1.3. XIXth General Assembly of the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS)

ment of neutral winds at stratospheric and mesospheric altitudes and in the observation of the morphology and dynamics of E and F region irregularities, the ISEA recommends the continued support of that observatory by those world-wide research institutes concerned with upper atmospheric and space physics. 5. The ISEA recomr?rends the establishment of a large scientific VHF radar at Thumba, India, to complement the studies carried out at Jicamarca, Peru, where the electrojet current is considerably different. 6. The ISEA ~eco~~e~~ that encouragement be given to scientists at low latitude locations to study the UHF and GHz ionospheric scintillations within the equatorial regions to resolve thegreat inequalities in occurrence at different longitudes. 7. The ISEA wishes to encourage future observational programmes in equatorial aeronomy, particularly those that would provide simultaneous measurements over a wide range of longitudes. For example, the ISEA recommends that ionosonde stations be established near Davao, Philippines; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and some unspecified location in Papua, New Guinea. 8. Considering the scarcity and extreme importance of continuous equatorial geomagnetic field measurements, the ISEA recommends that the responsible leaders of all nations having scientific programmes at low latitudes be encouraged to continue support of high quality geomagnetic determinations at fiied observatory locations. Grateful acknowledgement is given to Dr W.H. Campbell for his assistance in preparing the final form of the above recommendations, and to MS Jane Aschenbrenner for her excellent assistance in organizing the Symposium, fund-raising and distribution of the funds, and providing the present report. 1.3, XlXth GENERAL ASSEMBLY SCIENCES WJBS)

OFTHE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF BIOLOGICAL

Bangalore, India, 27 September-2 and

October 1976,

Meeting of the IUBS Executive Commfttee

Bangalore, India, 4 October I976 This article reports the Resolutions adopted by theXIXth IUBS General Assembly, actions on the above Resolutions as decided by the IUBS Executive Committee and information on the IUBS representation on COSPAR. Resolutions Adopted by TheXIX

Bangalore, 27 September-2

General Assembly

October 1976

Resolution1: ths freedom of travel, snqulry and communkation

noting that at its XVIII General Assembly IUBS reaffnmed its adherence to the principle of the free circulation of scientists, the XIX General Assembly congratulates

11

the Government of India on its enlightenment in placing no obstacles in the way of those of all nations and territories wishing to be present at Bangalore, however this XIX General Assembly is also concerned about the freedom of enquiry and communication so, be it resolved that IUBS holds that the search for knowledge and understanding of the living world should be conducted with total intellectu~ freedom and that the knowledge and understanding so gained should be communicated to all without any kind of restraint, because only in these conditions will the peoples of the world fully benefit intellectu~ly, morally and materially from the work of biologists. Action decided by the IUBS Executive Committee: This resolution will be commutated to all National Committees. Resolution2:agriculturalscience

recogff~zi~gthat to a large extent the material wellbeing and happiness of the peoples of the world rest upon the effectiveness of agricultural production and realizing that, in the research required to stimulate improved agricultural production, biologists must play an important role, be it resolved that IUBS requests biologists who work in cognate fields to consider whether their individual researches can be oriented to be relevant to agriculture and the IUBS also requests them to ensure that their discoveries are employed, wherever possible, for the improvement of agriculture and, further, IUBS imiffs the Internation~ Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) to consider the means by which those involved in the basic sciences can be effectively linked to those concerned with practical developments in agriculture, and, in addition, IUBS offersassistance in the es~blishment of such links and wiZfconsider the orga~~tion~ means by which within its own operation emphasis may be given to agriculture. Action decidedby the IUBS Executive Committ~: The Committee agreed not to organize for the time being a special Working Group on Agriculture, because problems related to agricultural science are the primary r~ponsibility of FAO and because this matter was on the agenda of the fo~hcoming General Assembly of ICSU. In the event that ICSU should form a Working Group on Agricultureandask IUBS to participate, theunion would nominate one representative and one alternate. The names of Drs Pirie, Fasella and Guern were suggested in that order. Resolution3: theoretkaf biology

appreciiaringthat theoretical approaches as distinct from observation or experiment may contribute to the study of complex interacting biosystems and that such studies may be encompassed by the title “Theoretical Biology”, IUBS acknowledge-sthat it should consider the means by which Theoretical Biology can be stimulated and given due recognition. 12

Action decided by the IUBS Executive Committee: This resolution resulted from a proposal made to the Assembly by the delegation from Poland. The Committee noted that this matter is in the field of competence of the IUBS Multidisciplin~ Commission on Systematic and Evolutio~~ Biology which will be notified of this Resolution. Prof. Markov was requested to follow this question as an observer and to report back on it to the next Executive Committee meeting. No financing from IUBS will be involved. Resolution4: financial support for taxonomy

reca&tg that at the XVIII General Assembly of IUBS Resolution 9 referred to the strengthening of taxonomy, it is still apparent that inadequate resources are made available to this discipline which provides the basis for all biological research both fundamental and practical, ~&r&g that the systematics and taxonomy of the biota of many regions, particularly in the less economically developed parts of the world, are poorly u~derst~ and that trained t~onomis~ are too few and that the material prosperity of such regions may depend upon biologicai knowledge, be it resolved that IUBS should as a matter of urgency tell agencies responsible for the provision of technical assistance, particularly those of the United Nations Organisation, the International Development Banks and Governments and Foundations providing multilateral or bilateral aid, of the desperate need for resources to enable taxonomic knowledge and competence to be increased in the developing world, be it resolved further that the attention of the above-mentioned agencies, Governments and Foundations should also be told that the information base for all taxonomy is concentrated in a few countries in which there was an early interest in the relevant science; however, the provision of the necessary indexes and works of taxonomic reference, which is an international service, may place a disproportionate burden on some countries, consequently IUBS should urge that international financial assistance should be provided to allow knowledge of the taxonomic information base to be widely disseminated. Action decided by the IUBS Executive Committee: This resolution will be communicated to all National Members and to interested governmental and non-governments organizations, such as the UN, UNESCO, FAO, UNEP, WHO, Council of Europe, ICSU, SCOPE, etc. Resolution6: tnternstionalCommission on toobgicai Nomenclature UCZNI

recognizing that an internationally agreed and uniform system of nomenclature is essential for scientific work on animals and noting that such a system has been provided for many years by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and further, appreciating that the financial resources available to the Commission are now inadequate to allow its work to continue with full effectiveness,

13

beitre.ro/ve&hat IUBS urges all member nations to subscribe on a voluntary basis to the Internation~ Co~ssion on Zoological Nomenclature, either directly or through an increased subscription to IUBS, a sum calculated on the same formula as that used for the present subscription to IUBS, but with a payment of $16 US per unit. The IUBS Executive Committee decided that no action is required presently. Resolution 6: microbial genetics being aware that many microbial geneticists are represented by the International Commission on Microbial Genetics (International Association of Microbiological Societies, IAMS) and also that many microbial geneticists are members of societies affiliated to the IUBS Section on Genetics (International Genetics Federation, IGF), be it resolved that IUBS is &led upon to consider how the units of genetical sciences can be recognized within its organization. Action decidedby the IUBS Executive Committee: This resolution will be transmitted for consideration and advice to IA&IS, to the IUBS Section of Genetics and also to the XIV International Congress of Genetics planned for August 1978in Moscow. Resolution 7: recombinant DNA being uwure of the rapid advances recently made in techniques available for the production of recombinant nucleic acids and of the considerable scientific and practical benefits that may derive from their use, but recognizing that hazards may results from the creation of certain organisms with novel nucleic acid structures, be it resolved that IUBS consent ICSU for considering the formation of a Scientific Committee on Recombination DNA (SCORD) and supports the proposal; moreover if SCORD is formed, IUBS requests that IUBS and especially some of its components, particularly IAMS (Commission on Microbial Genetics) and IGF (IUBS Section on Genetics), should be represented on SCORD; further IUBS would support SCORD in attempts to establish guidelines for containment, by the application of which the possible hazards can be minimized, and IUBS would support the distribution of such guidelines to all nations or scientists who may be considering relevant work, and further JUBS requests that SCORD should consider the establishment of a directory of strains of micro-orgasms with r~ombin~t DNA which would be main~n~ by the World Federation for Culture Colle~tio~ (WFCC). Action decided by the IUBS Executive Committee: The Committee decided the same action as for Resolution 6. Resolution 8: micro-organisms parasitic on Invsrtsbratea

being awme that the World Federation for Culture Collections (WFCC) and the IUBS Commission on Invertebrate Pathology (Society for Invertebrate Pathology,

14

SIP) are concerned with those micro-organisms which infect invertebrates and recognizing the importance of such studies, be it resolved that IUBS would support WFCC in the maintenance of culture collections of micro-org~isms which infect invertebrates and the listing of such micro-organisms in the World Directory of the WFCC. Action &c@edby the IUBS Executive Committee: This resolution will be ~ansmitt~ to the IUBS Section of Biological Control. Resolution9: environmentalbiology

~ecog~izi~gthe great concern that now exists for the environment and the irn~rt~t part that is played by environmental biology and ecology, IUBS accepts that the International Association for Ecology (INTECOL), the International Association of Biological Oceanography (IABO), the Societas Internationalis Limnologiae (SIL), and the International Association of Microbiological Societies (IAMS) are the principal channels for information and exchange on environmental biology and recogn&es the need to develop collaboration between, on the one hand, IUBS, INTECOL, IABO, SIL, IAMS, and on the other the Scientific Committ~ on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) and the UNESCO project Man and the Biosphere {MAB) of which environmental biology is an important part and, further, IUBS wishes to encourageinter-di~sion~ collaboration in population biology, for example in the relationship between genetics and ecology and between parasitology and ecology as well as in work in the broad fields of agro-ecosystems. Action decided by the IUBS Executive Committee: This resolution will be tr~mitted to the inter~t~ org~tions and IUBS Scientific Member bodies. Follow-up reports on the implementation of the above resolutions will be submitted to the next meetings of the Executive Committee. ResolutionIO:thanksto the ret&ring Prssldantand SecretnryGeneral

The International Union of Biological Sciences in its XIX General Assembly =solvcrsthat the most sincere thanks of the Union should be extended to Dr. K. Faegri for his work as President over the past years and to Dr. C.A. Wright for his service in the office of Secretary General. Both have contributed their intellectual and physical energies to the Union with enthusiasm and dedication and the Union has benefited greatly in consequence. Resolution91:thanksto organiron of the XIX GrrnaralAssembly

The International Union of Biological Sciences in its XIX General Assembly expresses its warm thanks to those who planned and arranged the excellent meeting in the beautiful garden city of Bangalore p~ti~larly to: 15

Dr. B.P. Pal and the Indian National Science Academy, Dr. H.R. Arakeri and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Professor Satish Dhawan and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Dr. H.R. Cama and Dr. R. Narayana of the Local Org~i~ng Committee, Dr. P.H. Bonnel and Miss Julie Lang of the IUBS Executive Secretariat, also to the many individual members of the staff and of the student body at the University of Agricultural Sciences and at the Indian Institute of Science who contributed to the smooth running of the meeting. Internation Union of BiologicalSciences

Executive committee (1976-1979) Ufficers President

Prof. N. Oker-Blom (Finland)

Past President

Prof. K. Faegri (Norway)

Vice-Presidents

Prof. E. De Robertis (Argentina) Prof. M.S. Ghilarov (USSR)

Secretary-General

Prof. E.S. Ayensu (USA/Ghana)

Treasurer

Prof. E.S. Ayensu (USA/Ghana)

Representatives of ~~v~~o~ a. b. b.

Prof. Dr. K. Esser (FRG) Prof. N. Grobbelaar (South Africa) Prof. 0, Hedberg (Sweden)

a. b. b.

Dr. P. Fasella (Italy) Dr. J. Faber Netherlands) Prof. J. Salanki (Hungary)

a. b. b.

Prof. A. Macfadyen (Northern Ireland) Dr. J.R. Vallentyne (Canada) Prof. M. Todorovic (Yugoslavia)

Microbiology

a. b. b.

Prof. J . Senez (France) Prof. K. Markov (Bulgaria) Prof. D. Ushiba (Japan)

Zoology

a. b. b.

Dr. V. Landa (Czechoslovakia) Prof. M.R.N. Prasad(India) Prof. W.D.L. Ride(Austr~ia)

Botany

Cell and Development

Environmental

Biology

Sciences

At its Meeting in Bangalore the IUBS Executive Committee also confirmed the appointment of Acad. A.A. Imshenetsky, Institute of Microbiology, USSR Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 7, Moscow 117312, USSR, as the IUBS regular representative in COSPAR. 16