iupac

The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC, pronounced /ˈaɪjuːpæk/) is a international federation of National Adhering Organizations that represent chemists in individual countries.  It was established in 1989 as the successor of the International Congress of Applied Chemistry for the advancement of chemistry. Its members, the National Adhering Organizations, can be national chemistry societies, national academies of science, or other bodies representing chemists. There are 54 National Adhering Organizations and 3 Associate National Adhering Organizations. It is the recognized world authority in developing standards for the naming of the chemical elements and their compounds, through its Interdivisional Committee on Nomenclature and Symbols (IUPAC nomenclature). It is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU).

Many IUPAC publications are available on the Internet. For example, Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry (the "Green Book") can be downloaded, while Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the "Gold Book") is searchable online. "Recommendations for nomenclature and tables in biochemical thermodynamics, 1994" is available in web form at http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iubmb/thermod/.

IUPAC and UNESCO are the lead organizations coordinating events for the International Year of Chemistry, which will take place in 2011.  The International Year of Chemistry will commemorate the achievements of chemistry, and its contributions to humankind.