THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE PERIODIC TABLE 2019, IYPT2019
Executive Summary I. BACKGROUND AND PLANNING 1. Following a request of the Russian Academy of Sciences, IUPAC took the initiative and necessary actions to request for the proclamation of 2019 as the United Nations International Year of the Periodic Table to be included in the United Nations agenda for December 2017. Subsequently, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed IYPT2019 during its 74th Plenary Meeting, at the 72nd Session on December 20th, 2017, following the resolution of UNESCO General Conference, adopted at its 39th Session, on November 2nd, 2017. In proclaiming an International Year focusing on the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements and its applications, the United Nations has recognized the importance of raising global awareness of how chemistry and related natural sciences promote sustainable development and provides solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health. Indeed, the resolution was adopted as part of a more general UN Agenda item on Science and Technology for Development. This International Year has brought together many different stakeholders including UNESCO, scientific societies and unions, educational and research institutions, technology platforms, non-profit organizations and private sector partners to promote and celebrate during 2019 the significance of the Periodic Table of Elements and its applications to society. 2. The development of the Periodic Table of the Elements is one of the most significant achievements in science and a unifying scientific concept, with broad implications in Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and other natural sciences. The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements in 2019 coincided with the 150th anniversary of the discovery of the Periodic System by Dmitry Mendeleev in 1869. The Periodic Table is a unique tool enabling scientists to predict the appearance and properties of matter on Earth and in the Universe. Many chemical elements are crucial to enhance the value and performance of products necessary for humankind, our planet, and industrial endeavors. The four most recently generated elements were all added into the Periodic Table, with the approval of their names and symbols, on November 28, 2016.
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The International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements also coincided with the Centenary of IUPAC (IUPAC100), and with the Centenary of the International Astronomical Union (IAU100). 3. Chemical Elements play a vital role in our daily lives and are crucial for humankind, our planet, and for industry. The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements has provided an excellent opportunity to show how the Elements are central to linking cultural, economic and political aspects of the global society through a common language, whilst also celebrating the genesis and development of the Periodic Table over the last 150 years. It is critical that the brightest young minds continue to be attracted to chemistry and physics in order to ensure the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators in this field. Some areas where the Periodic Table and its understanding have recently had a revolutionary impact are in nuclear medicine, the study of chemical elements and compounds in space and the prediction of novel materials. No doubt, IYPT2019 has provided an unparalleled opportunity to demonstrate the importance of the Periodic Table, in Science, Education and for the worldwide community. Also, its applications and contributions to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development obtained major attention. A central aim of IYPT2019 has been to raise global awareness of the importance of the Periodic Table and the importance of research in the basic sciences and engineering. 4. The IYPT2019 was endorsed by a number of international Scientific Unions and the International Council for Science (ICS), coordinated by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The Year was also supported by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the European Chemical Society (EuChemS), the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST). The IYPT2019 application and start-up in 2016 and 2017 was administered by the International Steering Committee in collaboration with the UNESCO International Basic Sciences Program (IBSP). An Inter-Union Management Committee and an International Secretariat started to operate in early 2018.
