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PLEASE NOTE: Information contained on this website is current as
of July 2002. Travel regulations may have changed. Readers are encouraged
to contact the Office
of Foreign Assets Control directly for the most current regulations.
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A Street in Habana Vieja
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What is the AAAS policy regarding travel restrictions?
AAAS supports the right of scientists and academicians to exchange ideas and
participate in scientific activities on a worldwide basis (scientists in this
context include physical, natural and social scientists, mathematicians, engineers,
and the medical community). Addressing travel restrictions by both the US and
Cuban governments reflects AAAS policy as stated in the resolution of the AAAS
Board of Directors adopted on June 25, 1999 entitled, "The Universality of Science
And Freedom in the Conduct of Science." The resolution states, "We oppose the
use of immigration laws or other legal and administrative measures to bar foreign
visitors and travel restrictions on US scientists to impede international exchanges."
That science is an international enterprise dependent on free travel, communication,
and collaboration across national borders is a view shared by all major US and
international scientific organizations. In fact, the statutes of the International
Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) state, "ICSU, as an international nongovernmental
body, shall observe and actively uphold the principle of the universality of
science. This principle entails freedom of association, expression, information,
communication and movement in connection with international scientific activities."
Freedom of movement, including the right to travel, is an internationally recognized
human right. The hardships that violations of this right impose on individual
scientists and on scientific inquiry have been acknowledged in a number of human
rights instruments, including the 1975 Helsinki Accords. In addition, in 1974,
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
adopted the "Recommendation on the Status of Scientific Researchers," which
encourages Members states to "actively promote the interplay of ideas and information
among scientific researchers throughout the world…and to the end should take
all measures necessary to ensure that scientific researchers are enabled…to
participate in international scientific and technological gatherings and to
travel abroad."
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What is the Clearinghouse doing to address travel
restrictions imposed by Cuba on its own scientists?
Program staff traveling to Cuba in the fall of 2000 to research current restrictions
by the Cuban government and its effects on travel and collaboration. The program
is also conducting a Spanish-language survey that addresses, among other topics,
travel restrictions. In addition, please refer to the report that was written
in 1998, The Right to
Travel: The Effect of Travel Restrictions on Scientific Collaboration Between
American and Cuban Scientists. This report addresses restrictions
on travel by both the US And Cuba.
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Please contact us if you have additional
questions
PLEASE NOTE: Information contained on this website is current as
of July 2002. Travel regulations may have changed. Readers are encouraged
to contact the Office
of Foreign Assets Control directly for the most current regulations.
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