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In response to new scientific findings and the increased visibility of the issue, the Global Science Forum of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will hold a workshop to review the state of knowledge about the dangers posed by NEOs, to examine the level of effort currently devoted to dealing with the hazards, and to consider the need for new policies and possible actions.
The workshop will be hosted by the European Space Research Institute (ESRIN) in Frascati, Italy, on January 20 - 22, 2003. Unlike many previous scientific gatherings on this subject, this workshop will bring together researchers and government policy makers from OECD countries, including those who are responsible for the safety of the public. The workshop was proposed by the delegation of the United Kingdom to the Global Science Forum as part of its follow-on to the report of the Task Force on Potentially Hazardous Near Earth Objects (chaired by Dr. Harry Atkinson with Sir Crispin Tickell and Professor David Williams as members). The report was delivered to the UK government in September 2000 (see Report)
Dr. Paul Murdin is the chairman of the international steering committee that is in charge of organising the event with the assistance of the secretariat of the OECD. Members of the steering committee were appointed by eleven Global Science Forum delegations.
Workshop participants will focus on the following specific areas:
� An assessment of the threat posed by NEOs relative to other known natural and man-made hazards.
� An appraisal of current responses to the threat.
� A review of the policy-level dimensions of NEO-related issues, on national and international levels.
� A review of the state of scientific knowledge, including its accuracy and completeness.
� An enumeration of possible actions and follow-on studies by the scientific and policy communities.
Opinions about the NEO question range from a belief that the threat is vastly under-appreciated, to a suspicion that it has been exaggerated by some scientists and the media. The OECD workshop is being designed to approach the subject without preconceptions about the level of the threat or the needed actions. A sober, science-based, international analysis under the aegis of the Global Science Forum, and with full appreciation of the policy contexts, should bring clarity, rigour, and political realism to this complex and still largely unfamiliar issue. Attendees to the NEO workshop
will be invited by governmental delegations to the Global Science Forum, and by the international steering committee.
The OECD Global Science Forum (formerly the Megascience Forum) is a venue for meetings of senior science policy officials of OECD countries. Its goal is to identify and maximise opportunities for international co-operation in basic scientific research. The Global Science Forum holds two general meetings each year and authorises specialised subsidiary activities as needed. The Forum produces findings and recommendations for action at senior administrative or operational levels. Recommendations to Science and Technology Ministers may also be made. The Forum establishes special-purpose
working groups and workshops to perform technical analyses, and to develop findings and recommendations for actions by governments. These activities bring together government officials, scientific experts, and representatives of international organisations.
More info: OECD
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