ICSU Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Manuel Limonta Director

What is ICSU A non-governmental organization representing a global membership that includes both national scientific bodies and international scientific unions

Mission Identify and address major issues of importance to science and society Facilitate interaction amongst scientists across all disciplines and from all countries Promote the participation of all scientists in the international scientific endeavor, regardless of race, citizenship, language, political stance or gender Provide independent, authoritative advice to stimulate constructive dialogue between the scientific community and governments, civil society, and the private sector.

What ICSU does ICSU mobilises knowledge and resources of the international scientific community to strengthen international science for the benefit of society.

Established in 2007 as part of a new worldwide strategy of ICSU. Following its Strategic Plan , ICSU established Regional Offices for Africa and Asia-Pacific, and is negotiating a Regional Office for the Arab Region. ICSU in Latin America & the Caribbean

Goals of Regional Offices Firstly, they help to ensure that the regional priorities are reflected in the international ICSU strategic development Secondly, they enhance the participation of scientists and scientific organizations from the region in ICSU's research and policy activities, and enable ICSU to play a more effective role in strengthening science within the context of regional priorities and building capacity through collaboration.

José Antonio de la Peña(Chairman), México Patricio Felmer, Chile; Tara Dasgupta, Jamaica; Arturo Martinez, Argentina; Mahabir Gupta, Panama; Enrique P. Lessa, Uruguay; Carmen Samayoa, Guatemala; Elena Vigil, Cuba. Deliang Chen (ex-oficio member) Sergio Pastrana (ex-oficio member) Patricia Ocampo (staff member) Manuel Limonta (staff member) The ICSU Regional Committee

Manuel Limonta. Regional Director Kerstin Schmidt. Scientific officer Maria Teresa Viramonte. Assistant Staff of Regional Office - Mexico

4 work programs in ICSU-ROLAC Renewable energy Natural hazards Biodiversity Mathematic teaching

Priorities work program Next meetings to be organized by ICSU-ROLAC. Rio ,4, and 5 August Mexico. ICSU General Assembly and ICSU-LAC 10, Rome September. 2. Increase visibility of ICSU –ROLAC among institutions and scientist. Exchange with Cinvestad, Institute of Geography UNAM, Colombian Sciences Academy, Central University of Ecuador. 3. Increase the amount of countries as members of ICSU. Ecuador, Central America

4. Increase interactions and exchange with Asia Pacific and Africa offices. Program already established with Skype communication 5. Workshops organization. Already implemented Mathematic teaching in Chile to be held in January On discussion for implementation Workshop on ABS for Latin America Workshop on Sustainable Energy for Caribbean countries Priorities work program 2011

6. Data base with financial support agencies Program already established. 7. Data base with scientist of the 4 programs of the ICSU- ROLAC Region. Program already established, need to be refined Priorities work program 2011

Main results obtained in the ICSU- ROLAC Office during this year

On 1st March 2011, the ICSU Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (ROLAC) was officially inaugurated in Mexico City at the Mexican Academy of Sciences (AMC). Inauguration ICSU ROLAC Mexico City

On 8th and 9th February 2011, the First Meeting for the Sustainable Energy Project of the Interamerican Development Bank was held at the Academy of Sciences in Mexico City. Décio Gazzoni and Isaías Macedo from Brazil, Arturo Morales from Mexico, Gabriel Blanco from Argentina, and the Director of the ICSU-LAC Regional Office, Manuel Limonta, attended the meeting. First Meeting for the Sustainable Energy Project

On 1st and 2nd March 2011 the Regional Committee for ICSU Latin America and the Caribbean held their 9th meeting at the Mexican Academy of Sciences in Mexico City. The agenda included the identification of future actions and work priorities for the new office in Mexico after the relocation from Brazil, as well as strategies for the implementation of the four scientific priorities: Sustainable energy Biodiversity Natural hazards mathematics education Furthermore, the organization of the Regional Workshop for the Rio+20 Initiative was discussed and considered a work priority by the Regional Committee Regional Committee Meeting in Mexico

From 30th to 31st March 2011, Mahabir Gupta and Kerstin Schmidt-Verkerk attended the 21st meeting of ICSU's Committee on Scientific Planning and Review (CSPR) in Paris, France. The meeting was followed by a Foresight Workshop on 1st April 2011, in which ideas about the future role of ICSU and science in general for society was discussed. ICSU ROLAC at CSPR meeting in Paris

Between 25th and 27th April 2011, the Second Meeting for the Sustainable Energy Project of the Interamerican Development Bank was held in Bogotá, Colombia. Second Meeting for the Sustainable Energy Project of the Interamerican Development Bank in Bogotá, Colombia

1- Visit for strategic alliance with Cinvestav, Mexico City 2- Meeting and further analysis with the Geography Institute from UNAM seeking for the development of worshops in the region. 3- Follow up the publications: Sustainable Energy (already published) Natural Disasters (already published) Mathematic Teaching (already published) Biodiversity (will be published end of May) 4- Proper installation and maintenance of the web page of ICSU ROLAC (already established and published since 2 weeks ago) Other Activities

How can USNCs work with ICSU- ROLAC on these activities? Are there ICSU-ROLAC activities that USNCs might want to become involved in?

Thank you very much!!!

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