Some Characteristics of Pugwash
The characteristics of Pugwash, governing its activities, are:
participants are invited in their personal capacity and represent no one but themselves;
the participants are scientists and scholars;
the participants cover a wide spectrum of the ideological and geographical groupings of the scientific community;
there is non formal membership and a minimum of formalized structure;
the debates in the Pugwash meetings are conducted in a scientific spirit;
as a private and independent entity, Pugwash does not usually undertake joint action with other organizations, except for the United Nations and its agencies, and other specialized institutions, such as the Stockholm international Peace Research Institute
(SIPRI).
The Pugwash conferences, symposia and workshops provide a channel of communication between scientists and forum for debate on highly controversial matters.
To ensure a free and frank exchange of views, conducive to the emergence of original ideas, the debates have to be held in private. this is the main modus operandi of Pugwash. But in addition to influencing governments by the transmission of the results of the debates, Pugwash also aims at educating the scientific community and making an impact on public opinion, through statements issued by the Council or its Executive Committee, through special types of meetings, and through publications.