The Observatory is a signatories’ association, independent from political organisations or interest groups. The signatory universities – through their rectors, presidents and vice-chancellors, who act on behalf of their institutions – are connected to the organization by their commitment, present and future, to comply with the principles of the Magna Charta Universitatum. The Observatory undertakes its work to ensure the integrity of intellectual and scientific work in Institutions and society, thus reinforcing trust in relationship between universities and their communities, be they local, regional, national or global. The new Magna Charta Universitatum 2020 (MCU 2020) acknowledges the responsibility universities have to engage with and respond to the aspirations and challenges of the world and to the communities they serve, to benefit humanity and contribute to sustainability. The MCU 2020 is a call to universities to focus on these challenges in terms of their curriculum, research and learning strategies, interdisciplinarity and ensure that these are embedded in the university and all staff and students engage with them. To become a signatory of the Magna Charta Universitatum, it is necessary to follow a procedure that universities can find here.