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Section 3. National and regional marine scientific and technological centres
Article 275
Establishment of national centres
1. States, directly or through competent international organizations and the Authority, shall promote the establishment, particularly in developing coastal States, of national marine scientific and technological research centres and the strengthening of existing national centres, in order to stimulate and advance the conduct of marine scientific research by developing coastal States and to enhance their national capabilities to utilize and preserve their marine resources for their economic benefit.
2. States, through competent international organizations and the Authority, shall give adequate support to facilitate the establishment and strengthening of such national centres so as to provide for advanced training facilities and necessary equipment, skills and know-how as well as technical experts to such States which may need and request such assistance.
Article 276
Establishment of regional centres
1. States, in coordination with the competent international organizations, the Authority and national marine scientific and technological research institutions, shall promote the establishment of regional marine scientific and technological research centres, particularly in developing States, in order to stimulate and advance the conduct of marine scientific research by developing States and foster the transfer of marine technology.
2. All States of a region shall cooperate with the regional centres therein to ensure the more effective achievement of their objectives.
Article 277
Functions of regional centres
The functions of such regional centres shall include, inter alia:
- (a) training and educational programmes at all levels on various aspects of marine scientific and technological research, particularly marine biology, including conservation and management of living resources, oceanography, hydrography, engineering, geological exploration of the seabed, mining and desalination technologies;
- (b) management studies;
- (c) study programmes related to the protection and preservation of the marine environment and the prevention, reduction and control of pollution;
- (d) organization of regional conferences, seminars and symposia;
- (e) acquisition and processing of marine scientific and technological data and information;
- (f) prompt dissemination of results of marine scientific and technological research in readily available publications;
- (g) publicizing national policies with regard to the transfer of marine technology and systematic comparative study of those policies;
