Chemistry International Vol. 22, No. 5, September 2000 2000, Vol. 22 No. 5 (September) ..Chemistry in Chile ..IUPAC Prize ..Air Quality in Denmark ..Highlights from the Web ..Reports from Symposia ..New Projects ..News and Notices ..Awards and Prizes ..New Books ..Provisional Recommendations ..Reports from Commissions ..Conference Announcements ..Conference Calendar Download the September issue in pdf format. (463K) Download the September cover in pdf format. (44K) CI Homepage

Chemistry International Vol. 22, No. 5 September 2000   Academies to Provide Science Advice to World Leaders Eleven World Academies met in Davos, Switzerland in February 2000 – a meeting convened to coincide with the World Economic Forum (WEF), which brings together top politicians, economists, business leaders, and opinion formers for an annual meeting to discuss global economic issues. The Academies discussed setting up a new organization to provide science advice to world leaders and to major intergovernmental agencies. The provisional title of the body is the InterAcademy Council (IAC). The Academies also took the opportunity to discuss with WEF participants key scientific issues likely to affect the world over the next decade, such as energy needs, information technology, ecosystems, disease, natural disasters, and science’s contribution to rational decision making. Those meeting agreed to pursue the idea of an InterAcademy Council, and four "wise men" were charged with preparing a draft constitution for the new Council. This document was discussed at the beginning of the "sustainability" meeting of national academies in Tokyo in May 2000. The Tokyo conference’s primary purpose was to discuss global sustainability and to produce a statement agreed upon by over 50 academies on "transition to sustainability". It also provided an opportunity for the larger InterAcademy Panel (IAP) to discuss its own future. The Royal Society is expecting to continue to play a leading role in international science policy and remains actively involved in the discussions about the new Council and about the future direction of IAP. This article originally appeared in the March 2000 issue of The Royal Society News, published by the Press and Public Relations Unit of the Royal Society (6 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, England, UK), to whom we extend thanks for their permission to reproduce it in full.

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