pdf SCAR EXCOM 2013 WP22: SCAR MoUs and Other Agreements

SCAR EXCOM 2013 WP22: SCAR MoUs and Other Agreements

Executive Summary

Title: SCAR MoUs and other agreements

Authors: M Sparrow

Introduction/ Background:  Partnerships with organizations with complementary skills, technologies and interests bring added value to SCAR’s activities. SCAR partners with ICSU bodies, advisory bodies to the Antarctic Treaty System, organizations with a polar mission, and global programmes with polar interests. Partnerships support SCAR’s goals to provide authoritative scientific advice to policy makers, expand its advisory sphere of influence on global issues, develop the capacity of students and early career scientists, and encourage cooperation with Arctic counterparts.

The SCAR and IASC EXCOMs also agreed to explore the possibility of entering into new agreements with the European Polar Board (EPB) and the Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFOPS). Such agreements should be of mutual benefit to all organizations.

Important Issues or Factors:  SCAR has several Letters of Agreement and Memoranda of Understanding with organisations to support key partnerships (http://www.scar.org/about/partnerships/agreements/):

• Letter of Agreement between SCAR, IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) and IACS (International Association of Cryospheric Sciences), signed 16 April 2013.
• Memorandum of Understanding between APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists), IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) and SCAR, signed 16 April 2013.
• Memorandum of Agreement between CliC (WCRP Climate and Cryosphere Project), IASC (International Arctic Science Committee) and SCAR, signed 16 April 2013.
• Letter of Agreement between SCAR and IASC (International Arctic Science Committee), signed September 2011.
• Cryosphere Memorandum of Understanding, signed 2011.

The agreements with APECS, IACS and CliC were all renewed during the IASC Council meeting in Krakow and signed on behalf of SCAR by the SCAR President. It was noted that the usefulness of these agreements should be monitored and that the SCAR and IASC Secretariats should maintain a list of the major achievements and joint activities for each of the partnerships. This list would be used to assess the benefit of the agreements prior to any future renewal.

Recommendations/Actions and Justification:  

The following Actions agreed by the joint SCAR/IASC EXCOM meeting held in Krakow are relevant to this theme:

IASC and SCAR Secretariats to maintain a list of major outcomes of partnerships (Sparrow and Rachold; ongoing) 

IASC and SCAR Secretariats to explore the benefits and possibilities of entering into new agreements with organizations such as the European Polar Board (EPB) and the Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFOPS) (Rachold and Sparrow, with Lochte (for EPB) and Yang (for AFoPS); before end 2013)

Partners: IASC, APECS, IACS, CliC,  IGS and others

Budget Implications: N/A