BEIJING, April 28,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A
news report from CRI Online:
In August 2023, the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution "International
Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development 2024-2033" (Sciences
Decade). This resolution offers a distinctive opportunity for
humankind to advance and leverage science in the pursuit of
sustainable development and cultivate a new science culture—to
engage everyone to advance science further and equally benefit from
it. Entrusted as the lead agency by the UNGA, UNESCO is diligently
formulating and disseminating a clear vision and dedicated mission
for the Sciences Decade through extensive consultation with Member
States, partners from other UN agencies, international scientific
unions, science academies, private sectors, and NGOs.
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and
Technology of the People's Republic of
China and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality,
co-organized the "International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable
Development Forum" on April 25,
Beijing, China. This forum is one
of the parallel forums of the 2024 ZGC Forum, which is a
state-level platform for global sci-tech innovation exchanges and
cooperation. The primary objective of the International Decade of
Sciences for Sustainable Development Forum is to foster a culture
of science by expanding the outreach of the Science Decade,
engaging with the scientific community, government entities, the
private sector, and civil societies on the vision and mission of
the Decade, and mobilizing various stakeholders for its effective
implementation. 13 esteemed scientists, experts, and senior
government officials from nine countries presented and exchanged
their perspectives, expectations, advice, and approaches regarding
the Science Decade's implementation. Additionally, the forum
featured a high-level dialogue on engaging society in fostering a
culture of science, and around 150 participants from more than 20
countries joined the forum.
"One of the goals of the Decade is to advance scientific
knowledge as a powerful force for humankind to achieve the goals of
sustainable development," said Shahbaz
Khan, director of UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for
East Asia, "China, especially innovative cities like
Beijing with exceptional
scientific minds, is uniquely positioned to contribute to this
mission. And I have personally witnessed how China is using basic science to advance the
environment and society. Furthermore, this forum has provided a
unique platform for international scientific cooperation, enabling
us to use scientific capabilities from around the globe to build a
sustainable future together. We hope this forum will serve as a
springboard for groundbreaking collaboration and knowledge
exchange, propelling us towards a brighter future."
Hu Shaofeng, director of the Division of Science Policy and
Basic Sciences, Natural Sciences Sector; UNESCO, stated that
science for sustainable development is facing several challenges,
including limited recognition of the importance of basic science
and insufficient investment, as well as the need to balance and
complement different sustainable development goals. Hu advocates
for strengthening knowledge-sharing initiatives through
technological innovation supportive policies, enhancing
knowledge-sharing through open science, and improving institutional
and human resources in basic science, technology, research,
innovation, and engineering, ultimately benefiting the people
through science.
Quarraisha Abdool Karim, president of the World Academy of
Sciences (TWAS) and associate scientific director of the Centre for
the AIDS Programme of Research in South
Africa (CAPRISA), highlighted that through continuous
efforts and collaborative work, significant experience has been
gained in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases such
as HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, including providing evidence-based
guidance for decision-making and making scientific prevention
measures and treatment methods more equitable and accessible to the
public. What's more, the focus will remain on offering scientific
advice to decision-makers, refining relevant laws related to
testing, quarantine, and vaccination, enhancing epidemic prevention
and monitoring, promoting public communication and education, and
fostering international scientific cooperation to promote a
sustainable future for all.
According to Guo Huadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy
of Sciences and Director-General and professor of International
Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals
(CBAS), open data is a key to open science. He stated that open
data facilitates the development of open science by enhancing the
transparency, reproducibility and collaboration of scientific
innovation activities, thereby increasing the value of science for
societal development. Guo emphasized the need of accelerating the
construction of big data infrastructure, strengthening top-level
design, creating comprehensive data ecosystems, and developing
innovation-driven development models based on open science,
enabling big data infrastructure to promote the sustainable
development of open science services.
Anna María Cetto Kramis, professor of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) and
Chair of the UNESCO Global Committee on Open Science, emphasized
strengthening the capability for talents and institutions. She
underscored the importance of establishing a comprehensive open
science infrastructure and addressing societal issues through a
fairer, more diverse and inclusive scientific system. This approach
aims to create a healthier future for generations to come.
Gong Ke, executive director of the Chinese Institute for the New
Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategies and the
Director of Haihe Laboratory of Information Technology Application
Innovation, highlighted that one of the key objectives of the
"Sciences Decade" is to foster a scientifically literate
population. To achieve this goal, he suggests employing strategies
such as designing top-level systems, utilizing technology and
digital resources, monitoring the progress of public scientific
literacy, and launching public awareness campaigns. These efforts
aim to ensure that individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds
understand of scientific principles and are well-informed regarding
to relevant decision-making processes.
Carlos Alvarez Pereira,
Secretary-General of the Club of Rome, emphasized the need for ethical-driven
knowledge development and utilization to achieve the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals. He called for advancing
interdisciplinary educational practices, maximizing the
multifaceted role of science in societal advancement, optimizing
existing digital infrastructure, fostering a global
interdisciplinary network, boosting investment in scientific
innovation for sustainable development, and fostering harmonious
coexistence between human and the planet.
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of
the construction of the Beijing Science and Technology Innovation
Center and the first year of the "International Decade of Sciences
for Sustainable Development", both of which are highly compatible
in terms of enhancing public scientific literacy, promoting
international scientific cooperation, and strengthening support for
basic science. The Science Decade echoes the annual theme of the
2024 ZGC Forum, "Innovation: Building a Better World", and further
demonstrates the internationalization of the ZGC Forum.
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SOURCE CRI Online