The Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) is an non-governmental organization established jointly by WHO and UNESCO in 1949. CIOMS represents a substantial proportion of the biomedical scientific community through its member organizations, which include many of the biomedical disciplines, national academies of sciences and medical research councils. CIOMS mission is to advance public health through guidance on health research and policy including ethics, medical product development and safety. CIOMS is in official relations with WHO and is an associate partner of UNESCO.