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Vol.
26 No. 6
November-December 2004
Strengthening
International Science for the Benefit of Society: An Overview
of the International Council for Science
by
Carthage Smith and Thomas Rosswall
Founded
in 1931, the International Council for Science (ICSU) is a
nongovernmental organization representing a global membership
that includes both national scientific bodies (101 members)
and international scientific unions (27 members). Chemistry
has played an important role in ICSU from the outset, with
IUPAC being one of its original members.
Through
its international network, ICSU coordinates interdisciplinary
research to address major issues of relevance to both science
and society. In addition, the Council actively advocates for
freedom in the conduct of science, promotes equitable access
to scientific data and information, and facilitates science
education and capacity building.
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ICSU
Officers (L to R). Front: Roger Elliott (Treasurer, UK),
Ana Maria Cetto (Secretary General, Mexico), Jane Lubchenco
(President, USA), Hiroyuki Yoshikawa (Past-President,
Japan). Back: David Parry (Vice-President, New Zealand),
Goverdhan Mehta (President-Elect, India), Peter Tyson
(Vice-President, South Africa). |
The
Council acts as a forum for the exchange of ideas, the communication
of scientific information, and the development of scientific
standards. ICSU’s members organize scientific conferences,
congresses, and symposia all around the world—in excess
of 600 per year—and also produce a wide range of newsletters,
handbooks, learned journals, and proceedings.
ICSU also helps create international and regional networks
of scientists with similar interests and maintains close working
relationships with a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations, including UNESCO and the Third World Academy
of Sciences (TWAS). Because of its broad membership, ICSU
is frequently called upon to speak on behalf of the global
scientific community and provide advice on matters ranging
from ethics to the environment.
A
Brief History
One of the oldest non-governmental organizations in the world,
the Council is the result of the evolution and expansion of
two earlier bodies known as the International Association
for Academies (IAA) and the International Research Council
(IRC). Reflecting the growing importance of scientific collaboration
across national boundaries, the IAA was established in 1899
with 10 members (nine European nations and the USA). Around
the same time, a number of scientific disciplines also created
international associations. Some 20 years later (1919), as
the need for interdisciplinary research to address the links
between science and society became more evident, these bodies
joined forces to create the IRC. IUPAC became a member of
IRC in 1922.
In 1931, IRC members unanimously approved a proposal to reorganize
the Council into a much larger organization composed of 40
national scientific bodies and 8 international scientific
unions. Members wanted to highlight the principle that all
parties were equal partners, and thus chose to call themselves
the International Council for Scientific Unions.
ICSU
continued to grow and evolve, adding many new members in both
categories. The membership currently comprises 101 national
bodies and 27 scientific unions. Over the years, ICSU began
to address specific global issues through the creation of
interdisciplinary bodies and developed partnerships with other
organizations. In 1998, members agreed that the Council’s
current composition and activities would be better reflected
by modifying the name to the International Council for Science,
while retaining the existing acronym.
Developing
a Science Strategy
At the beginning of the 21st century, ICSU remains unique
in its international and multidisciplinary membership. However,
the growth of international science initiatives has made it
clear that the Council must identify its own niche and focus
on areas where its efforts will have the greatest impact.
To this end, a new standing Committee on Scientific Planning
and Review (CSPR) was established in 1998. CSPR and the Executive
Board have initiated a number of activities to help define
future needs and strategic priorities.
ICSU's
Mission
In
order to strengthen international science for the
benefit of society, ICSU mobilizes the knowledge and
resources of the international science community to:
• identify and address major issues of importance
to science and society
• facilitate interaction among scientists across
all disciplines and from all countries
• promote the participation of all scientists-regardless
of race, citizenship, language, political stance,
or gender-in the international scientific endeavor
• provide independent, authoritative advice to
stimulate constructive dialogue between the scientific
community and governments, civil society, and the
private sector
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Identifying
Emerging Issues
ICSU
is seeking to identify areas in which scientific developments
could have significant impacts on technology, the economy,
and society. In 2002, the Council published a meta-analysis
of national and regional foresight studies, which had been
commissioned by Science and Technology Policy Research (SPRU)
at the University of Sussex. The SPRU Report,1
provided the basis for a consultation in 2003 with all ICSU
members on potential future priorities for science and society
at the international level. This has led to the identification
of 10 broad themes; some are already being partially addressed
by ICSU, others are completely new.
Assessments
of Specific Areas of Science
One of the biggest challenges facing any organization with
a long history is determining whether its structure and operations
meet the demands of the day. Over the years, ICSU has established
a range of interdisciplinary bodies and policy/advisory committees
that address international science issues. But one of the
Council’s weaknesses has been failing to fully analyze
how these groups evolve over time and to properly assess distinctions,
complementarities, and areas of overlap in light of new needs
and priorities. Under
the aegis of CSPR, ad hoc expert panels have been established
to assess three broad areas: environment and its relation
to sustainable development, data and information, and capacity
building. The report on the first of these areas2
was published earlier this year and includes recommendations
on the status of existing ICSU bodies as well as proposals
for new interdisciplinary programs. The other two assessment
reports will be published in late 2004 and early in 2005.
The
Universality of Science and the Interface with Society
One of the founding principles of ICSU, which is embedded
in its statutes, is the “Universality of Science.”
The essential elements of this principle are non-discrimination
and equity. In the past, particularly during the Cold War,
ICSU’s Standing Committee on Freedom in the Conduct
of Science enabled many grateful scientists to obtain visas
to attend international meetings. Visa problems remain a major
obstacle in some countries and for some nationalities. The
changing international political climate and concerns about
security have made it more difficult for scientists to travel
freely and created new threats to universality and to the
free exchange of data, information, and materials. The
future role and responsibilities of ICSU with regard to universality
is one area of focus for the ongoing strategic review: “Science
and Society: Rights and Responsibilities.” The other
major area is the interface between science and society, including
topics of pressing concern to all of science such as ethics,
public communication, risk, and uncertainty. This important
review, which will include recommendations for new ICSU activities,
will be published early in 2005.
Enhancing
the ICSU Grants Program
The ICSU Grants Programme, which is co-funded by UNESCO, seeks
to support international and interdisciplinary issues that,
because of their complex nature, are difficult to address
through national or disciplinary channels. The program promotes
forward-looking projects and, in many instances, awards are
granted for areas of investigation that are not yet on the
agenda of governments or other organizations. Although the
overall budget is relatively small (USD850 000 for 2004),
ICSU support often helps recipients attract additional funding
from other sources. A minimum of three cooperating ICSU member
organizations is required on any single grant project.Over
the past three years, ICSU has taken steps to improve the
program by initiating a competitive peer-review process and
identifying five broad priority areas: emerging science and
technology, science and technology for sustainable development,
capacity building and science education, dissemination of
information on science and technology, and the science/policy
interface.
Priority
Themes 2003–04
Following
a broad consultation with all ICSU members in 2003,
10 broad themes were identified for potential action
by ICSU. For more details see “A Foresight Analysis
of Priorities for Future ICSU Action” at <www.icsu.org>.
1.
nanotechnology
2. molecular biosciences
3. natural and man-made hazards
4. complex systems science
5. cognitive neurosciences
6. global change and earth system science
7. sustainable development
i. water
ii. energy
iii. health
iv. agriculture, food, and nutrition
v. biodiversity
8. data, information, and the digital divide
9. capacity building and investment in
basic science
10. science, society, and ethics
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Regional
Offices will Strengthen Global and Local Science
One of the major challenges for ICSU is to truly incorporate
the needs and priorities of developing countries into its
strategic planning and other activities. At the 27th General
Assembly (Rio de Janeiro, September 2002), national and union
members adopted a recommendation that ICSU establish four
regional offices for developing countries, to be located in
Africa, the Arab Region, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
The goal of this fundamental change in the ICSU structure
is twofold. First, it should enhance participation of developing
country scientists and regional scientific organizations in
ICSU programs and activities. Second, it will allow ICSU to
play a more active role in strengthening science within the
context of regional priorities and building capacity.Things
have moved rapidly since the General Assembly in 2002 and,
after extensive regional consultations, ICSU has signed an
agreement with the National Research Foundation in South Africa
to host the first ICSU regional office. Negotiations are being
concluded with the Mexican Academy of Sciences to host the
second office and discussions are underway with potential
hosts in the other regions.One of the most important aims
of this decentralization is to improve interaction among members
of the ICSU family within a specific geographic area. In this
way, ICSU hopes to both strengthen regional scientific networks
and help strengthen the presence of scienists from developing
countries in the international arena.
Using
Science to Help Shape the Future
In recent years, ICSU has taken a much more proactive role
in major international initiatives that are not exclusively
focused on science, but where science has an important contribution
to make. With increased emphasis on the links between science
and society, the Council recognizes the need to strengthen
its existing partnerships and expand its network to include
links with social and medical sciences and engineering, as
well as relevant players in the non-scientific community:
government agencies, business and industry, and civil society.
Sustainable
Development
At the request of the United Nations, ICSU collaborated with
the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, the Third
World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Inter Academy Panel
on International Issues, and the International Social Science
Council to organize the global science and technology community’s
contributions to the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
held August 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Subsequently,
this partnership provided input to the U.N. Commission on
Sustainable Development, which is an annual forum with political
leaders and other key stakeholders. During the 2004-2005,
the commission will work on issues of freshwater, sanitation
and human settlements—all topics in which science has
a critical role to play.
ICSU
Affiliates
National
Members (101)
ICSU’s national members provide input, from a
national, multi-disciplinary perspective, on priority
areas for future ICSU activities. They also play an
important role in facilitating links with national governments
and science agencies. The majority of ICSU national
members are scientific academies, although some are
national funding agencies or other nationally representative
science bodies.
Scientific
Union Members (27)
ICSU relies on its union members to provide scientific
expertise and input, from an international, disciplinary
perspective, on scientific priority areas for future
ICSU activities. They play a crucial role as representatives
of the scientific community.
Scientific
Associates (23)
Whether international or regional scientific organizations,
ICSU’s scientific associates bring their own particular
perspectives to relevant ICSU discussions and activities.
For example, the Third World Academy of Sciences is
a key partner in defining ICSU’s strategy for
developing countries.
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The
Information Society
The first ever U.N. World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS) is taking place in two phases (Geneva, 2003 and Tunis,
2005). It is a unique opportunity to address some of the critical
issues that underpin the “digital divide” and
are currently preventing universal access to scientific data
and information.
In
March 2003, ICSU and its Committee on Data for Science and
Technology (CODATA) organized an international meeting of
scientists that was hosted by UNESCO in Paris. The outcome
was an agenda for action, “Science in the Information
Society,” which has subsequently been formally endorsed
by many ICSU member organizations. Working in partnership
with other international science organizations, principally
CERN and TWAS, this agenda was highlighted and further developed
in a series of WSIS preparatory meetings and at key events
at the Geneva Summit. It was incorporated, almost in its entirety,
into the formal documents that were eventually agreed upon
by heads of state in Geneva.
In
Preparation for the 28th General Assembly
China will host the next General Assembly at Suzhou in October
2005. This will mark an important milestone in ICSU’s
evolution, as the overall strategy for 2006–2012 will
be unveiled. In addition to the activities highlighted above,
there are number of other exciting developments in the pipeline
that will be incorporated into this future roadmap. For example,
planning is actively underway for a major new multi-disciplinary
research program, the International Polar Year 2007–2008;
a working group on energy and sustainable societies is preparing
its recommendations; and, another ad hoc group is considering
basic sciences.
ICSU
is going through an intense period of growth and change. It
will continue to focus on what makes it unique: the ability
to bring together scientists from different countries and
disciplines to address scientific issues for which an international,
interdisciplinary approach is essential. The General Assembly
in Suzhou will be an opportunity for all the ICSU members
to reaffirm their own commitment to working together to strengthen
international science for the benefit of society.
1
Identification of Emerging Issues in Science and Society:
An International Perspective on National Foresight Studies.
ICSU. 2002. ISBN 0-930357-54-X.
2 Environment and its Relation to Sustainable
Development; report of the CSR Assessment Panel. ICSU.
2004 ISBN 0-930357-59-0.
Both reports are available online at <www.icsu.org>.
Carthage
Smith <[email protected]>
and Thomas Rosswall <[email protected]>
are, respectively, deputy executive director and executive
director of ICSU, located in Paris, France.For
more information e-mail <[email protected]>.
www.icsu.org
Page
last modified 17 November 2004.
Copyright © 2003-2004 International Union of Pure and
Applied Chemistry.
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