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Summary of the NIH International Representatives MeetingMarch 10, 2009
Ms. Judy Levin, Program Officer for the Middle East and North Africa, Division of International Relations (DIR), NIH Fogarty International Center (FIC), served as Acting Chair of the session and welcomed the NIH IC representatives to the NIH Stone House. Exploiting Scientific Prestige to the Benefit of Human Rights: Ms. Levin introduced Ms. Carol Corillon who gave a presentation on the work of the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies, i.e., the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM). This committee also serves as the Secretariat of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies; Ms. Corillon is Executive Director of that network. The Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies was created in 1976 in response to concerns by members of the NAS about widespread abuses of human rights, particularly those of their professional colleagues. In 1994, the NAE and the IOM joined the NAS as full sponsors of the committee. The Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies is composed of up to 15 members of the academies. It has the active support of more than 1,700 members of the NAS, NAE and IOM, who assist as "correspondents" in its human rights work by writing appeals on behalf of and letters of encouragement to unjustly-imprisoned colleagues. The work of the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies is grounded in principles set forth in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In the United States, the committee also addresses selected science-related civil rights cases and issues, work underpinned by the U.S. Constitution. The committee does not support or oppose any government or political system; it does hold governments responsible for conforming to international standards for the protection of human rights, and accountable when they do not. The Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies uses the influence and prestige of the institutions it represents on behalf of scientists, engineers and health professionals anywhere in the world who are unjustly detained or imprisoned for exercising their basic human rights as promulgated by the UDHR. Each case is carefully investigated, using a variety of sources, before being taken up by the committee. Such individuals cannot have been known to use or advocate violence. The committee also intervenes in behalf of non-violent colleagues who are the recipients of death threats, and it works to promote just prosecution in cases of individuals who have been killed for political reasons. Activities of the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies include private inquiries, appeals to governments, moral support to prisoners and their families and consciousness-raising efforts such as workshops and symposia. Periodically, the committee undertakes a mission of inquiry to a country. It issues public statements regarding a case or reports on the human rights situation in a country only when significant private efforts have proved unsuccessful, and after the NAS Council and the presidents of the NAE and IOM have approved such action. The committee is also a catalyst for science-related human rights issues of concern to the members of the academy complex. The Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies serves as the secretariat for the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies. The network was created in 1993 and works to address grave issues of science and human rights, particularly the unjust detention or imprisonment of colleagues throughout the world. It also promotes and protects the independence of academies and scholarly societies worldwide. The network seeks to promote the free exchange of ideas and opinions among scientists and scholars in all countries, thereby stimulating the development of collaborative educational, research and human-rights endeavors within the academies and institutions with which they are affiliated. Currently, science academies and scholarly societies in 70 countries are affiliated with the network; each is represented by internationally prominent members who are also human rights advocates. Ms. Corillon cited recent examples of individual human rights cases that the network was addressing in several countries around the world. Further information on the work of the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academies and that of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies may be found at www.national-academies.org/humanrights. Biomass Cook Stoves: Impact on Global Warming and Women and Children’s Health: Dr. Philip Hopke, Director, Center for Air Resources Engineering and Science at Clarkson University and State Department Jefferson Science Fellow, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, together with Dr. Steven Garrett, United Technologies Corporation Professor of Acoustics, Penn State University and State Department Jefferson Science Fellow, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, gave a presentation on modern technologies to mitigate cook-stove pollution. Their presentation was augmented by Mr.William Behn who serves as Senior Science Advisor at the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Approximately 2.6 billion people in developing countries use cook stoves for either household cooking or heating needs; 1.6 billion of the users have no access-top electricity. Traditional cook stoves have low efficiency and are fueled with coal or low-quality biomass such as rice husks, wood, charcoal and animal dung. This makes them the largest contributor of elemental carbon (soot) emissions. Moreover, the indoor air pollution they produce makes them the fourth largest cause of death after malnutrition, HIV/AIDS and lack of safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Drs. Hopke and Garrett explained that there are a range of technological solutions to mitigate current cook-stove practices that would go a long way in addressing greenhouse gases (black carbon) emitted by these cook stoves, which are hundreds of times worse than CO2 emissions. These new technologies can address deficiencies in previous cook-stove designs and can contribute to the need for electrical co-generation. The Department of State is seeking NIEHS involvement and participation in upcoming meetings addressing this issue. The first such meeting will be held April 3, 2009, at the State Department and the second meeting will be held November 16-20, 2009, in Bangkok, Thailand, and will involve broader international input/participation. U.S. State Department’s Embassy Science Fellows Program: Ms. Eileen Kane from the State Department’s Oceans, Environment and Science (OES) Bureau, last presented on this topic in September, 2008, and provided an update at this meeting. The Embassy Science Fellows Program offers U.S Embassies an opportunity to host a working scientist for a one to three month stay. Begun in 2001 as a State Department - National Science Foundation (NSF) partnership, the Embassy Science Fellows Program places USG scientists at posts to provide expertise, advice and assistance with science and technology-related issues. NIH, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Oceanic and Atmospherics Agency (NOAA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) have since become participating agencies, thus enlarging the available pool of scientific talent. Specific assignments are developed in consultation with the parent agency, the fellow, the post, OES and the State Department’s regional bureau. The fellow’s agency pays salary, non-lodging per diem and international travel costs, while posts must provide housing, office space, computer, email/internet access and local travel costs from their own resources. Ms. Kane noted that this year’s program presented health-related opportunities that may be of interest to NIH in Hungary, Guinea, Vietnam, Portugal and China. NIAID’s Steve Smith noted that NIAID had participated in the program and believed it to be worthwhile and useful. FIC’s Tina Chung serves as NIH liaison to the State Department for the program, and routinely passes on information received from State to the NIH ICs for their consideration. Further information on the program can be obtained from Ms. Kane at 202-663-2393 or kaneeh@state.gov. Next Meeting: May 12, 2009, at 1PM in the NIH Stone House. Attendance: Archives of Past IC Reps Meetings
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