Participation in international organizxational

An important function of IUPsyS is participation in major international scientific organizations, especially the International Council for Science (ICSU), which is the major international scientific organization, the International Social Science Council (ISSC), of which IUPsyS is a founding member, and UNESCO. IUPsyS has informational and consultative relations with UNESCO at the "category A" level; this acknowledges the effective contributions of the Union to the implementation of UNESCO's program. The Union cooperates with UNESCO on a variety of projects of mutual interest.

When ISSC was founded by UNESCO in 1952, IUPsyS, was one of the four charter members. Since then, ten other international scientific organizations have joined ISSC. In 1992, ISSC changed its statutes to allow three kinds of members: (1) Member Associations: international non-governmental social science and behavioral associations or unions, (2) Member Organizations: national social science councils and the corresponding sections of Academies or analogous bodies, and regional social science organizations, and (3) Associate Members: international, regional, and national governmental and non-governmental professional organizations. Next to the International Union of Psychological Science, membership in ISSC is held by 13 other Member Associations, by 13 Member Organizations, and by 15 Associate Members. IUPsyS cooperates with ISSC and its member organizations in several research programs and International Issue Groups, in the International Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Program (IHDP) under joint aegis of ISSC and ICSU, in Working Groups, and in a number of UNESCO-sponsored projects, particularly involving developing countries. ISSC provides IUPsyS grants for certain projects.

ICSU is the apex of international scientific bodies. Its members are 23 international scientific unions and 75 national academies of science or similar organizations; there are also scientific and national associate members. ICSU formulates international scientific policy, aids developing countries in scientific projects and education, promotes free passage of scientists and free collaboration among scientists, and fosters large interdisciplinary efforts (such as the IntemationaJ Geophysical Year and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program). The election of IUPsyS to ICSU in 1982 aided psychologists further to play a significant role in bringing psychological expertise to bear on problems of international importance. IUPsyS is an active member of the ICSU Brain Research Program (which is chaired by the International Brain Research Organization) and participation in the ICSU Bioscienres initiative pertaining to animal experimentation. IUPsyS also participates actively in several ICSU programs and committees (CODATA: Committee on Data for Science and Technology; COSTED: Committee on Science and Technology in Developing Countries; SCOPE: Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment; IGBP: Scientific Advisory Committee for the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program. The IUPsyS is a member of the Biosciences Group of ICSU. ICSU provides IUPsyS with grants for some research projects.