CERN suspends Russia’s Observer status

Research organization CERN has suspended Russia’s Observer status until further notice. The 23 member states of the organization are doing this on the basis of the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

CERN has passed the resolution with which the organization responds to the ‘aggression against Ukraine’. CERN’s 23 member states condemn the military invasion, the related loss of life, the humanitarian impact and Belarus’ involvement in “unlawful violence against Ukraine”. Members also underlined their strong support for Ukrainian independence and territorial integrity.

CERN will promote initiatives that support Ukrainian scientific activities in the field of particle physics. Russia’s Observer status will also be suspended and CERN says it will not enter into new partnerships with Russia and its institutions until further notice.

The 23 member states of CERN are made up of European countries and Israel. There are also Associate Member States, including Ukraine. The country has had that status since 2016. Observer status is awarded to states and international organizations. Japan and the United States have that status and so did Russia until recently. The EU, JINR and UNESCO are international organizations with that status.

Observer status is generally awarded to parties that have made significant contributions to CERN’s infrastructure and international organizations with close ties to CERN. Observers may attend the public meetings, but have no voting rights.

Particle physicist and professor John Ellis of King’s College London was a researcher at CERN for a long time and says the announcement is a relief. “There were concerns that the council wanted to end all existing collaborations with Russian institutions and all Russians; that danger has now been averted,” Physicsworld is quoted as saying.

Physicsworld also references a recent open letter allegedly from Russian scientists participating in CERN experiments. In that letter they express their ‘sadness and regret’ about what is happening in Ukraine. They say they are against the military actions and underline the importance of diplomacy and negotiations.