Secretary-General, in Message to Budapest Forum, Says International Cooperation on Climate Science Critical for Addressing Extreme Weather Challenges

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, as delivered by Flavia Schlegel, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, to the World Science Forum, in Budapest on 4 November:

I am pleased to convey my greetings to all those taking part in the World Science Forum.  Your focus on the enabling power of science is particularly timely coming so soon after the passage of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In September at the United Nations, world leaders adopted this transformative Agenda which includes 17 universal Sustainable Development Goals.  Science, technology and innovation will be vital ingredients towards achieving our shared ambitions.

The 2015 UNESCO Science Report provides both a baseline and springboard to take the sustainable development agenda forward.  It points to the value of sustained public investment in scientific research and development.  It also highlights growing collaboration to solve pressing sustainable developmental challenges, including climate change.

The United Nations looks forward to working with you to mobilize scientific enterprise, unleash the power of the data revolution, and deepen cooperation to inform policy and move the world along a sustainable path.  I have established a Scientific Advisory Board to help strengthen ties between the United Nations and the scientific community and to more effectively integrate science in policy-making processes.

We know that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will depend not only on the diffusion of technology but also on how well countries partner with one another in the pursuit of science to solve pressing social, environmental and economic problems.

To take but one example, international cooperation on climate science is critical for informing the United Nations negotiations and shaping the decisions of global policymakers.  Sound climate science, effectively communicated and disseminated through education and culture, is essential for helping our world navigate the challenges of increasingly extreme weather and other climate impacts.

Global scientific and technical collaboration on sustainable, clean energy is another area where science can make a vitally important contribution to one of the world’s most pressing needs.

I am convinced that your collective efforts and ideas will help ensure that sustainable development is rooted in knowledge acquired through science, education and culture.  This, in turn, will help lead us to a more sustainable world for all.  Thank you for your engagement and commitment.