{"id":25,"date":"2026-06-30T13:45:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T12:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/?page_id=25"},"modified":"2026-10-08T22:17:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T21:17:34","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"25\" class=\"elementor elementor-25\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ebd459e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"ebd459e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2e8f919 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2e8f919\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Historicising Earth System Governance: <br>International Organisations, the Environment and the Geopolitics of Expertise, 1950s\u20131990s<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0ba54d9 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"0ba54d9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4487f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"c4487f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 data-interaction-id=\"fad0dc3\" class=\"e-fad0dc3-a7b42e8 e-heading-base e-default-h2\">Our project<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3b2279 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"c3b2279\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8004f1e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8004f1e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Funded via the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk\/funding\/schemes\/knowledge-frontiers-international-interdisciplinary-research\/knowledge-frontiers-international-interdisciplinary-research-projects-past-awards\/international-interdisciplinary-research-projects-awards-2026\/\"> British Academy\u2019s scheme for International Interdisciplinary Research Projects<\/a>, HESG investigates how international organisations, scientific expertise and geopolitical contexts shaped the development of governance related to planetary environmental challenges from the 1950s to 1990s. Tackling these challenges has been long been understood to be beyond the capacity of any single state actor, requiring meaningful international cooperation. Focusing on architecture and agency \u2013 two key domains of earth system governance \u2013 this project considers the geopolitical dimensions of historical cases involving Earth sciences and environmental expertise.<\/p>\n<p>The project is built around three international initiatives, each of which represented a distinct approach to cooperation in earth system governance: the International Council of Scientific Unions-coordinated International Geophysical Year programme (1957\u20138); UNESCO\u2019s Man and the Biosphere programme (launched in 1971); and the interplay between non-governmental and intergovernmental actors in the Arctic region (with a focus on the 1980s and 1990s). Run by a multidisciplinary, international six-member team, the project situates these influential initiatives within the geopolitical circumstances of their origins and development.<\/p>\n<p>Alongside the join preparation of various publications (including a co-authored monograph), the team members will organise an international conference as well as hosting activities on the relationship between environmental governance and democracy.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d5b9730 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d5b9730\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-efdbf53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"efdbf53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1135d70 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"1135d70\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Our three case studies<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d16990 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5d16990\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-23118ff e-grid e-con-full e-con e-child\" data-id=\"23118ff\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cc0c6fa e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"cc0c6fa\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52ed460 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"52ed460\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The International Geophysical Year (IGY)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58c8ad1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"58c8ad1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Launched by the International Council of Scientific Unions and held in 1957\u201358, the International Geophysical Year was framed as a scientific venture. However, it also depended on extensive diplomatic negotiation, institutional coordination and political agreement, thereby blurring the boundaries between scientific collaboration and geopolitical strategy. Rather than relying on a supranational political structure, the IGY coordinated planetary-scale observation through shared standards, agreed protocols, logistical interdependence and commitments to knowledge exchange.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-edd3190 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"edd3190\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6330dcf elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6330dcf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f0a075a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f0a075a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Launched in 1971, UNESCO\u2019s \u2018Man and the Biosphere\u2019 programme was an early operationalisation of the \u2018Earth as a system\u2019. It represents a pioneering institutional attempt to govern human\u2013environment relations on a planetary scale, while still working through regionally embedded sites (biosphere reserves). MAB explicitly integrated ecological science, development policy and international coordination. It thus provides a historical example of how scientific expertise was mobilised to produce governance frameworks on different scales: local\u2013national\u2013global.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-98667ae e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"98667ae\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3973b56 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3973b56\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span>Environmental and Indigenous Rights in the Arctic<\/span><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd8db1d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bd8db1d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Having originated in a conference held in 1977, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) was formally established in 1980. Its history illustrates how the pursuit of justice and representation figured in emerging governance regimes on the environment. The ICC campaigns on behalf of Indigenous people from across the Arctic region. While the protection and promotion of Indigenous cultures is a central component of its work, environmental rights have also been a major feature of its activities. The project traces the ICC&#8217;s interactions with ventures such as the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (launched in 1989) and the Arctic Council (founded in 1996).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54fc03a elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"54fc03a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15e8588 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"15e8588\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Funded by<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-85f3994 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"85f3994\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BA-white-300x113.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-594\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BA-white-300x113.jpg 300w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BA-white-1024x386.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BA-white-768x290.jpg 768w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BA-white-1536x580.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/BA-white.jpg 1887w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b69f2ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b69f2ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><br>Partner Institutions<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9404d61 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9404d61\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2bdb066 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2bdb066\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"38\" src=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Arctic-Institute-300x38.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-602\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Arctic-Institute-300x38.jpg 300w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Arctic-Institute-1024x129.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Arctic-Institute-768x97.jpg 768w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Arctic-Institute-1536x194.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Arctic-Institute-2048x258.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e7a346 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6e7a346\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"121\" src=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Charles-University-300x121.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-599\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Charles-University-300x121.jpg 300w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Charles-University-1024x412.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Charles-University-768x309.jpg 768w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Charles-University-1536x617.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Charles-University-2048x823.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f2f68ca elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f2f68ca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"92\" src=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Universities-Chicago-300x92.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-612\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Universities-Chicago-300x92.png 300w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Universities-Chicago.png 727w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72b43d0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"72b43d0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"223\" src=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UC-Chile-300x223.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-608\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UC-Chile-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UC-Chile-1024x761.png 1024w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UC-Chile-768x571.png 768w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/UC-Chile.png 1372w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6a5258c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"6a5258c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"95\" src=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Northumbria_University_Logo-178x57.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium wp-image-137\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Northumbria_University_Logo-300x95.png 300w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Northumbria_University_Logo-1024x325.png 1024w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Northumbria_University_Logo-768x244.png 768w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Northumbria_University_Logo-178x57.png 178w, https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Northumbria_University_Logo.png 1320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-987061c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"987061c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Historicising Earth System Governance: International Organisations, the Environment and the Geopolitics of Expertise, 1950s\u20131990s Our project Funded via the British [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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v28.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Home - Historicising Earth System Governance: International Organisations, the Environment and the Geopolitics of Expertise, 1950s\u201390s<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The project is built around three international initiatives, each of which represented a distinct approach to cooperation in earth system governance: the International Council of Scientific Unions-coordinated International Geophysical Year programme (1957\u20138); UNESCO\u2019s Man and the Biosphere programme (launched in 1971); and the interplay between non-governmental and intergovernmental actors in the Arctic region (with a focus on the 1980s and 1990s). Run by a multidisciplinary, international six-member team, the project situates these influential initiatives within the geopolitical circumstances of their origins and development.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/research.northumbria.ac.uk\/hesg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Home - Historicising Earth System Governance: International Organisations, the Environment and the Geopolitics of Expertise, 1950s\u201390s\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The project is built around three international initiatives, each of which represented a distinct approach to cooperation in earth system governance: the International Council of Scientific Unions-coordinated International Geophysical Year programme (1957\u20138); UNESCO\u2019s Man and the Biosphere programme (launched in 1971); and the interplay between non-governmental and intergovernmental actors in the Arctic region (with a focus on the 1980s and 1990s). 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