During the 24th IUPAP General Assembly held in Berlin, Germany, October 2002 and at the suggestion of the European Physical Society, the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) declared 2005 as the World Year of Physics. All international science organizations, regional physical societies, national physical societies, and individual physicists were urged to work to make WYP2005 a success. Each national physical society is expected to coordinate and propose activities in its country and during the biennium 2004-2005 preparatory and year-round international, regional and national activities will be implemented.  The main purpose of these commemorative activities is to raise worldwide public awareness for physics.

UNESCO’s Contribution:

• Initiatives aiming to build capacities for advanced research in pure and applied physics are focused on young and women scientists from developing countries.
• The advanced training of young and women scientists will be pursued in cooperation with the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP).  Support will be provided to physicists from developing countries, especially young and women physicists, to organize and/or participate in international activities marking the World Year of Physics 2005.
• Also, in cooperation with ICTP and IUPAP, and other international organizations, the World Conference on Physics and Sustainable Development will be organized in Durban, South Africa, as one of the major initiatives marking the World Year of Physics 2005.
• Various international year-round activities are planned in collaboration with regional and national physical societies.