By Duncan Mboyah (Special correspondent)
The world leaders have urged scientists to continue seeking robust science-based solutions to ensure the planet’s future.
Led by the Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, the leaders noted that science is central to tackling the world’s greatest challenges.
“We face a scorching planet, conflicts igniting and spreading like wildfire, a digital revolution with endless possibilities and untold risk and Sustainable Development Goals that are still off track,” Guterres said during the opening of the World Science Forum (WSF 2024) in Budapest, Hungary.
He told the more than 1,100 delegates from 122 countries scientists and delegates attending the WSF2024 forum that it is now time to harness the power of science to forge solutions for people and the planet alike.
He said that the global community is counting on the WSF to ensure that science remains the bedrock of a peaceful, prosperous and healthy future for all people.
The UN official revealed that he recently formed a scientific advisory board that unites experts on public health, climate and artificial intelligence to help ensure that science shapes, informs and delivers effective policy solutions around the world.
The President of Hungary, Tamás Sulyok, told scientists and policymakers to develop a shared responsibility to embrace scientific advice for the future of human civilization and the environment.
Sulyok observed that despite the differences, the scientists and policymakers have shared responsibilities. They are both responsible for the current and future generations.
Tamás Freund, the President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences said that the delegates attending the forum 11th WSF that is titled “A Science and Policy Interface and Dialogue at the Time of Global Transformations”, are discussing the barriers that prevent the science-policy interface from working at its maximum efficiency but also to strengthen trust in science.
“We need to identify best practices, demonstrate the importance of different perspectives and come up with actionable recommendations,” Prof. Freund said.
He said that the forum aims at ensuring that science is requested, interpreted and used wisely when it comes to elaborating policies on a global or national level.
He added that the final decisions will serve as a point of reference for scientists and policy-makers for posterity.
The four-day WSF 2024 event aims to address the major challenges that prevent the global science-policy–society interface from working at its maximum efficiency.
The delegates are discussing trust in science, risk assessment in the context of science and policy-making.
