The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) is a submarine cable protection non-profit organisation. It was formed in 1958 to promote the protection of international telecommunications and power submarine cables against human and natural hazards. It provides a forum for the exchange of technical, legal, and environmental information about submarine cables and engages with stakeholders and governments globally to promote submarine cable protection. The ICPC has over 190 Member organisations from over 69 nations, including cable operators, owners, manufacturers, industry service providers, as well as governments. The ICPC provides information related to submarine cables generally, best practices for cable protection, and applicable international law and treaties.
Over 99% of the world's intercontinental electronic communications traffic is carried by the undersea cable infrastructure. Likewise, submarine power cables underpin the global expansion of offshore renewable energy generation. As such, the impact of failures of these critical telecommunications and power cables can be devastating to social and economic stability. This is why submarine cables are classified as "critical infrastructure" that is to be protected worldwide from physical damage due to human made or natural causes.Biodiversity Series 31, "Submarine Cables and the Oceans – Connecting the World" , p. 64, , ICPC/UNEP-WCMC January 2009
Prime activities of the ICPC The ICPC seeks to promote and protect freedoms to install and maintain submarine telecommunications and power transmission cables and mitigate risks of damage to those cables. It works with governments, other marine industries, international organisations (including various United Nations bodies), and NGOs to promote cable awareness, cable protection best practices, and effective international agreements. The ICPC actively participates in the negotiation of multilateral treaties relating to the oceans and monitors the development and implementation of other international agreements and national legislation in order to ensure cable protection and resilience. The ICPC supports peer-reviewed research into the interactions of cables with the marine environment to provide an evidence-based foundation for those interactions. It commissions and encourages peer-reviewed research on the environmental characteristics of cables. The organisation also promulgates recommendations for cable installation, protection, and maintenance.
As directed by its executive committee, ICPC has prioritised work on the following issues: (1) cable awareness and reduction of cable damage risks (particularly from fishing and anchoring); (2) mitigating risks of deep seabed mining, including effective charting of cables in the deep ocean; (3) promoting cable security; (4) ensuring appropriate treatment of submarine cables under a new international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ); and (5) continuing development of ICPC Recommendations. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, the ICPC has devoted significant effort to ensure that governments and industry take effective measures to ensure installation and repair of submarine cables continue during the tumultuous time because the world's reliance on submarine cables increased considerably. In April 2020, ICPC issued its “Call to Action” that proposed practical measures to ensure efficient conduct of submarine cable activities while protecting public health.
In early 2022, the ICPC published the document (in English, French and Spanish translations), “Government Best Practices for Protecting and Promoting Resilience of Submarine Telecommunications Cables” to assist governments in developing laws, policies, and practices to foster the development and protection of submarine telecommunications cables, the infrastructure of the Internet. In addition, a Best Practices Annex, titled: “Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) - Risks to Submarine Cable Deployment and Operations,” identifies recommended actions for governments to protect submarine telecommunications cables from interactions with Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs) that are known to pose risk to marine vessel operations and damage cables during and after their installation. In presenting these Best Practices, the ICPC encourages government and industry discussions on this topic to ensure appropriate steps can be taken at a national and regional level to maintain continuity of critical telecommunications infrastructure.
History The Cable Damage Committee was established on 22 May 1958. The name of the committee was later changed to the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) in 1967 to better reflect the intended aims of the organisation and its membership. The original intent 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. Adopted policies were then organised and subsequently implemented. 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 were later devolved down to the organisation of individual Members. Most of the detailed notes from these early meetings have disappeared prior to 1975, but they always produced a formal report to the Main Committee.
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 1970s. By contrast, the title "Executive" for the Sub-Committee was a firm decision at the 1977 Plenary meeting. It shall be noted that previously in October 1974, ICPC held its 13th Plenary in Cape Town, South Africa and in 2018, the annual Plenary returned to the coastal city for its 60th Diamond Jubilee Plenary to celebrate 60 years of heritage since its incorporation in 1958. The offices of Chair, Vice-Chair and Executive Committee Members have been held by the member administration rather than the individual person. This enables a reorganisation of staff to take place within an administration, without effecting the committee's organisation. Before 1976 there was no vice-chair and, if the administration holding the chair was unable to attend, as occurred twice, then a chair had to be nominated at the start of the meeting. After 1976 the absence of the chair was more smoothly covered, as occurred in 1979 and 1991.
The Secretary was initially provided by Cable & Wireless Communications Ltd, and subsequently passed to the British Post Office in 1960, although for several years after that, the official address remained with Cable & Wireless. The Secretariat remained with BPO/British Telecom International continuously until 1990, when an independent Secretary was engaged. This was followed later by the appointment of an International Cable Legal Adviser (1999) and a Marine Environmental Adviser (2003).
Presently, governance is exercised by ICPC Limited, which operates through a 17-Member Executive Committee, elected by the ICPC membership.
Membership, organisation, and governance As of September 2022, the ICPC has approximately 185 Members from over 65 countries.
Membership benefits include access to a repository of technical and environmental information and probably the largest single source of legal information on international submarine cables. Member organisations actively participate in the annual Plenary meeting and are also involved in ICPC's Working Groups.
ICPC membership has expanded, and since 2011 as national governments have been allowed to join as a Government Member in their own right. Government Members include Australia, Bermuda, France, Malta, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Since February 2013, Associate Membership is available to any individual or organisation that shares the goals of the ICPC.
Full Membership is open to submarine cable owners, submarine cable maintenance authorities, submarine cable system manufacturers, cable ship operators, and submarine cable route survey companies. Government Membership. The ICPC recognises that submarine cable protection interests are better served if the benefits of membership are available to Governments. Associate Membership is available to any organisation or individual that has an interest in the submarine cable industry, wishes to be informed about its development and wants to support the ICPC in achieving its goals.
The ICPC's full members elect an executive committee (EC), whose members serve staggered terms, as well as a Chair and Vice Chair (with individuals serving no more than three consecutive terms). The EC serves as ICPC's governing body. The ICPC also maintains a Secretariat and Project Manager, led by a General Manager, to provide day-to-day management and administration with the assistance of a small staff. ICPC appoints an International Cable Law Adviser (to advise and represent ICPC in international law and other legal matters), a Marine Environment Adviser (to advise on interactions between cables and the marine environment), and a United Nations Observer Representative (to represent the ICPC at the United Nations in New York).
Recommendations The ICPC develops and maintains a suite of industry Recommendations targeted at the various lifespan stages of submarine cables, from conception to retirement. These Recommendations function as guides and best practices, but they are not standards, as ICPC is not a standard-setting organisation. They are available upon reasonable request to the Secretariat and are available to organisations through ICPC membership.
Educational resources As part of its cable awareness mission, and to assist its Members, the ICPC develops and distributes educational materials about the importance of submarine cables, their operational and environmental characteristics, their treatment under international and national law, and the risks of damage to cables. The ICPC and its Members use these materials to engage with governments, other ocean industries (including fishing, shipping, offshore energy, and mining), and the public.
In collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme World Climate Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the ICPC published a landmark report, "Submarine cables and the oceans: connecting the world," which provides a wealth of information about the importance of cables, their characteristics and operations, law and policy, environmental science, and history. This report is the most-viewed report ever published by UNEP-WCMC.
Relevant information is also provided to prospective new submarine cable owners to encourage the adoption of minimum industry standards for the benefit of all involved with the seabed. The ICPC has also entered into memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the International Seabed Authority (ISA), European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA), International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), SubOptic and Rhodes Academy of Oceans Law and Policy through the University of New Hampshire to further cooperation with these bodies. The ICPC also has working relationships with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Center for International Law at the National University of Singapore (CIL), Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP), EastWest Institute, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), ROGUCCI and Sargasso Sea Commission.