Organizing Institutions:
The
InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) – the global network of science, engineering and medical academies – is the primary organiser.
Its regional network, the
InterAmerican Network of Academies of Science (IANAS) and the
Global Young Academy (GYA) are participating partners.
AbstractAdopted by all UN Member States in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are unprecedented in scope and significance. Whether poor, rich or middle-income, countries have promised to promote peace and human well-being whilst protecting the planet.
The timeframe for delivery is 2030. This may sound realistic, but two years into the 15-year process, many people have still never heard of the SDGs; others think they only apply to the developing world. According to a 2017
survey of national, merit-based academies, awareness of the SDGs is limited and the UN processes overseeing them are perceived to be complex and confusing, providing further disincentive to get involved. As established parts of their national science systems, academies can play a vital role in supporting the SDGs, as can all scholars in all disciplines, to help ensure that the best knowledge is applied to their implementation and help make the SDGs a reality by 2030.
The
InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), the global network of science, engineering and medical academies, is endeavouring to raise awareness of the SDGs and explore opportunities to support them more effectively through its three-year project
Improving Scientific Input to Global Policymaking. A key project output is a 20 page booklet -
Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals: a Guide for Merit-Based Academies – which sets out how academies and academics can support the SDGs nationally, regionally and globally, together with an overview of relevant UN processes and structures. The guide complements other recent
why, when and how guides targeted at
universities and
industry, all designed to align their respective communities more closely to the SDGs. Similarly, the
Global Young Academy and National Young Academies have produced a
statement on their potential role in supporting the SDGs, to help mobilise their members and prospective partners.
This thematic session will explore how the academies and the next generation of science leaders can support the SDGs, focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean. There are 19 national science academies and three regional academies in the Americas, networked under the
InterAmerican Network of Academies of Science (IANAS), and the Project is endeavouring to mobilise them and build sustained links with UN regional bodies. Engaging with the next generation of leaders is especially important, in the absence of any national young academies in the region.
