Highlights of the 16th IUCr General Assembly

Beijing, China
22-26 August 1993

Judith Howard and Chris Gilmore (UK) successfully plead the case for Glasgow in 1999 before the high court of the IUCr with (from left) Justices Harada, Nardelli, Authier, Hordvik, and Diamond on the bench.

The General Assembly of the International Union of Crystallography is concerned with the formal business of the Union. Its regular meetings are held in conjunction with the triennial Congresses. Delegates to the Assembly are nominated by the various adhering bodies.

The 16th General Assembly met in three sessions, chaired by IUCr President A. Authier, with 78 delegates representing 33 countries being present. The first session began by considering applications for membership in the IUCr from a number of new adhering bodies, mainly reflecting the political changes that have taken place in Europe since 1990. Applications were accepted from Croatia, a regional committee of Czech and Slovak crystallographers, a reunited Germany, Russia, Slovenia, and Venezuela. The report of the Executive Committee of the Union was accepted, as was the Financial Report. IUCr remains in generally good financial health, but a decrease in investment income over the last three years prompted the Executive Committee to recommend, and the Assembly to accept, a dues increase to take effect for the next triennium. The reports of the various Commissions of the Union were presented and accepted, as were those of the representatives on Regional and Scientific Associates of IUCr and of IUCr representatives on other scientific bodies, principally ICSU and its various committees. The ad interim Commission on Aperiodic Crystals was confirmed as a regular Commission and, amid general excitement, the Commission on Neutron Diffraction was permitted to change its name to the Commission on Neutron Scattering.

At the second session, the Assembly confirmed Seattle as the location for the 17th Congress, and listened and watched video tapes as F. Herbstein proposed Jerusalem, and C. Gilmore and J. Howard countered with the attractions of Glasgow, as the site for the 1999 Congress. No doubt swayed by Chris' kilt (as were the Chinese ladies later at the downtown disco!) the Assembly voted at its third session in favor of Glasgow. At that same session, delegates voted to approve the slate of Commission members and Chairs offered by the Executive Committee, and confirmed the choice of Philip Coppens as President of the Union for the 1994-96 triennium, of Yu. Struchkov as Vice-President, and reconfirmed A. Hordvik as General Secretary and Treasurer. This year, for the first time, the Executive Committee nominated six candidates for the three vacancies for Ordinary Member. M. Hart (U.K.) and H. Schenk (Netherlands) were elected in the first round of ballotting, but two more rounds resulted in a dead heat between T. Baker (New Zealand) and I. Olovsson (Sweden). President Authier, citing geographical considerations, cast his deciding vote for the Southern Hemisphere.

Robert and Deborah Bryan go native - sort of!

The Executive Committee also announced the appointment of separate editors for Sections A (A. Authier), B (F.H. Allen), and C (S. Hall) of Acta Crystallographica, with J. Glusker continuing as editor of Section D, and C. Bugg remaining as Editor-in Chief. Finally, M. Dacombe, of the Chester office, who has acted as Executive Secretary of the Union since Jim King's death, will now assume that post full-time.