European Physical Society
International Organizations
The International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) is an international
non-governmental organization established in 1931 to promote scientific and
technological activities for the benefit of humanity. Since its creation it has
vigorously pursued a policy of nondiscrimination, affirming the rights and
freedom of scientists throughout the world to ,engage in international
scientific activity. It observes and actively upholds the principle of
universality of science.
There are two categories of membership organizations under ICSU. One category
consists of National Members which are national scientific academies or research
councils. The second comprises of 20 scientific discipline-oriented Unions.
These members together, with ICSU, set up Special Committees, Inter-Union
Commissions to address inter disciplinary concerns. The Scientific Unions are
concerned with specific scientific disciplines while Special Committees,
Inter-Union Commissions, Permanent Services and other interdisciplinary bodies
cater to special needs and concerns relating to the promotion of global science.
For example, the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA) is
concerned with all types of quatitative data in science and technology,
improvement of quality and accessibility of data etc.; the Committee on Science
and Technology in Developing Countries (COSTED) promotes science and technology
in developing countries. A large number of regional and international scientific
organizations like the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), the Internatinal
Society for Soil Science (ISSS) etc. are associates of ICSU. ICSU also enjoys
close relations with UN and intergovernmental bodies such as UNESCO, WMO and
WHO; this in turn has enabled it to establish a number of joint scientific
initiatives such as the International Biosciences Networks (IBN) with UNESCO,
the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) with WMO etc.
Structure
In ICSU 23 international organizations are organized, these are:
- IUPAP
- International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
- IAU
- International Astronomical Union
- IUGG
- International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
- IUPAC
- International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
- IURSI
- International Union of Radio Science
- IUBS
- International Union of Biological Sciences
- IGU
- International Geographical Union
- IUCr
- International Union of Crystallography
- IUHPS
- International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science
- IMU
- International Mathematical Union
- IUPS
- International Union of Physiological Sciences
- IUBMB
- International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- IUGS
- International Union of Geological Sciences
- IUNS
- International Union of Nutritional Sciences
- IUPAB
- International Union of Pure and Applied Biophysics
- IUTAM
- International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
- IUIS
- International Union of Immunological Sciences
- IUPHAR
- International Union of Pharmacology
- IUMS
- International Union of Microbiological Sciences
- IUPsyS
- International Union of Psychological Sciences
- IUAES
- International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences
- IBRO
- International Brain Research Organization
- ISSS
- International Society of Soil Science
Secretariat:
- Address:
- 51 Boulevard de Montmorency
- F-75016 Paris
- Phone:
- +33 1 45350329
- Telex:
- 645554 icsu f
- Fax:
- +33 1 42889431
- Email:
- icsu@paris7.jussieu.fr
E.W.A. Lingeman, June 1994, revised 4 June 1998 (ed@nikhef.nl)