The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) is a global network consisting of over 140 national and regional member academies of science, engineering, and medicine. It was founded in 1993 as the InterAcademy Panel (IAP). In 2000, the IAP founded the InterAcademy Council (IAC) and the InterAcademy Medical Panel (IAMP). The partnership was established in 2016 when it merged the three inter-related networks into IAP for Health (formerly IAMP), IAP for Science (formerly IAP), and IAP for Policy (formerly IAC).
The mission of IAP is for the world's merit-based academies to play a vital role in ensuring that science serves society inclusively and equitably and underpins global sustainable development by advising the public on the scientific aspects of critical global issues. It has released official statements on socially important topics, including the 2015 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, food and nutrition security, science education, biosecurity, water, science communication, women in science, human population growth, global warming, human reproductive cloning, and evolution. IAP has also advanced science diplomacy by bringing regional networks together to address global problems.
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Governance
The highest decisive body of IAP is the General Assembly, which meets every third year, and where each member organization has one vote on organizational decisions. At these meetings, member academies elect new leadership, approve new members, report on organizational activities over the last triennial period, and approve a strategic plan for the next three years.
In between the meetings, the work is directed by three executive committees, one for each pillar of the Partnership (or in the case of IAP Policy, a board), supported by a secretariat from a host academy. Each executive committee/board convenes annually, with two co-chairs presiding. One of the co-chairs shall be nominated by an academy in a low or middle income country (LMIC); the other shall be nominated by a high income country (HIC). Similar rules of diversity in economic development hold for the executive committee member academies in order to represent a global view. The number of member academies composing the executive committee varies: 17 member academies in IAP Policy Advice Committee, 14 member academies in IAP Capacity Building Committee, and 15 member academies in IAP Communication, Education and Outreach Committee.
A Board composed of the six executive committee/board co-chairs guides the InterAcademy Partnership. From these six Board members, two are selected to act as co-Presidents. The current co-Presidents are Margareth (Peggy) A. Hamburg (USA) and Masresha Fetene (Ethiopia). The Board includes representatives from each of four regional networks of academies: in Africa, the Americas, the Asia/Pacific region, and Europe.
Current and former co-chairs
Cherry A. Murray, US. IAP-Science, 2019–present
Masresha Fetene, Ethiopia. IAP-Policy, 2019–present
Margaret Hamburg, US. IAP-Health, 2016–present
Krishan Lal, India. IAP-Science, 2016–present
Liu Depei, China. IAP-Health, 2016–present
Richard Catlow, UK. IAP-Policy, 2016–present
Volker ter Meulen, Germany. IAP-Science, 2013–2019
Detlev Ganten, Germany. IAP-Health, 2013–2019
Daya Reddy, South Africa. IAP-Policy, 2012–2019
Mohammed H.A. Hassan, Sudan. IAP-Science, 2010–2016
Lai Meng Loi, Malaysia. IAP-Health, 2010–2016
Jo Ivey Boufford, US. IAP-Health, 2010–2013
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Netherlands. IAP-Policy, 2008–2016
Lu Yongxiang, China. IAP-Policy, 2008–2012
Howard Alper, Canada. IAP-Science, 2007–2013
Anthony Mbewu, South Africa. IAP-Health, 2007–2010
Chen Zhu, China. IAP-Science, 2003–2010
Guy de Thé, France. IAP-Health, 2000–2010
IAP reports
IAP publishes reports and recommendations that utilize the expertise of member academies to address issues of interest to the global scientific and policy communities. IAP reports are not endorsed by academy members, but instead must have the consensus of an expert committee and undergo a rigorous peer review process. Examples of IAP reports include:
Health in the climate emergency: A global perspective, 2022
Harnessing science, engineering, and medicine (SEM) to address Africa's challenges: The role of African national academies, 2019
Improving scientific input to global policymaking with a focus on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, 2019
Opportunities for future research and innovation on food and nutrition security and agriculture: The InterAcademy Partnership's global perspective, 2018
Enhancing the capacity of African science academies, 2015
Responsible conduct in the global research enterprise, 2012
Lighting the way: Toward a sustainable energy future, 2007
Realizing the promise and potential of African agriculture, 2004
IAP statements
IAP also promotes its goals through "statements on issues of fundamental importance to humanity." Statements present the combined consensus of the world's academies to provide independent, evidence-based advice and recommendations to policymakers in governments, international organizations, or academies themselves. Often an IAP statement can be used to globalise an issue on which a national academy or regional network of academies has already done a significant amount of work.
An IAP statement is developed following a specific procedure and released only when the majority of IAP member academies have endorsed its contents. [1], p. 4. Thus, the statements are intended to represent the consensus of the scientific community rather than statements of IAP as an organisation in itself.
As of 2021, IAP has issued twenty-five statements, as listed below.
IAP Statement on Implications of Urbanization in Low- and- Middle- Income Countries. Signed by 72 IAP member academies, this IAP Statement highlights policy measures aimed at improving urban living .
Climate Change and Biodiversity: Interlinkages and policy options. Signed by 81 IAP member academies, this IAP Statement highlights that climate and biodiversity policies are currently insufficiently connected and addressing climate change and biodiversity decline together is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
IAP Statement on Regenerative Medicine. Signed by 74 IAP member academies. This IAP Statement highlights medical opportunities in addressing the causes of disease and warns against the misuse of regenerative medicine technologies – also when it comes to the proposed use of stem cells to tackle COVID-19.
IAP Statement on Protection of Marine Environments, 2021. Signed by 75 IAP member academies. This statement urges world leaders to improve ocean health by stopping habitat destruction and the spread of environmental contaminants, fighting climate change and overexploitation, and adopting evidence-based policies.
Role in reviewing the IPCC process
In 2010, the council board recommended changes in the IPCC, such as having an executive committee with "individuals from outside the IPCC or even outside the climate science community."
Major changes from then within the IPCC approach include a stronger focus on the treatment of uncertainty (since the IAC 2010 IPCC review) and the involvement of risk management deliberations (based on fundamental conclusions in the AR4 Synthesis Report).