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General Assembly

The General Assembly (GA) is the highest authority of the Council and consists of representatives of its Members. It meets every three years.

The General Assembly (GA) meetings provide a forum for conducting ISC business and allow leading scientists to identify and discuss the world’s most pressing scientific issues.

The GA is responsible for setting the general direction, policies and priorities. The first General Assembly of the International Science Council took place in Paris, France, in July 2018.

Terms of Reference for the General Assembly can be found in Statutes 12 – 17 of the ISC Statutes and Rules of Procedures.

Upcoming events

gazebo Muscat events
26 January 2025 – 30 January 2025

Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue and Third ISC General Assembly

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Past ISC General Assemblies

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28 February 2024 – 29 February 2024

Electronic ISC Extraordinary General Assembly

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Water drop dropping in colorful waer events
4 May 2023 – 4 March 2023

ISC electronic extraordinary General Assembly

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events
11 October 2021 – 15 October 2021

2nd General Assembly of the International Science Council

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Past General Assemblies of the International Council for Science (ICSU)

  • Taipei. October 2017 (President: Gordon McBean)
  • Auckland, New Zealand. September 2014 (President: Yuan-Tseh Lee)
  • Rome, Italy. September 2011 (President: Catherine Bréchignac)
  • Maputo, Mozambique. October 2008 (President: Goverdhan Mehta)
  • Suzhou/Shanghai, China, October 2005 (President: Jane Lubchenco)
  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. September 2002 (President: Hiroyuki Yoshikawa)
  • Cairo, Egypt. September 1999 (President: Werner Arber)
  • Washington DC, USA. September 1996 (President: James Clement Dooge)
  • Santiago, Chile. October 1993 (President: Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar “M.G.K.” Menon)
  • Sofia, Bulgaria. October 1990 (President: Mambillikalathil Govind Kumar “M.G.K.” Menon)
  • Beijing, China. September 1988 (President: John Cowdery Kendrew)
  • Berne, Switzerland. September 1986 (President: John Cowdery Kendrew)
  • Ottawa, Canada. September 1984 (President: John Cowdery Kendrew)
  • Cambridge, UK. September 1982 (President: Daniel Adzei Beko)
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands. September 1980 (President: Cornelis de Jager)
  • Athens, Greece. September 1978 (President: Brunó Ferenc Straub)
  • Washington DC, USA. October 1976 (President: Harrison Brown)
  • Istanbul, Turkey. September 1974 (President: Jean Coulomb)
  • Helsinki, Finland. September 1972 (President: Victor A. Ambartsumian)
  • Madrid, Spain. September 1970 (President: Victor A. Ambartsumian)
  • Paris, France. September 1968 (President: James Merritt Harrison)
  • Bombay, India. January 1966 (President: Edgar William Richard Steacie)
  • Vienna, Austria. November 1963 (President: Sven Hörstadius)
  • London, United Kingdom. September 1961 (President: Rudolph Peters)
  • Washington DC. USA, October 1958 (President: Lloyd Viel Berkner)
  • Oslo, Norway. August 1955 (President: Bertil Lindblad)
  • Amsterdam, Netherlands. October 1952 (President: Alexander von Mural)
  • Copenhagen, Denmark. October 1949 (President: John Ambrose Fleming)
  • London, United Kingdom. July 1946 (President: Hugo Rudolph Kruyt)
  • London, United Kingdom. May 1937 (President: Niels Erik Nørlund)
  • Brussels, Belgium. July 1934 (President: George Ellery Hale)
  • Brussels, Belgium. July 1931 (President: Émile Picard)

Past General Assemblies of the International Social Science Council (ISSC)

Taipei, October 2017 (extraordinary)

  • President: Alberto Martinelli (Italy)
  • Executive Director: Mathieu Denis (Canada)

Oslo, Norway. October 2016

  • President: Alberto Martinelli (Italy)
  • Executive Director: Mathieu Denis (Canada)

Montreal, Canada. October 2013

  • President: Olive Shisana (South Africa)
  • Executive Director: Heide Hackmann (Germany)

Ngoya, Japan. 2010

  • President: Olive Shisana (South Africa)
  • Executive Director: Heide Hackmann (Germany)

Cape Town, South Africa. 2008

  • President: Gudmund Hernes (Norway)
  • Executive Director: Heide Hackmann (Germany)

Alexandria, Egypt. 2006

  • President: Lourdes Arizpe (Mexico)
  • Secretary-General: Ali Kazancigil (Turkey)

Beijing, China. 2004

  • President: Lourdes Arizpe (Mexico)
  • Secretary-General: Ali Kazancigil (Turkey)

Vienna, Austria. 2002

  • President: Kurt Pawlik (Germany)
  • Secretary-General: Leszek A. Kosinski (Canada/Poland)

Paris, France. 2000

  • President: Kurt Pawlik (Germany)
  • Secretary-General: Leszek A. Kosinski (Canada/Poland)

Paris, France. 1998

  • President: Else Øyen (Norway)
  • Secretary-General: Leszek A. Kosinski (Canada/Poland)

Paris, France. 1996

  • President: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)
  • Secretary-General: Leszek A. Kosinski (Canada/Poland)

Paris, France. 1994

  • President: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)
  • Secretary-General: Stephen C. Mills (UK)

Paris, France. 1992

  • President: Candido Mendes (Brazil)
  • Secretary-General: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)

Palma de Mallorca, Spain. 1990

  • President: Candido Mendes (Brazil)
  • Secretary-General: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)

Barcelona, Spain. 1988

  • President: Candido Mendes (Brazil)
  • Secretary-General: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)

Paris, France. 1985 (extraordinary)

  • President: Candido Mendes (Brazil)
  • Secretary-General: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)

Paris, France. 1983

  • President: Candido Mendes (Brazil)
  • Secretary-General: Luis I. Ramallo (Spain)

Paris, France. 1981

  • President: Arthur Summerfield (UK)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1979

  • President: Arthur Summerfield (UK)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1977

  • President: Stein Rokkan (Norway)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1975

  • President: Stein Rokkan (Norway)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1974 (extraordinary)

  • President: Stein Rokkan (Norway)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1973

  • President: Stein Rokkan (Norway)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1972 (Extraordinary Constitutive Assembly, during which the ISSC was transformed into a federation of disciplinary associations.)

  • President: Jean Stoetzel (France)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1971 (extraordinary)

  • President: Jean Stoetzel (France)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1970

  • President: Sjoerd Groenman (Netherlands)
  • Secretary-General: Samy Friedman (France)

Paris, France. 1965

  • President: Sjoerd Groenman (Netherlands)
  • Secretary-General: Kazimiers Szczerba-Likiernik (Poland)

Paris, France. 1961

  • President: Donald Young (USA)
  • Secretary-General: Claude Lévi-Strauss (France)

Paris, France. 1959

  • President: Donald Young (USA)
  • Secretary-General: Claude Lévi-Strauss (France)

Paris, France. 1957

  • President: Donald Young (USA)
  • Secretary-General: Claude Lévi-Strauss (France)

Paris, France. 1955

  • President: Donald Young (USA)
  • Secretary-General: Claude Lévi-Strauss (France)

Paris, France. 1953

  • President: Donald Young (USA)
  • Secretary-General: Claude Lévi-Strauss (France)
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