTO FORCE, WITHDRAWAL, AMENDMENTS

This agreement will enter into force upon signature of the two sides and will remain in force for five years. It will be automatically extended for further five-year periods, unless either side decides to terminate it and so notifies the other side with three months written notice. This agreement may be terminated at any time by either side upon three months prior written notice to the other side. This agreement may be amended by written agreement of the two sides.

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Done at Moscow this sixteenth day of December, 1994, in duplicate, in the English and Russian languages, both texts being equally authentic.

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: [Signature]

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: [Signature]

APPENDIX I GLOBE Schools

Each partner country will be responsible for identifying its participating schools. Schools should be selected so as to satisfy the objectives of the GLOBE Program. In particular, countries should emphasize the selection of schools that will maximize the number of students worldwide participating in the program. Also, countries should consider involving schools in locations that will yield measurement data that is important to the international environmental science community.

Students at all GLOBE schools throughout the world will conduct the following fundamental activities: they will make environmental measurements at or near their schools; report their data to a GLOBE data processing site; receive graphical global environmental images (visualization products) created from their data and the data from other GLOBE schools around the world; and study the environment by relating their observations and the resulting visualization products to broader environmental topics. All of these activities will be conducted under the guidance of specially trained teachers (GLOBE-trained teachers).

GLOBE educational materials will be used in GLOBE schools under the guidance of GLOBE-trained teachers. These materials will detail procedures for taking environmental measurements and protocols for reporting data; explain the significance of the measurements; guide the use of the visualization products; and integrate the experimental aspects of the program into a broader study of the environment.

 

APPENDIX II GLOBE Environmental Measurements and Equipment

GLOBE environmental measurements will contribute in a significant way to the scientific understanding of the dynamics of the global environment. Every GLOBE school will conduct a core set of GLOBE environmental measurements in the following critical areas: Atmosphere/Climate, Hydrology/Water Chemistry, and Biology/Geology. Where possible, a GLOBE school may coordinate its activities with those of other schools, so that the complete set of GLOBE measurements will be available from a locality. As the GLOBE Program evolves, elective measurements not common to all GLOBE schools may be added in order to address local environmental issues.

Students at all age levels will be active participants in the GLOBE Program. The actual participation will be designed so as to be grade-appropriate for grades K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 (or equivalent). Younger students will make limited measurements, which may be qualitative rather than quantitative. Older students will make additional measurements and more sophisticated measurements, as appropriate for their grade level. Measurement equipment will not need to be standardized; rather, performance specifications will be provided. The list of core measurements and equipment will be initially determined and periodically updated as provided in Article 2.I.2, based on experience gained in implementing the GLOBE Program.

 

APPENDIX III GLOBE Computer and Communications Systems

Schools participating in the GLOBE Program should have the necessary technological capabilities. Computers and communications systems should be consistent with current GLOBE Program requirements. In order to derive maximum benefit from the GLOBE Program, it is advisable for all schools to use an international information network, initially using the Internet, along with classroom computers.

The U.S. side will adapt or develop software for IBM-compatible or Apple Macintosh computer configurations to support the required GLOBE school activities of data entry, data analysis, and use of visualization products. In the early stages, environmental measurement data may be reported in written form to the Country Coordinator who will transmit it to the U.S. via Internet, and a variety of media may be used to distribute visualization products, including photographs and broadcast television.