International Arctic Science Committee

The International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) is a non-governmental, international scientific organization. IASC was founded in 1990 by representatives of national scientific organizations of the eight Arctic countries - Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia (at that time Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), Sweden and the United States of America. The Founding Articles of IASC were signed in Resolute Bay, Canada.

Over the years, IASC has evolved into the leading international science organisation of the North and its membership today includes 24 countries involved in all aspects of Arctic research, including 15 non-Arctic countries (Austria, Belgium, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the UK).

The Founding Articles committed IASC to pursue a mission of encouraging and facilitating cooperation in all aspects of Arctic research, in all countries engaged in Arctic research and in all areas of the Arctic region. Overall, IASC promotes and supports leading-edge interdisciplinary research in order to foster a greater scientific understanding of the Arctic region and its role in the Earth system.

Rather than defining human and environmental boundaries, IASC tries to bridge those boundaries. IASC is also committed to recognizing that Traditional Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, and “Western” scientific knowledge are coequal and complementary knowledge systems, all of which can and should inform the work of IASC.

To achieve this mission IASC:

IASC is governed by a Council, composed of one representative of each of its member countries, which meets annually at the Arctic Science Summit Week. The Council sets priorities and guides the work of the organisation. An Executive Committee, consisting of an elected President, four elected Vice-Presidents and a permanent Executive Secretary operates as a Board of Directors and manages IASC activities between Council meetings. The Secretariat is currently hosted by Rannis (Iceland), and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organisation. The Secretariat was previously hosted by Germany, Norway and Sweden.

IASC is engaged in all fields of Arctic research and its main scientific working bodies are five Working Groups: Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Marine, Social & Human and Terrestrial. Each Working Group is composed of up to two scientists from each IASC member country, appointed by the national adhering bodies. Though the Working Groups are disciplinary, they also address cross-cutting science questions by initiating activities which involve at least two WGs.

Action Groups are short-term expert groups that provide strategic advice to the IASC Council concerning both long-term activities and urgent needs.