The interface between science and policy becomes critical against the backdrop of the growing complexities and interconnectedness of geopolitical, technological and socioeconomic contexts as it allows co-creation, exchange, and synthesis of knowledge to enable policy development and decision-making. As most of these complexities are cross-boundary and cross-disciplinary, building the capacity to address them at national, regional, and global levels is essential. Inclusive national, regional, and global science advice can be instrumental in this regard.
Science advisers, through scientific rigour, political acumen, and contextual understanding, play a vital role in steering the science and technology ecosystems of their respective countries and organisations. Chief Science Advisers (CSAs) are embedded within the highest level of governance and can have a prominent role in shaping policy choices by providing evidence-driven science advice. Hence, it is important to create a mechanism that brings together CSAs and their equivalents from across the globe to discuss contemporary and emerging global policy issues of common importance.
To ensure sustained engagement of CSAs and their equivalents from across the globe, the CSAR 2024 is being convened under the joint aegis of UNESCO and the Government of India. The roundtable will take place on 6th September 2024 in a hybrid format at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris with the participation of national Chief Scientific Advisers or equivalents and international organisations.
The CSAR 2024 will be preceded with a free-flowing knowledge session discussing the impact of the science advice mechanisms in building trust in science and will generate insights on building science advice capacity at the country, regional and international levels. This open session will provide opportunity for a dialogue between Chief Scientific Advisers and equivalents, the UNESCO Permanent Delegations and the representatives of the international scientific and science advisory bodies.
In the afternoon’s closed session (CSAR 2024), the Chief Science Advisers and equivalents representing different countries and international organisations will deliberate on the proposed theme of the 2024 roundtable which is ‘Fostering open science, bridging knowledge asymmetry, and building science advice capacity globally’. The roundtable will also deliberate the potential pathways to ensure a sustainable continuation of such a science advice mechanism at the global level.
