IASC 25 years | Page 24

planning process. At the same time, they searched Leningrad. The USA supported the non-Arctic coun- for better solutions to the issue by categorizing tries in wanting decisions to be taken in consensus IASC science into regional and world science, and with no special role for the scientific organizations connecting decision-making within IASC to this of the Arctic countries. The USA wanted to see IASC structure. Moreover, the non-Arctic countries were as a purely scientific organization with no govern- invited to send text suggestions for the founding mental control specified in the founding articles. articles.15 Although there was no official document, The creation outside IASC of an advisory commit- the discussions in Helsinki in May 1989 produced tee for regional questions would be sufficient. The draft founding articles, which allowed for scientific USA brought this to the table at a meeting with organizations in non-Arctic countries to participate representatives of Canada and the Soviet Union in in IASC on an equal basis. However, the USSR and Moscow on 28-29 June 1989. It again became clear Canada did not agree with this and considered the that the USSR and Canada were very much against founding articles drafted in Leningrad in December the participation of non-Arctic countries on an 1988 to be the official basis for the establishment equal basis. According to the Soviet representative, of IASC.16 the scientific organizat