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Statutes of World Science Forum

Preamble

Recognising the global nature of challenges facing humankind World Science Forum has been created by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the International Council for Science (ICSU) in the quest for meaningful dialogue among the various stakeholders of knowledge, scientific communities, policy makers and societies. Experiencing the changes in the role of science we strive to offer a forum to discuss policy objectives in reference to the creation, dissemination, and utilization of knowledge. The Forum seeks to provide the scientific community and public policy makers with a global platform to exchange, discuss and harmonize their ideas in respect to the growing interdependence of science with society.

World Science Forum shall be organised in accordance with the principles laid down in the 1999 Budapest "Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge" with the objectives given below:

  1. To provide major stakeholders with a global forum for dialogue on the new roles, responsibilities, and challenges of science and to discuss issues of common interest to the scientific community and to the general public.
  2. To better understand and promote the need for science and scientific advice in policy making.
  3. To exchange views and ideas on how to promote and communicate science and its basic values to societies at large and to various stakeholder groups.
  4. To promote the mutual understanding of different cultures through scientific dialogue.
  5. To promote education for a more even distribution of knowledge wealth among countries, regions, and social groups.
  6. To address the ethical, social, cultural, environmental, gender, economic, and health issues of scientific research.
  7. To address public concerns and awareness regarding the role of science in society and the role of society for science.

Statutes

  1. World Science Forum was first summoned in 2003 in Budapest as an event initiated by HAS, UNESCO and ICSU in the frame of the UNESCO World Science Day for Peace and Development (10 November), with the intention to maintain and enhance the achievements and values of the 1999 World Conference on Science. Further World Science Fora were held in 2005, 2007 and 2009 in Budapest, Hungary.
  2. Being an international conference dedicated to science and knowledge, World Science Forum shall give participants the possibility to exchange their views regarding - among others - the relationship between science and society, the importance and relevance of science for Society, its future, the related financing issues as well as its relationship to political and civil institutions. World Science Forum shall be a meeting point, and an occasion to exchange views, for representatives of science, politics, international organisations, industrial and financial decision makers, international science fora, and science academies.
  3. World Science Forum holds its main events every two years, focusing its discussions upon a selected principal theme.
  4. The president of World Science Forum shall be the president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences or the person nominated by the president of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The co-president of World Science Forum shall be the chair of the following World Science Forum.
  5. The Secretariat of World Science Forum in collaboration with UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector is responsible for providing continuous access to organisational and contact information in-between the conventions of the Fora. The Secretariat is hosted by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
  6. Each World Science Forum issues a Statement at the end of its convention.
  7. Organisational costs of World Science Forum shall be covered by the organising country. The organising country shall be entitled to use the logo of World Science Forum or its locally adapted version in connection with the event.
  8. From 2011 on, World Science Forum shall be organised in Hungary (Budapest) every fourth year. Charged with the organising tasks of World Science Forum Budapest shall be the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, supported by the Government of Hungary. The Budapest events of World Science Fora shall be chaired by the president of World Science Forum.
  9. From 2013 on, every fourth year, on a principle of rotation, World Science Forum shall be hosted and organised by a country other than Hungary.
  10. As for non-Budapest locations, the selection and invitation of the chair of World Science Forum shall be the responsibility of the organising country.
  11. The preparatory tasks of the conference shall be co-ordinated by the Steering Committee of World Science Forum.
    1. The Steering Committee
      • shall hold at least one session in the organising country during the year preceding World Science Forum,
      • shall be chaired by the president of World Science Forum. The mandate of the president and the members of the committee lasts for two years, starting from the last day of the preceding World Science Forum and ending on the last day of the World Science Forum newly organised.
    2. Members of the Steering Committee are the delegates of the:
      • Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
      • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
      • International Council for Science (ICSU),
      • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS),
      • The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
      • European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC)
      • chair or delegate of the organiser of the past and future non-Budapest World Science Fora, furthermore
      • 3 to 5 highly acknowledged scientists committed to the mission of World Science Forum, invited by the president of the next World Science Forum; the committee membership of these scientists shall last until the last day of the ongoing World Science Forum.

        The delegating bodies give general power to their delegates to represent them in the Steering Committee. This power may also include a mandate to carry out specific missions.
    3. The tasks of the Steering Committee are:
      • to decide upon the concept, thematic structure and the list of invited persons of the upcoming World Science Forum, by taking into consideration the proposals of the organising country,
      • to make proposals concerning the list of participants,
      • to decide upon the events that will be included in the conference programme,
      • to decide upon which international (satellite) events shall be partner events of the upcoming World Science Forum,
      • to decide which local events shall be supported by and connected with World Science Forum as special sessions,
      • to monitor and help the preparatory work and the organisation of World Science Forum,
      • to decide upon which country may host the upcoming non-Budapest location World Science Forum.
  12. The (local) organising committee of the country hosting World Science Forum shall co-operate with the Steering Committee and shall carry out its work according to its decisions.
  13. The international (satellite) events and the local events (special sessions) shall have the right to define themselves as World Science Forum partner events and shall be entitled to use the World Science Forum logo.
  14. In order to promote participation at the Forum from all countries of the world, local organisers and partner organisations of World Science Forum are entitled to offer funding to cover the mobility expenses of selected participants including accommodation, travel assistance and local expenses in terms of these Statutes. 
  15. These Statutes can be approved or amended only by the consent of the representatives of the founder organisations, namely: MTA, UNESCO, ICSU and AAAS.

Paris, 5 November, 2014.

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