12909 Guatemala

TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ACTS SERIES 12909

ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION

GLOBE Program

Agreement Between the
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
and GUATEMALA

Signed at Guatemala December 5, 1997

with

Appendices

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.”

GUATEMALA

Environmental Cooperation: GLOBE Program

Agreement signed at Guatemala December 5, 1997;
Entered into force December 5, 1997.
With appendices.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND
THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND
THE NATIONAL CENTRAL SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE OF
THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA FOR COOPERATION IN THE
GLOBE PROGRAM
Preamble
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting on behalf of itself and other U S Government agencies participating in the GLOBE Program (hereinafter, the U.S. side), and the Ministry of Education and the National Central School of Agriculture of the Republic of Guatemala (hereinafter, the Guatemalan side),
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. side will:
1. Identify U.S. schools that will participate in the GLOBE Program (details regarding GLOBE schools in Appendix A);
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2. Select, in consultation with international scientists and educators, the GLOBE environmental measurements and types of measurement equipment (described in Appendix B);
3. Select Principal Investigator Teams for the GLOBE environmental measurements, and support the U.S. members of the Teams;
4. Develop, in consultation with international scientists and educators, GLOBE educational materials;
5. 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 Guatemalan side for further reproduction as necessary;
6. Conduct regional training sessions for GLOBE Country Coordinators and GLOBE teachers who will serve as trainers for additional GLOBE teachers in Guatemala;
7. Design, develop, operate, and maintain GLOBE data processing capabilities and other necessary technology and equipment;
8. Provide GLOBE software, as necessary, for use on Guatemalan 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.);
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9. Accept environmental data reported from GLOBE schools around the world, and develop and provide resultant global environmental images to the Guatemalan side; and
10. Evaluate the overall GLOBE Program periodically, in consultation with international GLOBE Country Coordinators, and modify the overall program as appropriate.
B. The Guatemalan side will:
1. Identify Guatemalan schools that will participate in the GLOBE Program (details regarding GLOBE schools in Appendix A) and provide an updated list of Guatemalan GLOBE schools to the U.S. side at the beginning of each school year;
2. Pursue, within its possibilities, that Guatemalan GLOBE schools conduct the fundamental activities of GLOBE schools detailed in Appendix A (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 Guatemalan 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 Guatemala;
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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 Guatemalan GLOBE school;
6. Ensure that GLOBE instructional materials related to measurement procedures and data reporting protocols are utilized in Guatemalan GLOBE schools, and that broader GLOBE educational materials are appropriately translated, adapted, reproduced, and distributed to all Guatemalan GLOBE schools;
7. Ensure that the measurement equipment used by GLOBE schools to take GLOBE environmental measurements meets GLOBE specifications (described in Appendix B);
8. Ensure that teachers and students at Guatemalan GLOBE schools calibrate GLOBE measurement equipment according to procedures provided in GLOBE instructional materials;
9. Promote, within its possibilities, that Guatemalan 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 Guatemalan schools, make agreed alternative arrangements for such reporting and receipt. (At a minimum, the Guatemalan Country Coordinator will need access to the Internet so that all measurement data from Guatemalan GLOBE schools will be reported via Internet.); and
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10. Evaluate GLOBE operations in Guatemala periodically and assist the U.S.
side in conducting periodic evaluation of the overall GLOBE Program.
Article 3 - Financial Arrangements
Each side will bear the costs of fulfilling its respective responsibilities under this agreement. Obligations 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 and regulations of the United States and Guatemala.
Article 4 - Exchange of Data and Goods
GLOBE environmental measurement data, global environmental images, software, and educational materials will be available worldwide without restriction as to their use or redistribution.
Article 5 - 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.
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Article 6 - Customs and Immigration
Each side will use its best 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 Guatemalan 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 Guatemala.
Article 7 - Duration
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 National Palace on the fifth day of December, 1997, in
triplicate in English and Spanish languages, both texts being equally authentic.
For the National Oceanic and For the Ministry of Education: Atmospheric Administration:

Donald J. Planty, Ambassador of the United States of America
For the National Central School of Agriculture
Edgar Fernando Navas Gálvez, President of the Board of Directors of the National Central School of Agriculture of the Republic of Guatemala
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Appendix A
GLOBE Schools
Each partner country is 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 and geographic distribution 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 science community.
Students at all GLOBE schools throughout the world conduct the following fundamental activities: they make environmental measurements at or near their schools; report their data to a GLOBE data processing site; receive vivid graphical global environmental images 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 images to broader environmental topics. All of these activities are conducted under the guidance of specially trained teachers (GLOBE-trained teachers).
GLOBE educational materials are used in GLOBE schools under the guidance of GLOBE-trained teachers. These materials contain instructional materials detailing procedures for taking environmental measurements and protocols for reporting data; they also explain the significance of the measurements, guide the use of the global environmental images, and integrate the measurement aspects of the program into a broader study of the environment.
Appendix B
GLOBE Environmental Measurements and Equipment
GLOBE environmental measurements contribute in a significant way to the scientific understanding of the dynamics of the global environment. Every GLOBE school is encouraged to conduct the core set of GLOBE environmental measurements in the following critical areas: Atmosphere/Climate, Hydrology, Land Cover/Biology and Soils. As the GLOBE Program evolves, specialized measurements not common to all GLOBE schools may be added in order to address local environmental issues.
Students at all skill levels are active participants in the GLOBE Program. The actual participation is designed so as to be appropriate for primary, middle and secondary school levels. Younger students make limited measurements which may be qualitative rather than quantitative. Older students make additional measurements and more sophisticated measurements, as appropriate for their skill level. Measurement equipment is not standardized; rather, functional and performance specifications are provided for GLOBE instruments.
Following is the list of GLOBE core measurements and equipment. This list has been developed and will be periodically updated as provided in Article 2.A.2, based on experience gained in implementing the GLOBE Program.
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MEASUREMENTS EQUIPMENT NEEDED Atmosphere/Climate:
Air Temperature Max/Min Thermometer Calibration Thermometer Instrument Shelter
Precipitation Rain Gauge
Cloud Cover/Type Cloud Charts
Hydrology:
Water pH pH Paper, Pen, or Meter
Water Temperature Organic Liquid-Filled Thermometer
Dissolved Oxygen Dissolved Oxygen Kit
Alkalinity Water Alkalinity Kit
Electrical Conductivity Electrode-Type Conductivity Tester
Land Cover/Biology:
Land Cover Remote Sensing Image
Multispec Software
Species Identification Dichotomous Keys
Biometry Measuring Tape
Clinometer (Optional)
Densiometer(Optional)
Soils:
Soil Moisture Soil Sample Cans
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Soil Characterization Augur
Soil Moisture Meter (Optional)
Gypsum Blocks (Optional)
Color Chart
Graduated Cylinders
Augur (Optional)
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Appendix C
GLOBE Computer and Communications Systems
In order to derive maximum benefit from the GLOBE Program, all schools are encouraged to use the Internet, along with classroom computers. The Internet/World Wide Web multi-media information-access capability has been selected to support the required GLOBE school activities of data entry, data analysis, and use of global environmental images.
The diversity of technology accessible by schools worldwide may require, in some cases, that environmental measurements be reported via e-mail or in hardcopy and that a variety of media, including e-mail and hardcopy, be used to distribute global environmental images. All schools that want to participate in the program will be accommodated.
Technology associated with the GLOBE Program will continually evolve to higher levels and participants will be encouraged to upgrade over time.