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Background

Back in 2015, when global leaders met to adopt the SDGs, they declared that “the future of humanity and our planet lies in our hands”. Leave no one behind became the defining principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Eight years into the agenda, only 15% of all SDG targets are on track and we are leaving more than half the world behind. The world must adopt a new approach and focus to move forward. This necessitates centering the role of science, technology and innovation and identify and act on key transformation points and pathways to accelerate SDG progress.

It led the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim 2024 to 2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD). It signals the need to shift towards a transformative era of science-based collaboration and progress. This Decade seeks to harness a more effective and inclusive global approach to sustainability based on the synergic cooperation of all sciences and all knowledge forms in an integrative and transformative way to inform policymaking and the implementation of the SDGs.

The IDSSD builds upon the momentum of its predecessor and will encompass basic, applied, social, and human sciences with an ambitious goal to catalyze transformative changes across societies, economies, and the environment. Its strategy emphasizes the interdependence of sound policies, robust scientific research, and strong public support. The aim is to forge a new social contract for science, aligning scientific endeavours with societal needs and sustainable development goals.

UNESCO, with its expansive mandate covering various scientific and cultural domains, is uniquely positioned to champion this transdisciplinary approach in collaboration with other relevant organizations of the United Nations system as well as other stakeholders, including those involved in the International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development.

The Decade is set to be officially launched in Colombia during the Open Science Forum of Latin America and the Caribbean (CILAC) in October 2024. This event will mark the beginning of a concerted global effort in science and policy. To track progress, UNESCO plans to release three comprehensive reports in 2026, 2029, and 2032, providing critical insights into the effectiveness and impact of the Decade’s initiatives.
UNESCO has extensive partnership networks that provide a key tool for delivering strategic priorities and in this case, the implementation of the IDSSD. Its Category 2 Centres represent a valuable worldwide network of resources, the full potential of which should be realized.

Category 2 institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO are a global network of institutions of excellence in the Organization’s domains of competence. Given their expertise, these institutes and centres contribute in a meaningful way to the implementation of UNESCO’s priorities, programmes, and global development agendas during a defined period, through international and regional cooperation, research, knowledge production, policy advice, and capacity enhancement. Though independent of UNESCO, category 2 institutes and centres are a privileged partner of the Organization with access to UNESCO’s logo, international and intergovernmental bodies and networks, and may leverage UNESCO’s international reach and convening powers. Category 2 institutes and centres under the auspices of UNESCO are an integral part of the Organization’s Comprehensive Partnership Strategy.

Against this backdrop, the International Symposia will provide a platform for the Natural Sciences Category 2 Centres to input and contribute to the IDSSD planning and implementation. It will also serve as forum for information exchange and sharing, and to explore and generate new collaborations.