Scientific and Technological Issues

IUBS 29th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium Impact of Scientific Developments on the Chemical Weapons Convention IUBS 29th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium The International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) held its 29th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium May 9-13, 2007 in Washington, DC. The event was hosted by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which adheres to the union on behalf of the Unites States through the U.S. National Committee for IUBS. National Academy of Sciences Foreign Secretary Michael Clegg delivered welcoming remarks at the Opening Session of the General Assembly and NAS Vice President Barbara Schaal welcomed the IUBS delegates, invited speakers, and guests at a special reception held May 9, which also celebrated the successful launch of the Encyclopedia of Life Project. Fundraising and local organization for the IUBS Assembly and Symposium was carried out by the organizing committee, chaired by U.S. National Committee Vice-Chair Joel Cracraft. The symposium steering committee, chaired by NAS member William C. Clark, convened sessions of U.S. and international scientific leaders to speak on the theme Biological Sciences for the 21st Century: Meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Development in an Era of Global Change. Sessions over the two and a half day symposium presented overviews of major research frontiers in the biological sciences, including biocomplexity, informatics, genomics, knowledge integration, and institutional capacity building. Subsequent sessions focused on key challenge of sustainable development: ecosystem services, food security, population health, and sustainable energy. A complementary half-day symposium on the teaching of sustainability science, also featuring a panel of U.S. and international experts, was organized by current U.S. National Committee Chair John R. Jungck. Further information on the IUBS and on the 29th General Assembly and Symposium may be obtained at www.iubs.org and www7.nationalacademies.org/IUBS Impact of Scientific Developments on the Chemical Weapons Convention In late April, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) convened the workshop Impact of Scientific Developments on the Chemical Weapons Convention. The workshop was held under the auspices of the Zagreb City Government in Croatia, and included 68 participants from 30 countries, who discussed recent technical advances and their potential implications. The discussions are being summarized in a report, to be published in the IUPAC journal Pure and Applied Chemistry and to be distributed to the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Extended abstracts and workshop presentations will also be made available. Workshop materials should prove a catalyst for stimulate discussions at the Convention’s upcoming Second Review Conference, which will be held in April 2008. Mark Cesa, current Chair of the U.S. National Committee for IUPAC and current Chair of the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry and Industry, served on the International Advisory Board for the workshop. Support for the workshop was also provided by the U.S. National Academies. Jo L. Husbands of the Academies’ unit on Development, Security, and Cooperation (DSC) was a member of the workshop organizing committee and the workshop Secretariat was housed in BISO under staff member Katie Bowman. This is the second time that IUPAC has convened such a group of chemical experts from government, academia, and industry. A similar workshop was held in 2002, before the First Review Conference of the CWC, and was well received by the Pock’s Scientific Advisory Board and by the States Parties. A website for the April 2007 workshop is currently in development, however additional information about the 2002 workshop may be found online at www.iupac.org/publications/pac/2002/7412. Back to BISO News Homepage