Science & Human Rights

The American Chemical Society has experience working internationally on cases where the rights and welfare of professionally engaged chemistry related practitioners are threatened. Our efforts are informed by protections afforded by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and are directed towards human rights and scientific mobility abridgments and issues where ACS is uniquely positioned and qualified to impact cases in a meaningful way.

Human Rights Cases

ACS monitors potential threats to the scientific freedom and human rights of chemical scientists and engineers, as well as to chemistry-related professionals.

Learn more about how ACS supports human rights cases.

If you know of a chemist, chemical engineer, or other chemistry-related professional who has had their rights abridged, email intlacts@acs.org.

Assisting Displaced Scholars

Are you a threatened or displaced scholar who is unable to conduct research in your home country safely? Do you know someone who is? The following organizations that can help:

Global Chemists' Code of Ethics

In April 2016, ACS International Activities gathered 30 scientists from 18 countries for a workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to collaboratively draft an actionable Global Chemists’ stakeholders Code of Ethics (GCCE), guided by The Hague Ethical Guidelines and the Code of Conduct Toolkit. Copies of the documents produced at that meeting can be found below.

This effort was coordinated with assistance and support from the U.S. Department of State's Chemical Security Program (CSP) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

For more information about these programs, email intlacts@acs.org