InterAcademy Council

InterAcademy Council is an international organization linking national and regional science and engineering academies such as the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, and Academia Brasileira de Ciências. It provides independent advice on scientific issues to bodies like the United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, European Commission, and African Union. The Council convenes panels with members from institutions including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Academie des Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, Korea Academy of Science and Technology, and Mexican Academy of Sciences to produce consensus reports for decision-makers such as those in the G7, G20, European Parliament, African Union Commission, and ASEAN.

History

The Council was established amid initiatives by organizations such as the International Council for Science, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Conference on Science, and national academies including the National Academy of Sciences (United States), Royal Society, and Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences to respond to global challenges like those addressed at the Rio Earth Summit and the Millennium Development Goals. Early work drew on precedents set by reports from academies like the French Academy of Sciences and panels chaired by figures associated with the Nobel Prize community such as laureates from the Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Over time the Council engaged with crises highlighted by institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Health Organization.

Organization and Governance

Governance follows practices familiar to bodies like the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Academia Europaea, and International Science Council, with an executive office in a city comparable to Amsterdam and a board constituted by presidents and secretaries from academies including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Academia Brasileira de Ciências, Royal Irish Academy, and South African Academy of Science. The Council appoints panels drawing experts from organizations such as the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Korean Academy of Science and Technology, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences of Moldova, and Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Financial and strategic interactions involve funders and partners like the Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank, and European Commission.

Activities and Programs

Programs include convening study panels similar to processes at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and producing assessments akin to reports from the International Energy Agency, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization, and United Nations Environment Programme. The Council organizes workshops and capacity-building initiatives with regional entities such as the African Academy of Sciences, Academia Mexicana de Ciencias, Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, Latin American Academy of Sciences, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It advises on topics ranging from issues also addressed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, World Meteorological Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to questions handled by institutions including the International Criminal Court and European Investment Bank.

Reports and Impact

Reports have influenced policy discussions in forums such as the United Nations General Assembly, G7 Summit, G20 Summit, European Parliament, and African Union. Published assessments mirror the style of influential documents from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Global Biodiversity Outlook, and World Health Organization guidelines, and have been used by ministries in countries like Brazil, India, China, South Africa, and Germany to inform legislation debated in bodies such as the Bundestag and Lok Sabha. The Council’s work has been cited by international bodies including the World Bank, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Monetary Fund, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Membership and Partnerships

Membership comprises national and regional academies comparable to the Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences (United States), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Indian National Science Academy, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine, and Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology. Partnerships extend to organizations such as the International Science Council, United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank, European Commission, African Academy of Sciences, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Wellcome Trust, and Gates Foundation to leverage networks including the Nobel Prize community, regional science networks like ASEAN University Network, and specialist bodies such as the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, International Mathematical Union, and International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics.

Category:International scientific organizations