TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 03-811

________________________________________________________________________

ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION

GLOBE

Agreement between the

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

and GABON

Agreement Signed at Libreville August 11, 2003

 

 

 
 NOTE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

 Pursuant to Public Law 89—497, approved July 8, 1966

(80 Stat. 271; 1 U.S.C. 113)—

“. . .the Treaties and Other International Acts Series issued

under the authority of the Secretary of State shall be competent

evidence . . . of the treaties, international agreements other than

treaties, and proclamations by the President of such treaties and

international agreements other than treaties, as the case may be, 

therein contained, in all the courts of law and equity and of maritime

jurisdiction, and in all the tribunals and public offices of the

United States, and of the several States, without any further proof

or authentication thereof.”
GABON

Environmental Cooperation: GLOBE

Agreement signed at Libreville August 11, 2003; 

 Entered into force August 11, 2003.

 
AGREEMENT BETWEEN

THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

AND

THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF GABON

FOR COOPERATION IN

THE GLOBE PROGRAM
PREAMBLE

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (hereinafter, the U.S. Party), and

the Ministry of Education of the Gabonese Republic (hereinafter, the Gabonese Party),

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

environment,

Seeking to contribute to increased scientific understanding of the Earth, and

Desiring to support improved student achievement in science and mathematics,

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

brings students, teachers, and scientists together to study the global environment. GLOBE

has created an international network of students at primary, middle and secondary school

levels studying environmental issues, making environmental measurements, and sharing

useful environmental data with one another and the international science community.
ARTICLE 2 - RESPECTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

A. The U.S. Party will use reasonable efforts to:

1. Coordinate U.S. Government participation in the GLOBE Program, on behalf of

relevant U.S. Government Agencies;

2. Identify U.S. schools that will participate in the GLOBE Program;

3. Select, in consultation with international scientists and educators, the GLOBE

environmental measurements and define specifications for measurement equipment;

4. Select Principal Investigator Teams for the GLOBE environmental measurements, and

support the U.S. members of the Teams;

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

educational materials;

6. Translate GLOBE instructional materials related to measurement procedures and data

reporting protocols into the six United Nations languages, and provide a copy of these

plus all broader GLOBE educational materials to the Gabonese Party for further

reproduction as necessary;

7. Conduct regional training sessions for GLOBE Country Coordinators and GLOBE

teachers who will serve as trainers for additional GLOBE teachers in Gabon;

8. Design, develop, operate, and maintain GLOBE data processing capabilities and other

necessary technology and equipment;

9. Provide GLOBE software, as necessary, for use on Gabonese GLOBE school

computers (To the extent possible, textual material appearing on computer screens

will be accessible in the student's choice among the six United Nations languages.);

10.Accept environmental data reported from GLOBE schools around the world, and

develop and provide resultant global environmental images to the Gabonese Party;

and

11. Evaluate the overall GLOBE Program periodically, in consultation with international

GLOBE Country Coordinators, and modify the overall program as appropriate.
B. The Gabonese Party will use reasonable efforts to:

1. Identify Gabonese schools that will participate in the GLOBE Program and provide an

updated list of Gabonese GLOBE schools to the U.S. Party at the beginning of each

school year;

2. Ensure that Gabonese GLOBE schools conduct the fundamental activities of GLOBE

schools (take GLOBE environmental measurements, report data, and receive and use

resultant global environmental images, using GLOBE educational materials under the

guidance of teachers trained to conduct the GLOBE Program);

3. Name a Gabonese Government Point of Contact responsible for policy-level

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 Gabon;

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

Gabonese GLOBE school;

6 Ensure that GLOBE instructional materials related to measurement procedures and

data reporting protocols are utilized in Gabonese GLOBE schools, and that broader

GLOBE educational materials are appropriately translated, adapted, reproduced, and

distributed to all Gabonese GLOBE schools;

7. Ensure that the measurement equipment used by Gabonese GLOBE schools to take

GLOBE environmental measurements meets GLOBE specifications;

8. Ensure that teachers and students at Gabonese GLOBE schools calibrate GLOBE

measurement equipment according to procedures provided in GLOBE instructional

materials;

9. Ensure that Gabonese GLOBE schools have the necessary computer and

communications systems to allow Internet/World Wide Web access in order to report

GLOBE environmental measurements and to receive and use GLOBE environmental

images; if such computer and communications systems are not available in Gabonese

schools, make agreed alternative arrangements for such reporting and receipt (At a

minimum, the Gabonese Country Coordinator will need access to the Internet so that

all measurement data from Gabonese GLOBE schools will be reported via Internet.);

and

10.Evaluate GLOBE operations in Gabon periodically and assist the U.S. Party in

conducting periodic evaluation of the overall GLOBE Program.
5

ARTICLE 3 - FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Parties will bear the costs of fulfilling their respective responsibilities under this

Agreement. Obligations of the Parties pursuant to this Agreement are subject to their

respective funding procedures and the availability of appropriated funds. The conduct of

activities under this Agreement will be consistent with the relevant laws and regulations of

the United States and Gabon.

ARTICLE 4 - EXCHANGE OF DATA AND GOODS

GLOBE environmental measurement data, global environmental images, educational

materials, and to the extent possible, software, will be available worldwide without restriction

as to their use or redistribution.

ARTICLE 5 - RELEASE OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE GLOBE PROGRAM

The Parties may freely release information on the GLOBE Program as deemed appropriate

without prior consultation.

ARTICLE 6 - CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

The Parties will use reasonable efforts to facilitate the movement of persons and goods into

and out of its territory and to accord entry to such goods into U.S. and Gabonese territory free

of customs duties and other similar charges, as is necessary to implement this agreement, to

the extent permitted by the laws and regulations of the United States and Gabon.

ARTICLE 7 — INVENTION AND PATENT RIGHTS

Nothing in the agreement will be construed as granting or implying any rights to, or interest

in, patents or inventions of the Parties or their contractors or subcontractors.

ARTICLE 8 — CONSULTATIONS/SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

The Parties will consult promptly with each other on all issues involving interpretation or

implementation of this agreement.
ARTICLE 9 — LIABILITY

Neither Party will make any claim against the other, its employees, a related entity of the

other, or employees of the other's related entities for injury to or death of its own employees

or employees of its related entities, or for damage of any kind to or loss of its own property or

that of its related entities arising out of activities under this Agreement whether such injury

death, damage or loss arises through negligence or otherwise, except in the case of willful

misconduct.

ARTICLE 10 —DURATION, TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT

This Agreement will enter into force upon the date of the latter signature thereto and will

remain in force for five years. It will be automatically extended for further five-year periods.

This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either of the Parties upon at least three

months written notice to the other of intent to terminate. This Agreement may be amended at

any time by written agreement of the Parties.
The Ambassador of the United States The Minister of National Education

His Excellency Kenneth P. MOOREFIELD Professor Daniel ONA-ONDO

Done at Libreville, this 11 th day of August, 2003.

For the National Aeronautics and For the Ministry of National Education:

Space Administration: