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Minutes of 40th IUPAC Council Meeting
13-14 August 1999, Berlin, Germany


7. Report of Secretary General
The Secretary General described the organization of the Secretariat since the move to North Carolina. The Secretariat has been spending less money on administrative work. This savings has enabled the Secretariat to provide professional staff assistance to Commissions. The Secretary General noted that he expected this aspect of the Secretariat's work to increase in the future.

The Secretary General then commented on the hundreds of hours of discussions he had had with people in IUPAC over the past biennium. These discussions had taken place by e-mail, by phone, and in person and had contributed greatly to the development of the proposals presented to the Bureau and being considered today by the Council. He wished to thank all those who had taken the time to provide thoughtful and helpful comments.

8. Biennial Report of Treasurer/Report of Finance Committee and Accounts for 1997-8/Appointment of Auditors for 1999-2000
The Treasurer described the reasons that had led to the need to change the Union's Auditors from Neutra Treuhand to Batchelor, Tillery and Roberts. The Council unanimously approved the latter firm as the Union's auditors for 1997,1998, 1999, and 2000.

The Treasurer reviewed the net expenses for the biennia 1996-7 and 1998-9. He noted that operating income was in excess of expenses in 1996-7 and was expected to be in excess in 1998-9, based on current estimates. He then reviewed the aims and current status of the endowment fund and the Southern Hemisphere fund.

The Treasurer commented that he was taking the opportunity of this, his last report to Council, to review the net expenses and level of reserves for each of the biennia since 1990-1. The figures indicate that the Union has recovered from the financial difficulties it faced at the Hamburg General Assembly. Projections at that time indicated that the Union would exhaust its reserves in four years. The measures taken at that time, regular increases in the National Subscription, and a significant decrease in the Divisional allocation have led to the current healthy condition of the Union's finances. The Treasurer noted that, owing to the improved financial situation, the Divisional allocation had been increased, in real terms, to above what it was before the decreases made at Hamburg. The Treasurer expressed his appreciation to all those who had helped to bring the Union's finances back in good order.

The USA delegation moved that the Council adopt the following resolution:

The IUPAC Council expresses to John Ward, IUPAC Treasurer since 1992, its sincere and profound thanks for his invaluable contributions to the excellent financial condition of the Union and for his good-natured willingness and ability to explain complex information in a concise and understandable way. The Union's debt to John Ward is substantial.

The motion was seconded and adopted by acclamation.

The Council accepted the Treasurer's report with thanks.


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