Statement of the Local Organizing Committee of ICM 2026

Dear Colleagues,
We warmly invite mathematicians from around the world to participate in the upcoming International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), to be held in Philadelphia. The ICM is our field’s most important gathering—a celebration of mathematical achievement and a reaffirmation of the international character, unity, and shared purpose of our discipline. We very much look forward to welcoming colleagues from all regions and backgrounds to this historic Congress.
In recent months, some members of our community have expressed concerns regarding the safety and well-being of participants in the context of today’s politically fractured climate. We take these concerns seriously. The Organizing Committee is fully committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all attendees. The ICM is an academic gathering devoted to mathematics—its ideas, its practitioners, and its global community—where participation is centered on scholarly exchange. We are working closely with local partners to ensure that the Congress proceeds as planned and that participants can focus fully on the scientific and communal goals of the meeting.
Beyond these practical considerations, we wish to emphasize the deeper purpose and spirit of the ICM. For more than a century, the Congress has existed to honor mathematicians from all parts of the world and to bring together our community across borders, cultures, nationalities, and ethnicities. This commitment to internationalism and mutual respect is not incidental; it is central to who we are as mathematicians and to how mathematical progress is made.
At moments when political forces threaten to fragment the international scientific community, the ICM stands for the opposite principle: openness, solidarity, and shared intellectual purpose. Gathering in Philadelphia is not only an academic act, but also an affirmation that mathematics transcends political divisions and that our community remains united in its values. We believe strongly that engagement, presence, and dialogue are essential to upholding the ideals that the ICM represents.
We therefore encourage mathematicians from the United States and from around the world to attend the ICM. Your participation honors our colleagues globally, strengthens our shared institutions, and affirms our collective commitment to an open and inclusive mathematical community. Standing together—calmly, peacefully, and resolutely—is the most effective way to preserve the unity and international character of our field.
We look forward with great enthusiasm to welcoming you to Philadelphia and to making ICM 2026 a successful, inspiring, and truly international gathering.
On behalf of the Local Organizing Committee of ICM 2026
Jalal Shatah Silver
Professor of Mathematics Courant Institute — New York University