The science-policy imperative in the final stretch to 2030 and beyond

The science-policy imperative in the final stretch to 2030 and beyond You receive this email because you subscribed to the 'Science at the UN' newsletter. Check out our other newsletters - ISC Monthly, Open Science and more. Know someone who might benefit from receiving these updates? Please forward this email to them. Science Day 2026 is a Special Event convened alongside the United Nations’ High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), bringing together the science community, policy-makers, and societal actors at a critical juncture for multilateral cooperation. As the 2030 Agenda enters its final implementation phase, Science Day provides a focused space to examine how scientific knowledge is being used within multilateral processes to accelerate delivery, where it is falling short, and what is required for science-policy collaboration to remain credible and effective under current global conditions. Watch live on 9 July 2026 at 10:00AM (EDT) The ISC at the UN HLPF 2026 The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is the United Nations’ central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The ISC engages by mobilizing diverse scientific expertise, contributing to evidence-informed discussions, and ensuring the scientific community’s voice is reflected in global SDG processes. Embed science as a pillar of multilateralism, the global scientific community tells UNSG candidates In this open letter to candidates for UN Secretary-General, the ISC and its members call on the next UN leader to recognize science as a pillar of the multilateral system and to institutionalize its role in global decision-making, at a moment when global challenges grow more complex. Publication: The quiet work of transformation: science and engineering in the decisive leap to 2030 Drawing on case studies from around the world, this paper demonstrates that lasting progress depends on context-specific combinations of scientific knowledge, institutional capacity, financing, infrastructure, public participation and long-term coordination. Science on the agenda: the ISC brings the scientific community’s voice to the UNSG candidates debate in Geneva At a public debate in Geneva, organized by GWL Voices and the UN Foundation, bringing together official candidates for UN Secretary-General, the ISC raised a question that had gone missing throughout the selection process: what role should science play in the multilateral system? Call for nominations of experts to review the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report The International Science Council (ISC) and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) are seeking nominations of experts to review the second-order draft of the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR). Deadline: 31 July 2026. Nominate an expert ISC and UNESCO join forces to advance science for peace, human rights and sustainable development A new cooperation agreement sets out a shared framework for joint activities and long-term collaboration to strengthen science systems worldwide and promote international scientific cooperation. The UN is advocating for a GDP alternative – can social science provide one? A recently launched UN process offers a rare opportunity to reshape the metrics that govern global economic policy-making. A new metric should encompass a far wider range of social scientific indicators. Pacific scientists call for urgent action on sea level rise at UN Science, Technology and Innovation Forum ISC event at the 2026 STI Forum highlights the growing threats to water, food and livelihoods in Pacific island states, and calls for Pacific-led knowledge to shape international policy and finance. Science diplomacy: from utopia to pragmatism The growing fragility of multilateralism is forcing new ways of handling conflicts and shared global challenges, and science diplomacy is set to play an increasingly critical role, writes ISC President Peter Gluckman. Science-policy opportunities Call for papers for the International Political Science Association (IPSA) and the International Political Science Abstracts journal’s ‘Trends in International Political Science’ rubric. Deadline: 13 July. Call for nominations of experts to review the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report. Deadline: 31 July. Call for side-events at the UN Water Conference: Deadline: 31 July. Should you wish to attend the 2026 UN Water Conference from 8 to 10 December 2026, please express interest by sending a message to james.waddell@council.science with "UN Water Conference registration" in the subject line. Call for applications to the UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector Roster of Experts. Call for nominations for the Stockholm Water Prize, awarded to an individual, institution or organization that has made substantial contribution to our understanding, use and protection of water resources. Deadline: 15 September 2026. Call for nominations: UNESCO-Al Fozan International Prize for the Promotion of Young Scientists in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Deadline: 30 November. ➡️ See all opportunities ✉ If you know someone who would be interested in this newsletter, please forward it to them! 🖱️ If you're reading this newsletter for the first time, subscribe here. LinkedIn icon Facebook icon Threads icon Bluesky icon Instagram icon Logo Copyright (C) 2026 International Science Council. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe ISC and UNESCO join forces to advance science for peace, human rights and sustainable development A new cooperation agreement between International Science Council (ISC) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sets out a shared framework for joint activities and long-term collaboration to strengthen science systems worldwide and promote international scientific cooperation. ISC President Peter Gluckman and UNESCO Assistant Director General ad interim Abou Amani signing the agreement. The agreement, signed by ISC President Peter Gluckman and UNESCO Assistant Director General ad interim Abou Amani, builds on a long history of productive collaboration and brings two organizations into closer alignment across a broad sweep of shared priorities, from defending scientists’ freedom to work safely to closing long-standing gaps in access to and participation in science. The official partnership formalizes ISC’s and UNESCO’s commitment to work together towards these goals: Advance peace, human rights, the right to science, and sustainable development through science and international cooperation Promote science as a global public good and the application of science for the common good Strengthen science systems Promote science-informed policy and decision-making Advance equality in science and equitable access to scientific knowledge and its applications Science is a powerful force for peace, sustainable development and human well-being, but its benefits can only be fully realized when knowledge is shared openly, scientists can work freely and safely, and opportunities to participate in science are available to all. By bringing together our complementary strengths, the ISC and UNESCO are reaffirming their commitment to science as a global public good and to advancing evidence-based policy for the world’s most pressing challenges. We look forward to working closely with UNESCO on actions that will strengthen science systems, uphold the right to science and ensure that scientific collaboration continues to serve humanity and the planet. Sir Peter Gluckman ISC President, Distinguished Professor Emeritus ONZ KNZM FRSNZ FRS Sir Peter Gluckman The agreement also sets out a pathway for both organizations to position science as a foundation for peace and international cooperation, including continued involvement in the World Science Forum and similar gatherings. Both parties have also stressed the importance of their long-standing collaboration in supporting international research programmes, including the Global Ocean Observing System (co-sponsored with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the World Meteorological Organization, the UN Environment Programme) and the World Climate Research Programme, both of which depend on sustained, cross-border cooperation much like this agreement is designed to support. It also backs the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, along with the international decades focused on the ocean and the cryosphere, two systems whose fate is closely tied to the planet’s broader stability. Background The ISC has had an official associate status with UNESCO. The two predecessor organizations of the ISC – the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC), which merged to form the ISC in 2018 – had long-standing and continuous official relations with UNESCO, since 1946 and 1952 respectively. The ISSC was established in October 1952 under the auspices of UNESCO following a resolution adopted at the 6th UNESCO General Conference in 1951. Moreover, the two organizations also serve as joint secretariat to the Group of Friends on Science for Action, which serves as informal forum for debate and evidence exchange for scientists, diplomats and policy-makers. In 2020, ISC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO for the purpose of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The two bodies co-created the World Science Day for Peace and Development and continue to co-convene the biannual World Science Forum with other partners. Stay up to date with our newsletters Email * Email address NEXT Publishing date: June 23, 2026 Reading time: 6 minutes Share this article Related content 06 July 2026 More than 500 scientists join the first cohort of the ISC-INGSA science advice training programme More than 500 scientists join the first cohort of the ISC-INGSA science advice training programme Colourful ferris wheel 30 June 2026 Call for nominations of experts to review the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report | deadline: 31 July 2026 Call for nominations of experts to review the 2027 Global Sustainable Development Report | deadline: 31 July 2026 UN Headquaters New York 11 June 2026 Embed science as a pillar of multilateralism, the global scientific community tells UNSG candidates Embed science as a pillar of multilateralism, the global scientific community tells UNSG candidates View all ISC Logo Email * E-mail address Next Disclaimer: The translations are automatically generated by Google Translate and may contain errors. 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