|
Planning and Coordinating Research
Monitoring Gaps in IPCC report
The WCRP, IGBP and GCOS in collaboration with the IPCC organized
a workshop in Sydney, Australia, 4-6 October, to investigate
the gaps and uncertainties identified in the reports for Working
Group I and II of the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). The
goals of the workshop were:
- To establish the requirements for future observing system
and climate change research.
- To determine observation and research requirements that
lead to better climate change risk analyses and adaptation
measures; and result in lower vulnerability and impacts to
a changing climate.
- To outline observation and research priorities for possible
input into future IPCC assessments.
A number of products are currently being prepared from the
workshop, including a comprehensive report summarizing the discussions
and input from the participants. The report will be included
at the upcoming steering committee meetings of all three organizations,
and will provide valuable advice to IGBP, WCRP and GCOS in learning
from the 4th assessment.
Hazards and Disasters
The Planning
Group for the new ICSU initiative Natural and Human-induced
Environmental Hazards and Disasters presented its latest report
to the Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR) in
September.
The planning and consultation process has been extended, in
recognition of the need for the widest interaction and debate
among potential partners and sponsors. It will include more
consultation within and beyond the ICSU family, and a one-day
Consultation Forum in Paris on 29 October. The draft report
will be sent to Members for a second round of consultations
in early 2008. The Planning Group will submit its final report
to CSPR in April.
International Polar Year
Following the official launch on 1 March, the International
Polar Year 2007-08 is now well underway. The first IPY science
day, dedicated to sea ice, was held on 21 September and stimulated
an enormous amount of interest worldwide. For a wealth of information
on this and the many other research, education and outreach
activities associated with IPY, visit the interactive IPY
website.
Urban Health and Well-being
Following a scoping exercise and consultation with Members,
ICSU is now establishing a Planning Group to develop a new interdisciplinary
initiative focusing on ‘A Systems analysis Approach to
Health and Wellbeing in the Changing Urban Environment’.
The planning exercise will begin with a workshop in January
2008 that is being jointly organised with ICSU’s Scientific
Unions. The Scoping
Group report is available online.
Earth Systems Science Partnership
In August, members of the Review Panel for the Earth Systems
Science Partnership (ESSP) met representatives from the four
sponsoring programmes and the Chair of the ESSP Scientific Committee.
The second meeting of the Review Panel was held in parallel
with the first Scientific Committee meeting in late October.
A draft of the Review Panel’s findings will be sent to
ICSU Members early next year for review, while the final report
will be completed by April 2008.
Reviewing Problems of the Environment
The Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE)
will undergo a review,
which will be carried out by a consultant with a Reference Group
advising on the overall design. The findings will be delivered
to CSPR at its next meeting in April 2008.
Human Dimensions
The Strategic
Plan 2007-2015 for the International Human Dimensions
Programme on Global Environmental Change was recently published
and is available online. The plan was developed as a direct
response to the review of the programme — conducted by
ICSU and the International Social Sciences Council (ISSC). ICSU
met with the other two sponsors of IHDP, the ISSC and the United
Nations University (UNU), in July to discuss how the sponsors
can best collaborate to promote the programme. At this time,
the sponsors also agreed to a revised Constitution of IHDP.
Geosphere-Biosphere
The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) celebrated
its 20th anniversary with a symposium
at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on 17-18
September. The symposium ‘Earth System Science and Society’
focused on the socio-political context of IGBP’s research
and explored directions for the future. More than 50 representatives
from the scientific, political, business and non-government
sectors participated in the discussions and celebrated 20 years
of successful international collaboration.
ICSU and the International Group of Funding Agencies for Global
Change Research (IGFA) will begin a review
of IGBP in January 2008. The Review Panel, chaired by Sir John
Lawton UK, will meet in Paris in January to begin the information
gathering phase. The final report will be available in February
2009.
ICSU invites
applications for the position of Executive Director of IGBP,
to succeed Professor Kevin Noone, who steps down on 1 September
2008. Applications must be received by ICSU no later than 15
November 2007.
Climate Research
A review
of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) will begin in
Paris on 21-22 January 2008. The Review Panel will be chaired
by D. James Baker, USA. The review is being conducted by ICSU
and IGFA in conjunction with the World Meteorological Organization
and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. The information
gathering phase will begin in January and the final report will
be completed in February 2009.
Biodiversity
Worldwide consultations on an International
Mechanism of Scientific Expertise for Biodiversity (IMoSEB)
have been held throughout the year and will finish with a final
meeting of the international steering committee in Montpellier,
France, on 15-17 November. DIVERSITAS has ensured that scientists
from around the world have been involved in this consultation.
Final recommendations will be made to the 9th Meeting of the
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
in May 2008.
In April 2007, the DIVERSITAS
headquarters moved to the French Museum of Natural History.
The new address is: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle,
57 rue Cuvier - CP 41, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France; Telephone:
+ 33 1 40 79 80 40.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment —
Follow-up
The ICSU-UNESCO-UNU Scoping
Group met in Montreal, Canada in July, and the mandate of
the group was extended until the beginning of 2008. This will
allow further exploration of a new research programme based
on the gaps in scientific understanding that were identified
by the group. The next meeting will be held in Paris in December
and a report is expected in early 2008. The draft will be circulated
within the ICSU family for comments, and a final report will
be discussed at the CSPR meeting in April.
The Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment (MA) released its findings in 2005
and recommended immediate action to halt and reverse the decline
in 15 of the 24 ecosystem services it assessed. To address the
challenge of substantially increasing the impact of the recommendations
— translating words into action — ICSU participated
in a meeting in Stockholm on 22-23 October, at the invitation
of the United Nations Environment Programme and the Government
of Sweden. The meeting explored what action could be taken to
maximize the impact and optimize the implementation of the MA
findings and conceptual framework. The need for a second MA
was also discussed.
Global Observations — Partnership
The future of the Integrated Global Observing System Partnership
(IGOS-P) was discussed at the 14th meeting of the Partnership,
in Paris in May. The IGOS-P Co-Chairs presented a plan
recommending the transition of the IGOS-P Themes to the Group
on Earth Observations (GEO) and outlined the implications for
the future of the Partnership. The plan was developed in consultation
with ICSU and the other partners following the 13th IGOS-P meeting,
held in Buenos-Aires in November 2006.
The partners agreed that Theme Leaders should negotiate the
transition of their themes to GEO with the GEO Secretariat.
The Co-Chairs and the Theme Leaders Group will discuss the wider
aspects of the transition with the GEO Secretariat and ensure
that the benefits of IGOS-P will be safeguarded during the integration.
The Co-Chairs will report back on the progress of the negotiations
and the transition at IGOS-P-14bis in Cape Town on 27 November.
Also at the Paris meeting, Walter Erdelen, UNESCO, was welcomed
as the new Co-Chair to serve with Barbara Ryan, US Geological
Survey.
Global Observations — Systems
ICSU continues to be actively involved in GEO, which was established
to develop the Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS).
In recent months, ICSU has been involved in the preparations
for the major GEO event — the 4th
GEO Plenary Meeting and Ministerial Summit — to be
held in Cape Town, South Africa, 28-30 November. ICSU, in cooperation
with CODATA, DIVERSITAS and WCRP, will have a dedicated exhibition
stand throughout the meeting in Cape Town. ICSU’s message
will focus on the links between interdisciplinary research,
observations and assessment, and their influence on policy-making.
The GEO Science and Technology Committee has prepared a paper
exploring ‘The Role of Science and Technology in GEOSS’.
ICSU will step down as Co-Chair of the Committee — a decision
that was made at the ICSU Executive Board meeting in October.
However, ICSU will continue to provide strong support for GEOSS
and GEO, including their committees. ICSU Interdisciplinary
Bodies, such as CODATA, COSPAR, DIVERSITAS, IGBP and WCRP, will
also continue their close cooperation with GEO and GEOSS.
Grants Programme
A small Grants Programme will be reinstated in 2008 while discussions
with UNESCO continue for a new programme in 2009. The 2008 programme
will follow the structure of previous years but with an emphasis
on partnering with ICSU’s Regional Offices
Science for Policy
Renewable Energies
The second meeting of the International
Science Panel for Renewable Energies (ISPRE) was hosted
by the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore in July. The
Panel is now finalising its first analyses of the status of
global research on photovoltaics, wind and biomass energy. The
reports are expected to be released early in 2008.
UNESCO General Conference
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is
one of ICSU’s most valuable inter-governmental partners
and co-sponsors several Interdisciplinary Bodies. The UNESCO
General Conference in October considered the recommendations
from an external review of the Natural and Social Science sectors
to which ICSU had provided input. In this context, ICSU contributed
to the debate in several of the conference sessions. ICSU’s
statements
to the conference are available.
Sustainable Development
ICSU participated in the Policy Session of the 15th session
of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development
(CSD-15), 30 April - 11 May. The session focused on energy,
air pollution and atmosphere, climate change and industrial
development. As the co-organizer of the Scientific and Technological
Community Major Group, ICSU submitted suggested priorities for
action to the Policy Session. ICSU also took part in ministerial
round tables and made a formal
statement, on behalf of the science and technology community,
at the ministerial component of CSD-15. ICSU co-organized two
side events at CSD-15: ‘Multi-stakeholder Partnerships
for Sustainability’, co-organized with the US National
Academy of Sciences; and a discussion on energy and climate
change related policy issues for developing countries,
co-organized with the United Nations University.
The topics for CSD-16 and 17 in 2008-09 are agriculture, rural
development, land, drought, desertification and a regional focus
on Africa. In July this year, the ICSU Secretariat invited all
National Members, International Scientific Unions, Interdisciplinary
Bodies and Regional Offices to contribute to a ‘Discussion
Paper by the Scientific and Technological Community’ for
CSD-16. The discussion paper, which will also include contributions
from a small group of invited experts, is currently being prepared.
Universality of Science
Regional Office for Africa
The ICSU Regional Office for Africa has embarked on implementing
the four science plans approved at the 5th meeting of the Regional
Committee in March. The process began with two international
workshops to develop fundable projects and identify key African
experts to drive the process.
The first Workshop ‘Renewable Energy for Sustainable
Development in Africa’, held in Mauritius in June, developed
two projects: developing energy models and scenarios for Africa;
and increasing access to high quality, reliable, affordable
and sustainable energy in sub-Saharan Africa. Task teams have
been appointed and will fine-tune the broad themes into fundable
projects. The Sustainable
Energy in sub-Saharan Africa science plan is available
online.
The second workshop ‘Natural and Human-induced Hazards
and Disasters in Africa’, held in Uganda in July, developed
two projects: geohazards in Africa, to be linked with the UN-proclaimed
International Year of Planet Earth; and vulnerability and resilience
to hydro-meteorological hazards and disasters in Africa. The
task teams that will drive the preparation of these projects
have been finalized. The Natural and Human-Induced Hazards
and Disasters science plan will be available soon.
The Health and Human Well-being science plan will be
finalised in November, while
Global Change will be published after it is merged
with the AfricanNESS science plan on global change.
The Regional Office has continued to strengthen relationships
in the region — collaborating with its partners to host
joint events and representing ICSU at several workshops and
meetings. More
details on recent activities in Africa are available.
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
The Science Planning Groups on Hazards and Disasters,
and Ecosystem Approach in Water and Food Systems have both held
meetings to discuss future directions in their areas. A meeting
was held with the UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta to plan
long-term joint activities for Asia and the Pacific. Others
attending the meeting included the UN International Strategy
for Disaster Reduction, the UN Economic and Social Commission
for Asia and the Pacific, the Asia Disaster Preparedness Center
and the Asian Institute of Technology.
The Regional Office has been involved in several key meetings,
including the ICSU Unions meeting in Rome in April — resulting
in several follow-up discussions with Unions. The Regional Office
represented ICSU at the annual conference of the Science Council
of Japan in Okinawa in June, and participated in a meeting organised
by the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
(CSTAM) on the creation of an International Centre on CSTAM
is an adhering body of IUTAM.
Plans have been finalised for the 2nd ICSU Regional Consultation
and the 4th Meeting of the Regional Committee for Asia and the
Pacific. Both meetings will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand
in November.
The Regional Office would also like to welcome Ms Nor Zaneedarwaty
Norman (Zaneeda) as the new Science Officer. Zaneeda will be
responsible for the Regional Office’s programmes.
The latest
news from the Regional Offices is available online.
Regional Office for Latin America and
the Caribbean
The ICSU Regional Committee for Latin America and the
Caribbean held a meeting in Mexico City, 27-28 September. The
Regional Committee discussed the progress of the four Scientific
Planning Groups in the defined priority areas and appointed
Chairs for each Planning Group: Carlos Bosch (Mexico), Mathematics
Education; Omar Dario Cardona (Colombia), Natural Disasters;
Décio Gazzoni (Brazil), Sustainable Energy; Mary Kalin
Arroyo (Chile) and Rodolfo Dirzo (Mexico), Co-Chairs for Biodiversity.
The Scientific Planning Group in Mathematics Education held
its first meeting at the Academia Mexicana de Ciencias, on 1-2
October and a second meeting is scheduled for 24-25 January
2008 in Santiago, Chile.
The Regional Office received US$25 000 from CONACTY Mexico,
the first instalment of a three year agreement between the Brazilian
Academy of Sciences and CONACYT. The Regional Office also welcomed
Sybelle de Jongh as the new Professional Officer in May.
The latest
news from the Regional Offices is available online.
The Arab Region
The efforts to establish the ICSU Regional Office for the Arab
Region have continued. ICSU Executive Director Thomas Rosswall
visited Amman in May and the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan
has reiterated its wish to host the Regional Office. The First
Regional Consultation for the Arab Region will take place in
early 2008 and the Minister of Higher Education in Tunisia has
been approached to host the meeting in Tunis.
The latest
news from the Regional Offices is available online.
Eastern and South-Eastern Europe
The Presidents and other senior representatives of sixteen
Academies of Sciences from Eastern and South Eastern Europe
(ESEE) discussed increasing their involvement in international
scientific cooperation and strengthening inter-Academy relationships
at a conference in Molodova, on 4-5 May. The conference
‘Global Science and National Policies: the Role of Academies’
was hosted by the Academy of Sciences of Moldova and organized
by ICSU and UNESCO — through its Venice and Moscow Offices.
Data and Information
The new Strategic
Committee on Information and Data (SCID), which is charged
with guiding the future development of ICSU’s existing
data structures, met for the first time in July. The possibilities
for merging and expanding existing activities were discussed
in the light of the increasing need for interoperability between
data sets from many different fields of research. The draft
report from the Committee is expected for consultation in mid-2008.
Freedom and Responsibility
The Committee on Freedom and Responsibility in the conduct
of Science (CFRS) held its third meeting in Taipei in October.
This included a dialogue session with local academic leaders
and a workshop
on ‘Emerging Infectious Diseases: Rights and Responsibilities’
with more than 100 scientists, policy makers and medical students.
Asia is the epicentre for many emerging diseases, including
SARS and avian flu, and yet scientists and policy-makers in
the region often struggle to get access to the scientific information
and biological samples that they need to address this challenge.
Establishing equitable global partnerships in a competitive
scientific and political arena is not straightforward.
Research Integrity
The first ‘World Conference on Research Integrity’,
organised by the European Science Foundation and the US Office
of Research Integrity, in partnership with ICSU, took place
in Lisbon in early September. The conference
was attended by more than 200 scientists, science managers and
policy makers from more than 60 countries.
The general consensus was that scientific institutions and
the scientific community have to be more aware and vigilant
with regards to the responsible conduct of research and the
reporting of research results. The competitive pressure and
incentive and reward system for scientists are such that maintaining
scientific integrity cannot be taken for granted.
Cuban Scientists and Visas for the US
Two highly respected Cuban scientists, associated with ICSU
Unions, were recently refused visas to attend separate scientific
meetings in the US. They had both been invited by the respective
host institutions as representatives of the Latin American scientific
community. This worrying development is a breach of the ICSU
Principle of Universality
of Science which refutes any discrimination against scientists
on the basis of citizenship, religion, creed, political stance,
ethnic origin, race, colour, age or gender.
The Chairman of CFRS expressed his concerns on this matter
in a letter
to Chemical and Engineering news.
ICSU Governance and Policies
Scientific Planning and Review
The 14th meeting of the Committee on Scientific Planning
and Review (CSPR) was held at the Sorbonne in Paris on 14-15
September. The Committee discussed the full range of ICSU’s
present and potential future activities, including the two new
programmes: Natural and Human-induced Environmental Hazards
and Disasters; and Human Health and Wellbeing in the Changing
Urban Environment. The Committee also discussed approaches to
an upcoming review of the Scientific Committee on Problems in
the Environment. The meeting report
is now available.
Meeting of the Scientific Unions
The ICSU International Scientific Unions met at the Consiglio
Nazionale delle Ricerche in Rome, Italy, 23-24 April. The Unions
discussed ‘ICSU and its Unions working together to deliver
the ICSU strategy’. Twenty-three of ICSU’s Union
Members participated in the meeting, focusing on the ICSU Strategic
Plan and how Unions could efficiently contribute to the implementation.
The report from the meeting will be available soon.
Meetings of the Executive Board
The 95th and 96th Meetings of the Executive Board were held
in Paris on 25-26 April and 11-12 October respectively. At the
meetings, the Board reviewed all aspects of ICSU's work including
reports from CSPR and the Committee on Freedom and Responsibility
in the conduct of Science, and discussed issues and activities
related to the ICSU Strategic Plan, many of which are covered
elsewhere in this newsletter.
95th Meeting of the Executive
Board: The Board agreed to
sponsor three main IPY events in 2008, 2010 and 2012, closed
the accounts for 2006, reviewed the report from the Working
Group to Review the Dues' Structure and approved a Memorandum
of Understanding — between ICSU, the International Social
Sciences Council and the UN University — for the International
Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP).
96th Meeting of the Executive Board: The
Board set up a small group to review Members’ comments
on the report on the dues' structure, agreed to close down the
ICSU-TWAS-UNESCO-UNU Visiting Scientists Programme, approved
the revised budgets for 2007 and 2008, and approved appointments
to the Scientific Committees of DIVERSITAS, IGBP, IHDP and the
International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications.
Decisions
from Executive Board meetings are available online.
New Members
At the 95th Meeting of the ICSU Executive Board two new National
Members were unanimously admitted: the Department
of Science and Technology of Lesotho and the Seychelles
Centre for Marine Research and Technology - Marine Parks
Authority (previously a National Associate). At the 96th Meeting,
the University
of the South Pacific was admitted, bringing the number of
National Members to 113, representing 124 countries.
29th General Assembly
Members are reminded that the 29th General Assembly of ICSU
— hosted by the Scientific Research Association of Mozambique
— will take place in Maputo, 20-24 October 2008. It will
be preceded by meetings of the Executive Board and some Policy
Committees. The week prior to the Assembly, 13-17 October, will
be devoted to various scientific sessions organized by local
hosts throughout Mozambique. The First Circular and Draft Agenda
for the Assembly will be sent to Members shortly.
30th General Assembly
As authorized by the 28th General Assembly, the Board unanimously
accepted the invitation from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche,
Italy, to host the 30th General Assembly in Rome in 2011.
ICSU Secretariat
Staff changes
ICSU Executive Director Professor Thomas Rosswall will
retire at the end of January 2009. ICSU is currently receiving
applications
for his position. Applications must be received by 30 November
2007.
The ICSU Secretariat has welcomed three new staff members in
recent months. As reported in the previous newsletter, Dr Patricia
Ocampo-Thomason joined the Secretariat on 1 June and Dr Paul
Cutler on 1 August, both as Science Officers. On 1 October,
Jacinta Legg joined the Secretariat as the new Science Communications
Officer, with responsibilities for publications and managing
ICSU’s communication activities. Brief biographies
of the new staff members are available on the ICSU website.
Annual Report
The Annual
Report 2006 is now available online.
Move to new building
The ICSU Secretariat moved to its new location — 5 rue
Auguste Vacquerie, 75016 Paris — at the end of August,
despite the building still undergoing extensive renovations.
The French Government generously offered the building to ICSU
as a replacement for the previous building.
|
