12 August, 1999
A Policy Statement by the Bureau
The Bureau is aware of the concerns expressed by a
number of members of IUPAC bodies regarding continuity in scientific
activities with implementation of the two actions requested of Council
in Agenda Items 16 and 17.
The Bureau wishes to emphasize that it is not the
intention of the changes that it has proposed to discontinue nor
even to interrupt those activities, such as the collection and critical
assessment of useful data, the work on atomic weights and isotopic
abundances and on chemical nomenclature, on which the international
reputation of the Union has been established. The proposed changes
will provide more flexible and effective structures within which
these activities will continue. The two year interval until 2001
is intended to give adequate time for all our activities to be reviewed
and for the putting in place of the most appropriate structures,
including some new commissions, to carry forward the work of the
Union.