The Division is responsible for maintaining and developing standard systems for designating chemical structures, including both conventional nomenclature and computer-based systems. This responsibility is to be fulfilled by:

1. Identifying the needs of the user community.
2. Generating projects arising from those needs.
3. Identifying project leaders and task groups to carry out the work.
4. Administering approved projects financially, monitoring their progress, and approving resulting recommendations for review by established IUPAC procedures.
5. Identifying new sources of expertise and enabling their involvement in projects.
6. As far as possible, ensuring that nomenclature systems projects and the resulting recommendations are compatible with each other, with established IUPAC recommendations, and with computer-based systems for manipulating chemical names and structures.

The Division has an Advisory Subcommittee of about 40 people, charged with advising the Division Committee on the needs of the community, and developing project proposals.