International Co-operation in Forensic Science An edited version of an address read to the Seventh International Meeting of Forensic Sciences in Zurich on Monday September 8th, 1975, at the opening of the Scientific Programme. There is a story about the child who went to church and heard a very long sermon on the subject of "Sin" and was afterwards questioned about it by his parents. He remembered the title well enough, but when asked for more detail about the sermon could remember nothing other than that the preacher "was against it". Just as it is a fair assumption that all preachers are against sin, so it seems to me that when speaking to the participants of a n international meeting on Forensic Science, it is safe to assume that all those present are in favour of International Co-operation in Forensic Science, and it would be pointless to present arguments in favour of it. If all are in favour, why have we so far no formal organization established? While I do not intend to detract in any way from the large amount of work that has been put into organizing the seven meetings in this series, or to question their success and value, do they really meet the full needs of International Co-operation? I n his address of welcome, the President ofthe I.A.F.S., Professor H. Hartmann said that one of the aims of the Association was to prevent the domination of Forensic Science by any one group of its practicioners. This is, I believe, a most important principle and is one which has always been adopted by the Forensic Science Society as will be apparent later. Our Society was founded in England in 1959 not because it was ever visualised as a n exclusively British Society, but it had to start somewhere. Since then it has successfully overcome many of the problems which will be encountered in any attempt to form a permanent international body in Forensic Science, and I want therefore briefly to describe its activities and hope that those of you who are already familiar with its history will forgive me for taking your time. The Forensic Science Society regards Forensic Science as based on team efforts, and has consequently enrolled Lawyers, Doctors, Scientists and specialist Police Officers on a n equal basis, and its Past Presidents have come from each of these callings. I t has not sought to be a qualifying professional body, neither has it been associated especially with the prosecution side in criminal proceedings and indeed amongst its members are many eminent independent experts who carry out investigations on behalf of defendants, and who in some cases confine their activities almost exclusively to civil cases. I t might thus be better described as a Learned Society, than a Professional Organization. Since 1959 the Society has grown to a membership of almost 1500, of whom 400 reside outside the United Kingdom, and one member of its elected Council, the governing body, currently lives in Canada. I t organizes two multidisciplinary symposia each year, as well as a number of regional meetings. Two years ago it held its first meeting outside the United Kingdom (in France), and it is hoped that this venture will be frequently repeated in the future. The main link with our non-United Kingdom members is a t present through the quarterly issues of the Society's Journal and through three associated societies, one in the United States and two in Australia. As a non profit-making body, the Society has used some of its funds to publish two editions of the World List of Forensic Science Laboratories, as a contribution towards facilitating international communications a t the most basic level, and has been greatly assisted in preparing these publications by its world-wide membership and contacts. Whilst it does not grant any kind of qualification to members, it is currently seeking to expand its educational activities by providing short residential

courses, studentships and prizes, as well as by publishing educational monographs on Forensic Science. Recently it has established a permanent office with a n Administrative Assistant where some 5000 items of mail per year are handled. All this leads me to venture to suggest that the problems encountered and solved by the Forensic Science Society are in the true sense of the word a microcosm of those which will be encountered in forming a n International body in Forensic Science, something which, as I indicated a t the beginning of my address, is a n object of which I a m sure we all approve. This could be done by setting up a federal structure of national scientific societies, and this new structure should make no attempt of any kind a t supervising the activities of its national constituent groups. I t is on this basis that the Forensic Science Society conducts its relations with its associated societies, as I have already mentioned. International federations of this type are represented by, for example, The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the International Standards Organization. Such bodies could be those on which a n International Union of Forensic Science Societies, which I propose should be formed, might model itself. I t is clearly not appropriate to go into details of the actual organization a t this stage. I would merely like to say that an adaptation of the object of the Forensic Science Society to meet the international situation, in the following terms, viz "To advance the study and application of Forensic Science and to facilitate cooperation between national organizations interested in Forensic Science" would provide a sound starting point for such a n International Union. This object would be carried out both by promoting the dissemination of information in the field of Forensic Science and by organizing international meetings not only to pass on information, but additionally to provide for personal contact between workers in this field, something which the most cunningly interfaced computers can never provide. This is now the seventh International Meeting of Forensic Sciences. Six previous ones have passed without it proving possible to harness the need for permanent international cooperation, which we all feel, into tangible form. I wish to offer the resources of the Forensic Science Society, already with some experience in these matters, as the nucleus of a n attempt to form a n International Union of Forensic Science Societies, and invite any of you who can in any way help towards its formation to write as soon as possible to the Forensic Science Society, PO Box 41, Harrogate, England. T o allow the Seventh International meeting to pass without some constructive steps would be to miss one opportunitv too manv. DAVIDPATTERSON President The Forensic Science Society