The Deputy Director General, Marcio Barbosa welcomed Permanent Delegates. The Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Walter Erdelen (ADG/SC) underlined the Italian Government’s generous support for these institution: Abdus Salam, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP); Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) and the UNESCO Office Venice, and the importance of UNESCO facilities located outside the Organization’s Headquarters. He then overviewed the three institutions emphasizing their roles in promoting scientific research and learning opportunities in the developing world as well as in Europe. (Cick below for full speech).

ADG/SC’s introduction was followed by interventions b: Ambassador Guiseppe Moscato, Permanent Representative of Italy, ITCP’s Director Katepalli Sreenivasan, TWAS Executive Director Mohamed Hassan and the Director of the Regional Office for Science and Culture in Venice, Engelbert Ruoss.

ICTP, Trieste, was founded in 1964. It operates under a tripartite agreement between the Government of Italy, UNESCO and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Abdus Salem, its instigator was also ICTP’s first Director who, through personal experience understood the isolation faced by physicists from developing countries. In 1979 he received the Nobel Prize in Physics. ICTP is a recognized a leader of global effort to advance scientific expertise in the developing world and houses high-level research facilities in theoretical and applied physics, pure and applied mathematics and in recent years put emphasis on scientific understanding of global environmental changes and sustainable development. ICTP held training courses for future users of the International Centre for Synchrotron Light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME).

TWAS, Trieste,  was founded in 1983, also  under the leadership on Professor Abdus Salam and 40 other eminent scientists from the developing world. Administered by IAEA in the beginning, its administration was transferred to UNESCO in 1991. TWAS supports scientific research in developing countries and responds to needs of their young scientists and research teams, promotes south-south and north-south research and education. About 80 percent of TWAS Fellows represent more than 70 countries from the South. The Academy also manages Trieste-hosted  Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS), InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP) and InterAcademy Medical Panel (IAMP). In  2006 TWAS became a major International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP) partner and TWAS Executive Director became a member of the IBSP Scientific Board.

UNESCO Office, Venice was set up as the Regional Office for Science and Technology for Europe (ROSTE) in 1971, UNESCO, Paris. Following a generous offer made by the Italian Government to host and support ROSTE, it moved to Venice in 1988 and now  known as UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe (BRESCE) since March 2006. Its Scientific Council advises and identifies scientific fields and projects to which the Office may contribute while its Steering Committee formulates recommendations to carry out its activities. Through its programmes, BRESCE seeks to build up human and institutional capacities in the basic and engineering sciences, foster collaborative research on the environment, especially the ecological and water sciences, contribute to the protection of cultural heritage, and promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.

Questions followed above interventions. The agreed transfer, following signature by the Director-General of UNESCO and the Government of Italy, of the World Water Assessment Programme to Perugia, Italy was mentioned.

For further information please contact: Maciej Nalecz, Director, Division of Basic and Engineering Sciences, UNESCO m.nalecz@unesco.org