International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry

IUPAC was formed in 1919 by chemists from industry and academia who saw a need for international coordination in chemistry. The International Association of Chemical Societies, a predecessor body, had met in 1911 and proposed work on nomenclature, atomic weights, physical constants and other common practices. IUPAC developed as an international forum for collaboration in a field whose research and applications crossed national boundaries.

A central part of IUPAC's work is developing recommendations intended to make chemical names, terminology and data clearer and more consistent. Its activities include chemical nomenclature and structure representation, terminology, standardized methods of measurement, atomic weights and critically evaluated data. Such standards support scientists in describing compounds, reporting measurements and comparing results. IUPAC recommendations are developed through scientific committees and projects rather than serving as laws or replacing national regulations.

IUPAC organizes scientific work through a project system in which proposals from chemists are peer-reviewed and supported when approved. The Union also publishes journals, technical reports, books and databases, and supports conferences and awards. Its work connects fundamental chemistry with applied fields and evolving needs, including digital standards and the communication of chemical information.

IUPAC brings together chemists and organizations from around the world and works with other scientific and international bodies. It has contributed to shared chemical knowledge and initiatives spanning education, sustainable development and scientific communication. Its role is not limited to assigning names: it provides a collaborative setting for developing tools and recommendations that help the global chemistry community work with a common vocabulary and comparable information.