The UK Hydrographic Office's participation at the 4th International Hydrographic Organization Assembly (IHO), held in Monaco.
On the 20 April, the UK Hydrographic Office represented the UK at the International Hydrographic Organization's (IHO) 4th session of Assembly. Taking place in Monaco, Assembly convened 88 IHO Member States to agree the general guidance on the functioning and work of the organization.
Held every three years, Assembly is the IHO's principal decision-making forum for Member States to agree strategic direction, work plans, budgets, and leadership appointments. It has become a central event for the global hydrographic community since it was established in 2017.
The Assembly focuses on key issues such as the future of nautical charting, digital transformation, data standardisation, and marine spatial data infrastructure. It serves as the culmination of extensive work undertaken across several committees and working groups, where subject matter experts contribute to shaping global hydrographic standards and policies.
For many Member States, Assembly is a unique opportunity to engage internationally. It also reinforces the IHO's role as a standards-setting body influencing International Maritime Organization's (IMO) regulations, with decisions impacting global hydrographic operations and maritime safety.
Sharing progress and collaboration
Representing the UK, members of our partnering and engagement teams, technical experts, and UKHO leadership engaged with peers in the Member State exhibition hall.
On the UKHO stand, visitors had the opportunity to learn about how the UKHO is collaborating with other hydrographic offices to test S-100 in confined waters. Delivered through the IHO's international testbed and conducted at Carnival Corporation's CSMART - Center for Simulator Maritime Training facility, the trials brought together four hydrographic offices and maritime industry representatives to help build a shared global, evidence-based understanding of how S-100 can be implemented in practice, and what is required to support safe and effective adoption across the industry. These trials also highlight the role the IHO plays in supporting the wider hydrographic community by enabling the validation of its standards, which is essential to the successful implementation of S‑100 Electronic Chart and Display Information Systems (ECDIS) in line with IMO requirements.
Alongside this, UKHO technical experts shared insights about a wider trial programme designed to test S-100 data with real-world users ahead of operational readiness.
The video below explains how the S‑100 testing was carried out at CSMART, and how the results are helping hydrographic offices understand what is needed for safe implementation:
The stand also provided an opportunity to discuss the UKHO's ongoing work with technology providers to sustain the long-term future of paper chart production. The Assembly brought peers together to discuss the shared challenge of ensuring continued access to paper charts, whilst demand for them changes globally.
It also demonstrated how the UKHO has contributed to innovations that automatically generate paper charts from Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) data. As something other national hydrographic offices will also be experiencing, many positive conversations were had to share and further understand how the UKHO will ensure continued access to paper charts.
