29 April 2015: Members of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) called for improving the interface between science and policy in order to develop and implement solutions to global challenges. The call was made at a roundtable with UN Member States on means of implementation (MOI) and the post-2015 development agenda. The Board also underscored the importance of science in facilitating transformations toward local low-carbon economies and sustainable urbanization.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organized the roundtable on 23 April 2015, in New York, the US, on the sidelines of the Fourth Session of Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The event explored the role of science, technology and innovation (STI) as a critical MOI for sustainable development.

In the discussion, Board members highlighted the role of research and development in helping society solve challenges such as biodiversity loss, climate change, access to energy, food security and health care, as well as creating jobs and increasing income. They also said science can help alleviate poverty and empower the poor and vulnerable to develop their own solutions.

Board members stressed the need to demonstrate the transformative power of STI as an accelerator of global development. They explained, for instance, that the proposed 1% target of gross domestic product (GDP) to STI investments may not enable the fulfillment of STI’s potential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They also recommended investing in people to develop skilled engineers, experts and researchers capable of creating and implementing transformational technology, to promote inclusive development and to democratize knowledge. For instance, participants discussed how indigenous and local knowledge can enhance biodiversity preservation, improve natural resource management and support monitoring and achievement of sustainable development progress, similar to the ways in which community-based monitoring systems help track the implementation of commitments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

The Board is expected to develop recommendations on climate change and associated risks, the data revolution and the science-policy interface at its next meeting, which will take place in Malaysia, from 25-26 May 2015. [UNESCO Press Release] [Scientific Advisory Board Website] [Event Concept Note] [IISD RS Story on SAB December 2014 Meeting] [IISD RS Coverage of Post-2015 Negotiations]