In the Pacific region, international cooperation is formalisd through the International Coordination Group of ITSU (ICG/ITSU), a body of national experts from 26 Pacific rim countries. The ICG/ITSU meets periodically and is supported by the UNESCO-IOC secretariat. It is an important regional forum for tsunami warning and mitigation issues. It makes shared decisions on such things as regional observation networks, data sharing, warning dissemination, and provides guidance on mitigation and research issues. Among other things, at its 19th Session in Wellington, New Zealand, 29 September - 2 October, it established a Working Group on the Southwest Pacific and Indian Ocean, to ascertain capabiliities and requirements for tsunami warning services in these sub-regions. A similar body to ICG/ITSU is planned to be established by countries of the Indian Ocean region to coordinate activities there. UNESCO-IOC provides extensive information at the IOC website and through its special Indian Ocean tsunami site

Risk management and development actors
Effective early warning systems require well-orchestrated policies and networks to link the warning service to national and local authorities, particularly risk managers, and to ensure early warning is an integral part of development policies and sector strategies, including infrastructure, education, health, environmental management, communications, and rural development.

This means that there are many key actors in the early warning system beyond the core technical groups, such as regional and city management, educational institutions, planning agencies, non-governmental organisations, international development agencies, private sectors associations, etc.