What do we do?

ICSU created Regional Offices to ensure that the voice of developing countries influences the international agenda and that scientists from the South are fully involved in international research guided by regional priorities. The ICSU Regional Office for Africa covers sub-Saharan Africa where the current ICSU National Members stands at 26, with varying degrees of membership status.

ICSU ROA is mandated to promote and facilitate the work of the ICSU family in Africa. The role of the Regional Office is to; collect and circulate information among scientists and facilitate free flow of scientists and scientific knowledge across borders; establish a database of African experts in all fields of science; encourage and improve capacity building in Africa and promote establishment of centres of excellence for research; promote indigenous & traditional knowledge & skills; promote the application of science in policy for development; assist the ICSU family in strategic planning of activities in the region, and develop/maintain links with national and regional partners; increase participation of African scientists in International programmes through networking; and facilitate subscription of African scientific bodies and organisations to International Scientific Unions of the ICSU family.

In addition ICSU ROA focuses its activities on science programmes in four priority areas namely: Sustainable Energy, Health and Human Well-being, Natural and Human-induced Hazards and Disasters and Global Environmental Change (including Climate Change and Adaptation). These priority areas were identified by the ICSU Regional Committee for Africa based on the ICSU Strategic Plan for 2006 - 11 and on the specific needs of sub-Saharan Africa.