Permanent Committee of the International Congress of Human Genetics

For over three decades, the Permanent Committee of the International Congresses of Human Genetics has served the purpose of selecting a host and site for the quadrennial Congress, which is due next in 2001. The Committee has statutes and consists of one voting representative from 38 nations and other ex officio members, much like the General Assembly of the United Nations. It meets twice during each International Congress, otherwise conducting its business by mail and telecommunication. Its structure could be the beginnings of a truly global democratic body of human geneticists to address other issues and to serve other purposes, as human genetics becomes increasingly international, as inevitably it must.