Global observing initiatives are critically important to policy-relevant science at national, regional and international scales. Moreover, the need to integrate data from ocean, terrestrial and climate systems is increasingly evident. The ISC currently has two observing systems, all established by its predecessor organization, the International Council for Science (ICSU):
Monitoring and Observations
Our Monitoring/Observation Programmes facilitate data collection and foster the development of international standards and methodologies that support universal equitable access.