Mandate and Membership of the IPCC

Recognizing the problem of potential global climate change, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. It is open to all members of the
UN and WMO.

The role of the IPCC is to assess on a comprehensive, objective, open and transparent basis the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC does not carry out research nor does it monitor climate related data or other relevant parameters. It bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific/technical literature. Its role, organisation, participation and general procedures are laid down in the "Principles Governing IPCC Work"

General information about the IPCC, its membership, procedures and ongoing activities is provided in the official languages of the UN in the following fact sheets: 

Introduction Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Spanish | Russian

Membership - Who is who in the IPCC Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Spanish | Russian

Procedures - How IPCC reports are prepared Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Spanish | Russian

Ongoing IPCC Activities Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Spanish | Russian

Organisational Structure

The IPCC has three Working Groups and a Task Force

Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change.
Working Group II assesses the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it.
Working Group III assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating climate change.
The Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories is responsible for the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme.

The Panel meets in plenary sessions about once a year. It accepts/approves/adopts IPCC reports, decides on the mandates and work plans of the Working Groups and the Task Force, the structure and outlines of its reports, the IPCC Principles and Procedures, and the budget. The Panel also elects the IPCC Chair, the IPCC Bureau and the Bureau of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. The IPCC Bureau meets two to three times per year and assists the IPCC Chair in planning, co-ordinating and monitoring progress in the work of the IPCC.

The IPCC is managed by the IPCC Secretariat, which is hosted by WMO in Geneva and supported by UNEP and WMO. In addition each Working Group and the Task Force has a Technical Support Unit. These Technical Support Units are supported by the government of the developed country co-chair of that Working Group or Task Force and hosted by a research institution in that country. A number of other institutions provide in kind support for IPCC activities.

Main Activities and Products

A main activity of the IPCC is to provide in regular intervals an assessment of the state of knowledge on climate change. The IPCC also prepares Special Reports and Technical Papers on topics where independent scientific information and advice is deemed necessary and it supports the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through its work on methodologies for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. A number of IPCC reports are published commercially. Summaries, CD ROMs and Technical Papers can be obtained free of charge. A limited number of full reports are avaible from the IPCC Secretariat for developing countries and countries with economies in transition.

The First IPCC Assessment Report was completed in 1990. The Report played an important role in establishing the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by the UN General Assembly. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992 and entered into force in 1994. It provides the overall policy framework for addressing the climate change issue.

The IPCC has continued to provide scientific, technical and socio-economic advice to the world community, and in particular to the Parties to the UNFCCC through its periodic assessment reports and special reports. Its Second Assessment Report, Climate Change 1995, provided key input to the negotiations, which led to the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC in 1997.

The Third Assessment Report (TAR), Climate Change 2001, was completed in 2001. It was submitted to the 7th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and Parties agreed that it should be used routinely as a useful reference for providing information for deliberations on agenda items of the Conference of the Parties.

The IPCC has decided to continue to prepare comprehensive assessment reports and agreed to complete its Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.