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President's Report on the State of the Union

2. MISSION STATEMENT AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN

I believe that one of the most important accomplishments of the Union during the last two years is the formulation and adoption of a Mission Statement and a Strategic Plan. Although we have long had Objectives specified in our Statutes, we now state succinctly:

IUPAC's mission is to advance the worldwide aspects of the chemical sciences and to contribute to the application of chemistry in the service of Mankind. In so doing, IUPAC promotes the norms, values, standards, and ethics of science and advocates the free exchange of scientific information and unimpeded access of scientists to participation in activities related to the chemical sciences.

Here we deliberately use the term chemical sciences to recognize chemistry as the central science and to express the Union's interest and involvement in chemistry as it is employed in the biological, environmental, geological, and materials sciences. We recognize explicitly that chemistry in its broadest sense is of fundamental importance to world development and that IUPAC has a responsibility to see that the fruits borne of chemistry are used to serve the world of which we are a part. Our Mission Statement goes on to make it clear that IUPAC continues to promote the universality of science, as expressed by ICSU, the International Council for Science. To further its mission, IUPAC has established a set of ten long-range Goals:

  1. IUPAC will serve as a scientific, international, nongovernmental body in objectively addressing global issues involving the chemical sciences. Where appropriate, IUPAC will represent the interests of chemistry in governmental and nongovernmental forums.

  2. IUPAC will contribute to the advancement of research in the chemical sciences throughout the world.

  3. IUPAC will assist chemistry-related industry in its contributions to sustainable development, wealth creation, and improvement in the quality of life.

  4. IUPAC will facilitate the development of effective channels of communication in the international chemistry community.

  5. IUPAC will promote the service of chemistry to society in both developed and developing countries.

  6. IUPAC will utilize its global perspective to contribute toward the enhancement of education in chemistry and to advance the public understanding of chemistry and the scientific method.

  7. IUPAC will make special efforts to encourage the career development of young chemists.

  8. IUPAC will broaden the geographical base of the Union and ensure that its human capital is drawn from all segments of the world chemistry community.

  9. IUPAC will encourage worldwide dissemination of information about the activities of the Union.

  10. IUPAC will assure sound management of its resources to provide maximum value for the funds invested in the Union.

These long-range goals reflect on the inwardly directed goals of the Service of IUPAC to the global world chemistry community, on the outwardly directed mission-oriented goals, on the broadening of the geographical base, and on the scientific-public principles of IUPAC's management.

The importance of the Strategic Plan is not only in precisely what it espouses but in its very existence. Never before has IUPAC (and perhaps not any of the international Scientific Unions) articulated a set of goals and strategic thrusts that provide an overall direction to the Union's activities. The goals are quite broad and are very ambitious as indeed they should be. They provide targets toward which the Union should strive.

For the current biennium, we have a set of strategies by which we hope that the Union can move toward achieving its goals. These strategies are intended to guide the development of operational plans and setting of priorities for optimal use of the Union's resources, both human and financial. In our agenda book, you see an interim report on the way in which all IUPAC bodies are addressing these strategies in the context of their own programs. These strategies will be modified, refined, and replaced as needed for the next biennium as a result of ideas brought forth by the Council, our National Adhering Organizations, many IUPAC bodies, and individual chemists concerned about the future of the Union.



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