The Bureau was established by the IUPAC Council to act on its behalf during the intervals between Council meetings, except on matters specifically excluded from its delegated authority. It consists of the IUPAC President, Vice-President, Secretary General,  Treasurer,  immediate Past-President, and Presidents of IUPAC Divisions, together with at least ten other members elected by the Council who are known as Elected Members.  As appropriate, Council  also designate Chairs of other IUPAC bodies as Members of the Bureau with full voting powers. The principal duties of the Bureau, subject always to the IUPAC Statutes and Bylaws, are as follows:

  • To ensure the strict observance of Statutes and Bylaws; to prepare the agenda for meetings of the Council and in particular to make provision for elections;
  • To make recommendations thereon to the Council;  to attend the meetings of the Council;
  • To implement the decisions of the Council and execute the program of the Union as directed by the Council;
  • To take steps to ensure that International Congresses of Pure and Applied Chemistry are held;
  • To take decisions about the holding of scientific meetings as proposed by the Division and Standing Committees;
  • To take all other steps necessary for the good conduct of the affairs of the Union.

The Bureau may neither elect IUPAC Officers nor admit nor remove IUPAC Members, but it may fill vacancies among the Officers pending the next regular meeting of the Council, when the Council shall fill such vacancies. The Bureau may fill casual vacancies in accordance with Statute 4.2.

The Bureau appoints an Executive Committee to act on its behalf for the orderly discharge of IUPAC functions between Bureau meetings.

As of 24 August 2023, the following IUPAC policies are in place:

  1.  IUPAC Conflict of Interest Policy
  2.  IUPAC Financial Document Retention Policy
  3.  IUPAC Harassment Policy
  4.  IUPAC Privacy Policy
  5. IUPAC Social Media Policy
  6. IUPAC CEDEI Guidelines