6.1: Awareness and Promotion
Raise awareness and promote responsibility for the Principle of the Universality of Science within and beyond the ICSU community. Other Information:
The essential elements of the Principle of the Universality of Science, as defined in ICSU’s Statute 5, are non-discrimination
and equity. In accordance with this Principle, all scientists should have the possibility to participate, without discrimination
and on an equitable basis in legitimate scientific activities, whether they be conducted in a national, trans-national or
international context. ICSU has long promoted this Principle, in particular by defending the rights of scientists to freely
associate in international scientific meetings. The ICSU Standing Committee on Freedom in the Conduct of Science has served
as the ‘guardian’ of Statute 5, ensuring that when the Principle is breeched appropriate action is taken. Most of its work
has been out of the public eye, but many individual scientists across the world are grateful to this Committee for ensuring
that their visa problems have been resolved so that they could attend international meetings. This committee played a particularly
important role during the ‘Cold War’ in ensuring the scientific exchange between East and West. However, with a changing international
political picture, the widening gap between rich and poor countries, and concerns about international terrorism and national
security, the challenges to Universality are different today to those of the past (ICSU, 2004g). In the light of these changes,
the role and responsibilities of ICSU in relation to Universality were considered as part of a broader independent strategic
review (ICSU 2005a), which concluded that the challenges to Universality were now such that ICSU should adopt a broader remit,
extending beyond individual casework and visa issues for ICSU’s own international meetings. ICSU Member organizations should
also take on a greater role in awareness raising and safeguarding the Principle of Universality.
Objective(s):
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