Annual Report 2024 – Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean

With the formation of the ISC in July 2018, the three former regional offices of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ISCU) in (1) Africa, (2) Asia and the Pacific and (3) Latin America and the Caribbean automatically became regional offices of the ISC, and the self-organized European group of ISCU Members expanded its membership to include all European Members of the ISC.

Following a unilateral decision of the government of El Salvador, the regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean closed in December 2019. Similarly, the hosting arrangements provided by the South African Department of Science and Innovation and the Academy of Sciences of South Africa for the regional office in Africa, and by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia for the regional office in the Asia-Pacific region were concluded in 2021.

During its first three years of operation (2019-2021), the ISC Governing Board worked toward the development of concrete plans aimed at operationalizing the ISC’s ambitious new vision and mission, including related actions for securing a strengthened regional presence, building on the valuable experiences and support networks of the former regional offices. The Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean region was the first new regional presence of the International Science Council (ISC) after its formation in 2018, wit an approved annual budget of 75,000 euros for a period of 3 years.

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