Polar year comes to a close

The IPY sponsors, the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), will thank the many thousands of participants who made the IPY a spectacular international success, before passing the baton to those who will secure the legacy of this important initiative—including the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the WMO Executive Council Panel on Polar Observations, Research and Services.

‘IPY was founded on the ideas and energy of thousands of scientists, educators, technicians and many more’, said Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General of WMO. ‘We as co-sponsors of IPY wish to express our most sincere thanks to all the participants and the organizers who made this venture one of the biggest internationally coordinated research programmes ever undertaken.’

Deliang Chen, Executive Director of ICSU, added: ‘IPY has paved the way for a solid understanding of the polar regions at a critical time for society’s relationship with the Earth. The collaboration among many nations and among many scientific disciplines has been critical to the success of IPY, and it is crucial that the energy and partnerships that converged in IPY are sustained in the long-term.’

The IPY success story has been captured in a summary report Understanding Earth’s Polar Challenges: International Polar Year 2007–2008 from the ICSU-WMO Joint Committee, which oversaw the implementation of the IPY. Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez, the co-chair of the Joint Committee who will deliver the report at the ceremony, described it as: ‘telling the story from the unique perspective of the Joint Committee, with the help of more than 100 contributors; from the earliest planning almost a decade ago to the current challenge of ensuring a robust IPY legacy. It involves tens of thousands of participants, and highlights the global influence of the polar regions’.

The ceremony will be opened by Gerlis Fugmann, President of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS)—a group that originated and flourished during IPY and will carry the momentum of polar research, education and outreach in the years to come. This will be followed by the presentation of the Joint Committee summary report and an outline of the future path for the international polar science community by representatives from SCAR, IASC and APECS. The ceremony will conclude with the formal closing of the IPY programme by ICSU and WMO.

Event details

What: Celebration and formal closing ceremony of the International Polar Year 2007–2008
When: Saturday 12 June, 8.30–9.20 am
Where: Oslo Science Conference, Hall B3-B4, Norway Convention Centre, Lillestrom, Norway