The ICSU Regional Office will be responsible for the promotion of increased participation of scientists from Sub-Saharan Africa in ICSU programmes and activities. It will also assist ICSU and its Unions in their strategic planning to ensure that African priorities are taken into account in setting the international agendas. Through collaboration with the international science community, the Office will assist in scientific capacity building in Africa. Further, it will promote scientific networking and support already existing networks active in the region.
Additional ICSU Regional Offices will be established in the Arab Region, Asia, and Latin America, including the Caribbean. These Offices will substantially increase the impact of the scientific communities of developing countries in ICSU.
The First Regional Meeting for Africa was attended by scientists from 19 countries in the Region as well as many ICSU Scientific Unions and ICSU Interdisciplinary Bodies. Representatives of UNESCO, the African Academy of Sciences and the Third World Academy of Sciences also attended.