To organize the research and monitoring activities, the International Cooperative Programmes (ICPs) report to the Working Group on Effects:
- ICP Forests: ICP on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests
- ICP Waters: ICP on Assessment and Monitoring of Acidification of Rivers and Lakes
- ICP Materials: ICP on Effects of Air Pollution on Materials, Including Historic and Cultural Monuments
- ICP Vegetation: ICP on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops
- ICP Integrated Monitoring: ICP on Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems
- ICP Modelling and Mapping: ICP on Modelling and Mapping of Critical Loads and Levels and Air Pollution Effects, Risks and Trends
Each programme is coordinated by a Task Force, which meets annually and is responsible for the detailed planning of the Programme activities. Each programme also has a Programme Centre, which is responsible for collating data and information and for reporting results. A seventh Task Force was established in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) under the Executive Body:
- Task Force on Health: Joint Task Force on the Health Aspects of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.
The ICPs and the Task Force hold their meetings annually. Convention workshops can relate to specific or cross-cutting issues. The calendar of meetings includes circulars and web links for some of the meetings.
Countries that are Parties to the Convention are encouraged to participate in the programmes. Increasing numbers of countries have become involved in recent years (see Participation). Participation is secured through national representatives attending Task Force meetings and through the establishment of national programme centres (often called national focal centres or points), which are responsible for national contributions to the science and monitoring activities. The representatives and centres are nominated by their Governments in the spirit of their obligations under the Convention. Cooperation between the Programmes, their Centres and the networks of national programme centres has developed a broad knowledge and information base on the effects of long-range transboundary air pollution. This supports the work under the Convention, for example, in the development of Protocols for emission control and the assessment of effects at the international scale.
