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Resolutions From. I.C.S.U. General Assembly, 1958
No. 4. “Noting that I.C.S.U. has no capital fund from which to meet extraordinary or emergency expenses, the decision of the Executive Board be strongly endorsed that such an I.C.S.U. Capital Fund be instituted immediately and the Treasurer be instructed to invite each Member of the Council to take early and vigorous action to secure appropriate donations to the Fund.”
No. 6. “Endorsing the recommendation of the U.N.E.S.C.O. Advisory Committee on Research in the Natural Sciences Programme of U.N.E.S.G.O. and also the recommendations of the Executive Board of I.C.S.U.
Decided to transmit once again to all national members of I.C.S.U. its urgent plea, that they make immediate contact with the U.N.E.S.C.O. National Commission in their respective countries, urging the Commissions to include a scientific member in their respective National Delegations to the Tenth General Conference of U.N.E.S.C.O. to ensure that such delegations bring pressure to bear on the General Conference, so that the percentage of the total budget for 1959–60 to be allocated to the Natural Sciences Department be substantially increased; and so that the Departments of Education and Mass Communication be instructed to devote more effort to science education and the dissemination of scientific knowledge.”
No. 8. “Resolved that its National Members be requested to ask their Governments when ratifying the Law of the Sea to signify that at the same time they grant general permission to any scientific research vessel to conduct investigations of the bottom and subsoil of the continental shelf providing the programme is specifically approved by the I.C.S.U., which is the international organisation acting for national scientific academies. The I.C.S.U. will guarantee that the investigations are leading to results which will be published openly for the benefit of science. The coastal state should be notified sufficient time in advance so that it may, if it desires, designate a representative to take part in the work. This proposal is designed to facilitate the operation of Article 68 of the Convention by assisting Governments to identify bona fide scientific research and to avoid diplomatic delays which would jeopardise many types of scientific investigation.”
No. 9. “Resolved to express the hope that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (U.N.E.S.C.O.) will undertake a major expansion of its Marine Sciences Programme, and in particular that it will invite and help countries bordering on the Indian Ocean to take an active part in the international investigation of the Indian Ocean planned by S.C.O.R. so that the I.C.S.U. and U.N.E.S.C.O. can together assure that these countries gain full benefit from the results of the work.”
No. 13 (1) “Resolved that a Special Committee for Inter-Union Co-operation in Geophysics, henceforward called S.C.G., be established to consist of the members of the present Bureau of the C.S.A.G.I. and of its present reporters on the I.G.Y. disciplines.
The S.C.G. will be organised and managed in accordance with I.C.S.U. Rules for Special Committees.
The S.C.G. will enter into function on the date when the C.S.A.G.I. terminates its work—i.e., on July 1, 1959.”
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No. 13 (2). “Resolved that the General Assembly accepts the recommendations of the C.S.A.G.I. in respect of the International Geophysical Co-operation in 1959 that the observational and data collecting activities in the geophysical and related sciences be conducted during 1959 on the same general plan as in 1957–58, under the direction of the C.S.A.G.I., respectively the S.C.G. as far as feasible and at such level and in such fields as may be determined by each Participating National Committee.”
No. 13 (3). “The primary task of the S.C.G. will be to deal with all aspects of the closing stage of the I.G.Y. enterprise, including the International Geophysical Co-operation 1959. Its activities will include publication, finance, and organisation of International co-operation in the use and analysis of I.G.Y. data by World Data Centres, the International Unions, the World Meteorological Organisation and otherwise.
In the accomplishment of this task, a close co-operation between the S.C.G. on one hand and the Unions and Special Committees and other organisations concerned on the other hand, shall be maintained.”
No. 14. “Recognising the need of an International Committee on Space Research and considering that I.C.S.U. should continue its work of co-ordination in this field, there be established an I.C.S.U. Committee on Space Research to function until the end of the year 1959 as follows:—
No. 14 (1). The primary purpose of the Committee is to provide the world scientific community with the means whereby it may exploit the possibilities of satellites and space probes of all kinds for scientific purposes, and exchange the resulting data on a co-operative basis. It shall further report to I.C.S.U. these measures needed in the future to achieve the participation in international programmes of space research of all countries of the world with those which are already actively engaged in research programmes involving the use of instrumental earth satellites and space probes.
No. 14 (2). The Committee shall hold as primary objective the maximum development of space research programmes by the international community of scientists working through I.C.S.U. and its adhering national academies and unions. Recognising, however, the need for international regulation and control of certain aspects of satellite and space probe programmes the Committee shall keep itself fully informed on U.N. or other international activities in this field, in order to assure that maximum advantage is accorded international space scientific research through such regulations, and to make recommendations relative to matters of planning and regulation that may affect the optimum programme of scientific research.
14 (3) and (4) give the composition of the Committee.
No. 14 (5). The Committee on Contamination by Extra Terrestrial Exploration will report its conclusions to the Committee on Space Research.
Political Non-Discrimination. In keeping with the purely scientific character of the I.C.S.U. the General Assembly has approved the following statement:—
1. To ensure the uniform observance of its basic policy of political non-discrimination, the I.C.S.U. affirms the right of the scientists of any country or territory to adhere to or to associate with international scientific activity without regard to race, religion or political philosophy.
2. Such adherence or association has no implication with respect to recognition of the Government of the country or territory concerned.
3. Subject only to payment of subscription and submission of required reports, the I.C.S.U. is prepared to recognise the academy, research council, national committee, or other bona fide scientific group representing scientific activity of any country or territory acting under a Government de facto or de jure, that controls it.
4. Meetings or assemblies of I.C.S.U. or of its dependent organisms such as its special committees and its joint commissions should be held in countries which permit participation of the representatives of every national member of I.C.S.U. or of the dependent organisms of I.C.S.U. concerned, and allow free and prompt dissemination of information related to such meetings.
5. I.C.S.U. and its dependent organisms will take all necessary steps to effect these principles.
In moving the adoption of his report as delegate to the Eighth General Assembly of I.C.S.U. in Washington, Dr. J. T. Salmon stressed the importance of the Assembly and the need for a properly briefed representative to be sent to the General Assembly. He outlined some of the important resolutions which were passed at the General Assembly, copies of which had been circulated to members. Dr. Salmon stated that the grant from U.N.E.S.C.O. to I.C.S.U. had been halved, and assistance from the National Bodies affiliated with I.C.S.U. would be very welcome. This matter was deferred until financial matters came up on the agenda later.
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Sir Ernest Marsden commented that it may be well to enquire whether the whole grant to science had been reduced by U.N.E.S.C.O. or whether its grant had gone through other channels.