Diversity and Inclusion Working Group: Raising the Profile of Diversity and Inclusion in IFAC

Abstract

Abstract With the establishment within IFAC of the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group in TECIS in Sozopol, Bulgaria in September 2019 the issue of Diversity and Inclusion within the discipline of engineering has been strengthened with both a new platform and a voice (Doyle-Kent et al, 2019:2020). It captures the themes already live in IFAC and is a very positive and forward thinking initiative. IFAC is a worldwide organization with over 20,000 individual members. This paper shows the core values at the heart of the new Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. It is precisely because of the establishment of this group that this “Statement of Values” has emerged in order to crystalize the strongly held beliefs and values that are at the core - the group’s “raison d’etre” so to speak. This statement of values has been accepted by the members of the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group. Going forward it will be proposed as a companion document to the IFAC “Code of Conduct” and it is hoped that it will be included on the IFAC website and at conferences. This paper shows the journey to date and acts as a discussion document in which inputs are sought rather like a green paper.