Helsinki 1975 23 To increase, on a bilateral or multilateral basis, the exchange and dissemination of scientific information and documentation by such means as: • making this information more widely available to scientists and research workers of the other participating States through, for instance, participation in international information sharing programmes or through other appropriate arrangements; • broadening and facilitating the exchange of samples and other scientific materials used particularly for fundamental research in the fields of natural sciences and medicine; • inviting scientific institutions and universities to keep each other more fully and regularly informed about their current and contemplated research work in fields of common interest. To facilitate the extension of communications and direct contacts between universities, scientific institutions and associations as well as among scientists and research workers, including those based where necessary on special agreements or arrangements, by such means as: • further developing exchanges of scientists and research workers and encouraging the organization of preparatory meetings or working groups on research topics of common interest; • encouraging the creation of joint teams of scientists to pursue research projects under arrangements made by the scientific institutions of several countries; • assisting the organization and successful functioning of international conferences and seminars and participation in them by their scientists and research workers; • furthermore envisaging, in the near future, a “Scientific Forum” in the form of a meeting of leading personalities in science from the participating States to discuss interrelated problems of common interest concerning current and future developments in science, and to promote the expansion of contacts, communications and the exchange of information between scientific institutions and among scientists; • foreseeing, at an early date, a meeting of experts representing the participating States and their national scientific institutions, in order to prepare such a “Scientific Forum” in consultation with appropriate international organizations, such as UNESCO and the ECE; • considering in due course what further steps might be taken with respect to the “Scientific Forum”. To develop in the field of scientific research, on a bilateral or multilateral basis, the coordination of programmes carried out in the participating States and the organization of joint programmes, especially in the areas mentioned below, which may involve the combined efforts of scientists and in certain cases the use of costly or unique equipment. The list of subjects in these areas is illustrative; and specific projects would have to be determined subsequently by the potential partners in the participating States, taking account of the contribution which could be made by appropriate international organizations and scientific institutions: • exact and natural sciences, in particular fundamental research in such fields as mathematics, physics, theoretical physics, geophysics, chemistry, biology, ecology and astronomy; • medicine, in particular basic research into cancer and cardiovascular diseases, studies on the diseases endemic in the developing countries, as well as medico-social research with special emphasis on occupational diseases, the rehabilitation of the handicapped and the care of mothers, children and the elderly; • the humanities and social sciences, such as history, geography, philosophy, psychology, pedagogical research, linguistics, sociology, the legal, political and economic sciences; comparative studies on social, socioeconomic and cultural phenomena which are of common