International Cable Protection Committee


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ICPC History

Updated Monday 25 November 2024
The Cable Damage Committee was set up in 1958. The name was changed to International Cable Protection Committee in 1967 as a better description of the aims of the organisation.

The original organisation was for the "Main Committee", as it was originally known, to formulate the policies, which a small Sub-committee of members, voted in at each Main Committee meeting, then organised and carried out. In addition the Sub-committee ran the internal administration of the organisation through the Secretary.

In the early years the Sub-committee would meet frequently, organising many aspects, such as Cable Warning Charts, which later were devolved down to the organisation of individual members. Most of the notes from these meetings have disappeared prior to 1975, but they always produced a formal report to the Main Committee. The frequency of the meetings prevents their listing prior to the formation of the Executive Committee in 1977.

The title "Plenary" for the Main Committee first appeared in 1972, but would not appear to have been a firm change, but rather a title that evolved gradually during the 1970's. By contrast the title "Executive" for the Sub-committee was a firm decision of the 1977 Plenary meeting.

The offices of Chairman and Vice Chairman have been held by the member administration rather than the individual person. This enables a re-organisation of staff to take place within an administration without effecting the Committee's organisation. Before 1976 there was no Vice Chairman, and if the administration holding the Chair was unable to attend, as occurred twice, then a Chairman had to be nominated at the start of the meeting. After 1976 the absence of the Chairman was more smoothly covered, as occurred in 1979 and 1991.

The Secretary was provided initially by Cable & Wireless, changing to the British Post Office in 1960, though for a number of years after that the official address remained with Cable & Wireless. The Secretariat remained with BPO/British Telecom International continuously until 1990, when a part time independent Secretary was engaged.

(The attached list of meetings has been compiled from the information available to the Secretary. If any other member can supply information to update this list the Secretary would be most grateful to receive it. At the date of this issue the Secretary does not have a copy of the notes of the inaugural meeting. If any member does have a record of that meeting the Secretary would be grateful for a copy).

1956

  • The first trans-Atlantic telephone cable, TAT-1, was laid

1958

  • THE CABLE DAMAGE COMMITTEE was established and Membership was open to SUBMARINE CABLE OWNERS and OPERATORS

1963

  • First cable from New Jersey to England

1965

  • First cable from New Jersey to France

1967

  • The name was changed to the INTERNATIONAL CABLE PROTECTION COMMITTEE (ICPC)

1972

  • The title "PLENARY" for the Main Committee first appeared

1973

1977

  • The title 'EXECUTIVE' for the Sub-committee was a firm decision of that year's Plenary meeting

1986

  • First international fibre-optic submarine cable system installed: (UK-Belgium 5 operating at 140 Mb/s)

1988

  • First long-haul fibre-optic submarine cable system installed: (TAT8 across the Atlantic, operating at 280 Mb/s)

1990

  • The Secretariat remained with BPO/British Telecom International continuously until 1990, until a part time INDEPENDENT SECRETARY was engaged

1996

  • First long-haul self-healing submarine cable ring network installed: (TAT12/13 across the Atlantic, operating at 2 x 5 Gb/s)

2004

  • First power cable operator joins the ICPC

2010

  • First power cable operator joins the ICPC
  • ICPC opens up Membership to GOVERNMENTS, SHIP OPERATORS, SYSTEM SUPPLIERS, and SURVEY COMPANIES
  • ICPC AND ISA sign a mutual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
  • ICPC MEMBERSHIP LOBBY GOVERNMENTS to support UN approval of the Omnibus Resolution on the Oceans and Law of the Sea

2013

  • ASSOCIATE CLASS of ICPC Membership is created

2014

  • Submarine Cables-The Handbook of Law and Policy
  • ICPC is granted observer status with OSPAR

2015

  • INAUGURAL WORKSHOP WITH ICPC and the Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs
  • ICPC AND SUBOPTIC sign a mutual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
  • ICPC AND ISA joint inaugural workshop is held
  • GHANA CABLE AWARENESS Workshop
  • SARGASSO SEA ALLIANCE workshop on cables in ABNJ

2016

  • ICPC PANEL AT SUBOPTIC
  • ICPC POWER CABLE VIDEO is released
  • ICPC AND IHO sign a mutual Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
  • INAUGURAL WORKSHOP on HVDC power cables in the context of submarine cables and pipelines and the ABNJ

2017

  • The Cloud Beneath the Sea - International Submarine Cables and Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, is PUBLISHED
  • ICPC co-hosts CABLE-MINING WORKSHOP in Qingdao, China

2018

  • ICPC celebrates 60 years-DIAMOND JUBILEE PLENARY in Cape Town
  • ICPC and ISA co-host CABLE-MINING Workshop in Bangkok, resulting in ISA TECHNICAL STUDY 24
  • ICPC AWARDED CONSULTATIVE STATUS AT THE UN as the first (and only) submarine cable organisation to participate
  • ICPC participates in BBNJ IGC negotiations
  • ICPC hosts CABLE PROTECTION AWARENESS EVENT in Nigeria
  • ICPC participates in SYMPOSIUM ON MARITIME SECURITY in Germany

2019

  • ICPC participates in BBNJ IGC NEGOTIATIONS
  • ICPC participates in UN ESCAP roundtable on TSUNAMI DETECTION AND WARNING
  • ICPC participates in UNODC-SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT CABLE SECURITY WORKSHOP

2020

  • ICPC LAUNCHES its public issue of Submarine Cable Protection and the Environment
  • ICPC issues CALL TO ACTION urging governments and industry to facilitate and expedite cable installation and repair during COVID-19 pandemic
  • ICPC participates in CABLE RESILIENCE WORKSHOPS with UNODC and Sri Lankan government
  • ICPC participates in MARITIME SECURITY WORKSHOP WITH UN COUNTERTERRORISM BODIES

2021

2022

  • ICPC issues its 5TH PUBLIC ISSUE of Submarine Cable Protection and the Environment
  • ICPC is given an appreciation of advice award by the Indonesian Naval Hydro-Oceanography Center (PUSHIDROSAL)
  • ICPC and Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy Award selects recipient of the 2022 SUBMARINE CABLES WRITING AWARD

2023

  • ICPC Hosts Member-Only BBNJ Virtual Workshop
  • ICPC welcomes new Marine Biodiversity Treaty-Calls on all parties to promote regulatory certainty and network resilience
  • ICPC held its 62nd Plenary in Madrid, Spain

2025 ICPC Plenary: 15th - 17th April 2025

DoubleTree by Hilton, Montréal, QC, Canada

Call for Presentations to be issued in November 2024

2025 ICPC Plenary
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