Since its proclamation by UNESCO 31 C/Resolution 20) in 2001, World Science Day for Peace and Development observed every year on 10 November has generated many concrete projects, programmes and funding for science around the world. The day has also helped foster cooperation between scientists living in regions marred by conflict - one example being the UNESCO-supported creation of the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO). World Science Day for Peace and Development offers an opportunity to reaffirm each year the commitment to attaining the goals proclaimed in the Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge and to follow up the recommendations of the Science Agenda: Framework for Action. The first World Science Day for Peace and Development was celebrated worldwide on 10 November 2002 under UNESCO auspices.

FORUM: World Science Day for Peace and Development 2020 - Science for and with Society.

The World Science Day for Peace and Development offers an opportunity to show the general public the relevance of science in their lives and to engage them in discussions. Such a venture also brings a unique perspective to the global search for peace and development. This year, at a time when the world is struggling with the global COVID-19 pandemic, the focus of World Science Day is on “Science for and with Society in dealing with the global pandemic.” Throughout this unprecedented health crisis, UNESCO, as the UN Agency with the field of science in its mandate, has endeavoured to bring science closer to society and to bolster the critically needed international scientific collaborations. From the science perspective, UNESCO’s response to COVID-19 is structured around three major pillars: promoting international scientific cooperation, ensuring access to wate,r and supporting ecological reconstruction.

CAMPAIGN: COVID-19 response demands better use of science and technology; Join the conversation with the hashtags #ScienceDay.

Statement from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Science Day for Peace and Development, 10 November 2020 ;

In a 1951 article published in The UNESCO Courier, anthropologist and ethnologist, Claude Lévi-Strauss wrote: “The efforts of science should not only enable mankind to surpass itself; they must also help those who lag behind to catch up”.

It is with this same conviction, despite these tumultuous and trying times, that we celebrate World Science Day for Peace and Development, whose theme this year is “Science for and with society in dealing with COVID-19”. Science will play an important role in overcoming this crisis and will also help to build more just, more compassionate and more sustainable societies.

The current crisis should serve as a wakeup call regarding the urgency for increased financing and support of scientific research and collaboration. This concerns not only the natural sciences, but also the social and human and sciences. The virus is an all-encompassing societal issue, irreducible to epidemiological data alone, however fundamental they may be.

Natural sciences help us understand the virus, while social and human sciences enable us to look deep within our societies and reveal their complexities, avoiding terile over-simplification and false evidence. Social and human sciences have much to contribute towards the fight against this pandemic, and we can only benefit from better integrating them into public policy.

At UNESCO, we have long been convinced of the potential of science –provided that it is shared within an ethical and humanistic framework. It is for these reasons that UNESCO is extending its historic commitment to the ethics of science with the drafting of a global recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence, aimed at making innovation available to all.

As the world confronts a historic pandemic, and also faces the climate crisis and the collapse of biodiversity, we must not lose sight of the humanist vision of science, just as we must not ignore scientific methodology and rigorous scientific reflection.

Following a decision by its Member States in November 2019, UNESCO is preparing a recommendation on open science, whose goal is to help science unlock its full potential. The recommendation aims not only to make science more effective and more diverse by enabling anyone to contribute, but also to bring its objectives in line with the needs of society by developing scientific literacy in an informed citizenry who take responsibility and are involved in collective decision-making.

This recommendation is an important step towards transforming all branches of science into a common good, serving the sustainable development of all our societies. On this World Science Day for Peace and Development, we wish to reaffirm this fundamental objective.

EVENT: Organized by UNESCO, the celebration involved many partners, such as governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, UNESCO National Commissions, scientific and research institutions, professional associations, the media, science teachers and schools. To celebrate the 2020 World Science Day, UNESCO is organizing an online roundtable on the theme of “Science for and with Society in dealing with COVID-19.”

The organization of events and activities for the International week of science and Peace 2020 was undertaken as a non-governmental initiative; the secretariat for the International Year of Peace was informed of the preparatory activities and the final summary of events that occurred during the week. The organizers sought to encourage the broadest possible international participation in the observance.

The dialogue was chaired by Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences.

Keynote speech: Prof. Edith Heard, 2020 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Laureate for Europe, and Director-General European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

Panel:

• Prof. Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, Chairman of Atri Advisory and Former Science Adviser to the Prime Minister of Malaysia;

• Prof. Amon Murwira Ph.D. Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Zimbabwe; and

• Ms Melina Sakiyama Co-founder, Global Youth Biodiversity Network.

International Week of Science and Peace

The International Week of Science and Peace was first observed during 1986 as part of the observance of the International Year of Peace. Based on the success of the 1986 observance, the organizers continued their efforts in successive years. In recognition of the value of the annual observance, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution Resolution 43/61 in December 1988, which proclaims the “International Week of Science and Peace, 9- 15 November”, to take place each year during the week in which 11 November falls. The General Assembly urged Member States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to encourage relevant institutions, associations and individuals to sponsor events and activities related to the study and dissemination of information on the links between progress in science and technology and maintenance of peace and security; urged Member States to promote international co-operation among scientists and required the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly as its forty-fifth session on the activities and initiatives of Member States and interested organizations in connection with the week.

The annual observance of the International Week of Science and Peace is making an important contribution to the promotion of peace. The Week encourages greater academic exchanges on a subject of universal importance while also generating greater awareness of the relationship of science and peace among the general public. Based on observances of Science and Peace Week to date, it may be expected that participation each year will increase, contributing to greater international understanding and opportunities for co-operation in the applications of science for the promotion of peace throughout the year.