About us

The Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean is part of a new worldwide strategy of ICSU. Following its Strategic Plan for 2006-2010, ICSU also established Regional Offices for Africa and Asia & the Pacific, already in operation, and is negotiating a Regional Office for the Arab Region. The goal of all Regional Offices is two-fold. First, they help to ensure that the regional priorities are reflected in the international ICSU strategic development. Second, they enhance the participation of scientists and scientific organizations from the region in ICSU's research and policy activities, and enable ICSU to play a more effective role in strengthening science within the context of regional priorities and building capacity through collaboration .

A Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean was appointed in 2006, composed of distinguished scientists of the region. The Regional Committee held its first meeting in Panama on 15 October 2006 to discuss the functioning of the office and to appoint its Chair, José Antonio de la Peña from Mexico, for 2006-2009. The other members of the Regional Committee were Juan A. Asenjo, Chile; Tara Dasgupta, Jamaica; Sandra Diaz, Argentina; Mahabir Gupta, Panama; Enrique P. Lessa, Uruguay; Carmen Samayoa, Guatemala; and Elena Vigil, Cuba. Jerson Lima represented the Brazilian Academy of Sciences in the Regional Committee.

From January 2012 the Regional Commitee composition is the following: José Antonio de la Peña (Mexico), Anthony Clayton (Jamaica), Patricio Felmer (Chile), Mahabir Gupta (Panama), Arturo Martinez (Argentina), Humberto Rodríguez (Colombia), Jerson Silva (Brazil), and Elena Vigil (Cuba). As Ex Officio members, Manuel Limonta, Director of the Regional Office; José Luis Moran-López, representing the Mexican Academy of Sciences; Luiz Davidovich, representing the ICSU Executive Board; and Carthage Smith as Acting Executive Director of ICSU headquarters.

A short biography of the current and past members of the ICSU Regional Commitee for Latin America and the Caribbean can be found here. A summary of the meeting of the Regional Committee can be found here.