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IASC - International Arctic Science Committee

In July 2006, following agreement by IASC Council and SCAR Delegates, the Presidents of SCAR and IASC signed a Letter of Agreement. The letter recognised that there are many common interests between SCAR and IASC in scientific research in the polar-regions, and that there is much to be gained from developing a synergy between SCAR and IASC in polar and bipolar research. Development of this link at this time was designed to enable the two organisations to make a more effective contribution than they might otherwise make to the success of the International Polar Year. SCAR and IASC agreed to combine their efforts in selected fields and activities (to be decided by mutual agreement) so as to raise the level of impact of both organisations in terms of making scientific advances and of advising policy makers (for example of the likelihood and likely effects of climate change), as well as to avoid duplication. The agreement will last for 5 years in the first instance.

To facilitate the process, SCAR and IASC agreed:

  1. to invite each other to attend the meetings of their major bodies (SCAR Delegates' Meeting and IASC Council).
  2. to encourage appropriate linkages between the relevant existing SCAR and IASC scientific projects.
  3. to encourage their scientific communities to develop joint bipolar projects and approaches in appropriate fields.
  4. to work together in arranging workshops, conferences, and reports on topics of mutual scientific interest.
  5. to exchange ideas on best practices in data and information management.
  6. to exchange newsletters and advertise each other's newsletters and web sites on their own web sites.
  7. to develop combined approaches to communicating with the wider community on the significance of polar research to the solution of societal issues, including their respective experience in giving advice to the AC and ATCM.

Letter of Agreement, signed in 2006.

IASC web site

At the Arctic Science Summit Week meeting in Hanover, New Hampshire, USA (March 2007), a report was made to the IASC Council on progress-to-date in implementing the Letter of Agreement. View the report on the progress in relations.

Also at that ASSW meeting a joint presentation was made by the Executive Secretary of IASC and the Executive Director of SCAR on how SCAR and IASC were working together to help to ensure a strong legacy from the International Polar year (IPY). Read the text of the presentation and view the powerpoint slides.

Another set of slides has been prepared for the joint SCAR/IASC presentation to the ASSW meeting on 26 March - 2 April 2008 in Syktyvkar, Komi Republic, Russia. You can view the powerpoint presentation.

To help take matters forward the SCAR and IASC Presidents met with their Secretariat representatives at the IASC Secretariat, in Stockholm in June 2007; a number of actions were identified. View the report of the meeting.

A report on SCAR-IASC links was presented to the Delegates at the XXX SCAR meeting in Moscow (July 14-16) as Working Paper 22.

As noted in the report of the delegates meeting (Bulletin 167):

"Delegates complimented the SCAR and IASC Secretariats on taking the SCAR-IASC linkage forward. Delegates considered that the joint efforts in bipolar high latitude climate studies and in ice sheet modelling and sea level were good examples of how to develop joint approaches to research, and suggested that ISMASS needs to revisit its terms of reference and to consider adopting IASC as a co-sponsor. Delegates noted that scientists from both poles are also working together in marine biodiversity and ice core studies. Delegates applauded the development of joint MoUs with IASC (i) for co-sponsorship of APECS; (ii) for cooperation with IACS; and (iii) for cooperation with WCRP. These agreements tie all 4 ICSU polar bodies together and were signed at the (Open Science Conference) Plenary in St Petersburg (July 8)."

Bipolar Action Group (BipAG)

One key outcome was the identification of a need for a joint Bipolar Action Group to assist in taking joint initiatives forward, and to assess how SCAR and IASC might contribute to the development of a strong legacy for the IPY. This proposal was approved by the SCAR Executive Committee and IASC Council, and taken forward as an information paper for the meeting of the IPY Joint Committee in Quebec in October 2007. View the proposal to form the joint Bipolar Action Group.

The terms of reference for BipAG are:

  1. to advise the SCAR and IASC Executive Committees on the development of instruments such as workshops, programs and networks to address bipolar issues (i.e. the first priority is to see how and where we could work, more closely together).
  2. to advise the SCAR and IASC Executive Committees on the development of mechanisms to nurture the IPY 2007/2008 legacy, with a special focus on the roles of IASC and SCAR.

The Proposal for the Action Group was distributed to SCAR Members in SCAR Circular 767 in November 2007, and in parallel to IASC Members, to solicit national nominations or membership of the Action Group. BipAG was formed at the end of December 2007 under the chairmanship of Heinrich (Heinz) Miller of AWI. Members include:

The following briefing note sets out the context, and suggests tasks for BipAG that will enable it to address its terms of reference. View the BipAG Briefing Note (19 February 2008).

BipAG met in St Petersburg, Russia, on July 8, in the margins of the XXX SCAR Science Week. The report of the BipAG meeting was tabled for the SCAR Delegates as Working Paper WP 21(ii).

Delegates at XXX SCAR adopted the following actions following discussion of the BipAG report:

Actions D20: EXCOM, IASC and the Secretariat and BipAG and IASC to implement the following actions as appropriate:-

  1. establish links between SAON and PAntOS to ensure that they develop in a compatible way and learn from the best practice of each other;
  2. SCAR and IASC to consider applying for observer status with the IPCC;
  3. SCAR and IASC to prepare themselves as the existing polar coordination structures to take a prominent role in ensuring that IPY project data goes into national and international databases, to ensure the IPY Data Legacy;
  4. charge JCADM with the responsibility for liaising with bipolar or Antarctic IPY programmes and national IPY committees to ensure that IPY data goes into appropriate databases (e.g. NADCs) and that metadata end up in the AMD;
  5. keep IASC informed about the development of the SCAR data and information management strategy, with a view to the two adopting the same strategy so as to facilitate interoperability between the two hemispheres;
  6. SCAR and IASC programmes to have a clearly specified data and information management plan that follows the IPY data policy of making all data eventually available to all, and a clearly specified education and outreach plan; and
  7. support the development of open access data journals.