The International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU)

(Established 1931)

Status

Non-governmental Scientific Union.

Mission

To promote international scientific activity in the different branches of science and their applications for the benefit of humanity.

Activities

The Royal Society adheres to ICSU for the United Kingdom in the category for scientific academies and to five of the twenty five scientific unions, each of which is an international disciplinary organisation and itself a constituent member of ICSU. ICSU, and its component unions, seeks to address major international interdisciplinary scientific issues, and does this in two ways:

• By initiating, designing and coordinating major international interdisciplinary research programmes, examples of which are – the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957–58, the International Biological Programme (IBP), 1964–74, and the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (IGBP), set up in 1986.

• By creating interdisciplinary bodies undertaking activities and research programmes of interest to several constituent members. Into this latter category fall the Scientific Committees for Oceanic Research (SCOR), Antarctic Research (SCAR with an interest in the Southern Ocean), Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and the International Geosphere–Biosphere Programme (SCIGBP).

United Kingdom Interests

Lead Department

The Royal Society, 6 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG
Contact: Miss Ruth A Cooper.  International Section, Manager.
Telephone:+44 (0) 20 7839 5561  Email: Ruth.Cooper@royalsoc.ac.uk

Other ICSU bodies with direct marine interests and United Kingdom involvement are:

International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS), a scientific member of which is the International Association for Biological Oceanography (IABO), Secretary, Professor Jack Matthews.

Institute of Biology adheres to IUBS.

Geological Society adheres to IUGS.

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), Associations of which those with some marine interests are the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences (IAMAS); the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA), responsible for marine geodesy and navigation systems; and the International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Ocean (IAPSO). An IUGG Panel advises the SUC on IUGG matters generally. The Challenger Society has special interests in the scientific programme generated by IAPSO.

The International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), with commissions on both atmospheric chemistry and water chemistry. A British National Committee for IUPAC, organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry. Adheres to IUPAC.

Briefing and Reporting Mechanisms

The Society’s Scientific Unions Committee (SUC) includes representation for each of the ICSU Unions with which the Society has involvement. The SUC reports to the Society’s Council, and is chaired by Professor R Perham.

Perspective

The Royal Society provides financial assistance to UK delegates to attend the periodical Assemblies of the Unions and Scientific Committees, and also grants for UK scientists to attend business meetings of the ICSU family.